In the middle of a team meeting, discussion is flowing and ideas are being thrown around. You are taking notes, rephrasing ideas, making sure everyone understands, including those working remotely.
You are also the one who sends the report, plans the next steps, and coordinates between the various departments involved. In short, you are the glue that holds the team together, and you’re doing what’s called “glue work”.
This term was brought into the spotlight in 2019 by Tanya Reilly, then an engineer at Squarespace. It refers to all those tasks that are essential to the proper functioning of a collective – but which are rarely recognised.
Indeed, as vital as it is, this work tends to stay in the shadows, and it does not fit into KPIs or evaluation grids. It is the silent glue that supports team performance.
Unsurprisingly, it is mainly women who take on this work. According to a study by the Harvard Business Review from 2018, women are 48% more likely than men to take on these tasks. Worse still, they are 44% more often asked by their managers to carry them out, highlighting a persistent gender bias.
Making the invisible visible
In the workplace, women are often expected to be helpful, available, accommodating and ultra-efficient – as if it were innate. They are expected to be naturally gifted at organising farewell parties, welcoming newcomers, emptying the trash, or closing the windows before leaving.
In short, they are confined to support roles, without ever being given the recognition they deserve.
And when they take on these roles to meet implicit expectations, they pay the price: less visibility and promotions pass them by. This behaviour, which is nevertheless essential to the proper functioning of the collective, is rarely valued. It does not fit into performance grids, which are often centred on quantifiable criteria.
In other words, “glue work” flies under managerial radars. It exists, it is indispensable, but it is rendered invisible.
So how can we ensure this vital coordination work does not become a silent trap? Companies can start by putting a name to it: officially recognising “glue work” as a performance lever, creating dedicated coordination roles such as “chief happiness managers”, and including these tasks in annual appraisals.
A rotation system could also be considered, so it’s not always the same people who bring in the breakfast pastries or water the plants, for example.
For employees, it’s crucial to document what you do: note it down, quantify it, give reasons for it. And above all, talk about it during interviews or evaluations with your line manager, without pretence.
After all, “glue work” is not an act of goodwill – it is a discreet but essential cog in the overall functioning of the collective. It does not make noise, does not show itself in meetings, but it does allow the whole mechanism to run smoothly. As such, it should stop being considered as a simple matter of good nature or generosity.