Some of us work in the in-between…
In between teams, decisions, ideas, and actions, weaving the pieces together in unseen and often unmeasurable ways, creating an invisible interstitial lining that holds things together beyond the big-ticket tasks and sexy statistics.
This is something I’ve noticed in my career for some time, and a theme that seems to be coming up a lot more in conversations I’ve been having these days.
Of course, the outcomes matter. But how do we get there? Often, it’s through a spiderweb of actions, decisions, conversations, and influences along the way. There are layers and moving pieces behind what often gets distilled into a single result.
Maybe it’s helping someone see a problem differently or connecting people who just needed to talk. Maybe you noticed something falling between the cracks and stayed until it was resolved. These behind-the-scenes things matter in business, leadership, and making progress. They just don’t always translate neatly into OKRs, KPIs, or resume bullets.
I think AI makes this harder. As we generate more, faster, there’s pressure to explain value in simple soundbites and quick-hit metrics. How much of the work behind the work gets lost in that over-simplification?
As a leader, competing priorities for your attention can make this even easier to miss. Giving credit means taking time to understand how things came together—and who helped.
What do you think about this idea?
Do you work in this in-between space? How do you make that work visible when it matters?
And if you lead others, how do you stay curious to seek out the deeper story so you can give your people the credit they’re due?
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