A job description might say “manage client relationships.” It may not explain that a client will sometimes call when you are about to leave, that two departments will disagree over who owns a problem, or that you will need to calm a frustrated customer before you can solve the actual issue.
Real work includes ambiguity, unexpected requests and decisions that do not arrive neatly labelled.
Research on the psychological contract—the unwritten expectations people believe exist between themselves and their employers—helps explain this gap. Employment relationships involve assumptions about support, fairness, loyalty and development that may never appear in a formal contract.
The lesson is to observe how work actually gets done, not just what your offer letter says.
But there is a distinction worth protecting: learning the unwritten rules is useful; accepting every unreasonable demand as “part of the job” is not.
2. Your work is judged partly by how you work with people
You may be hired because you can write, sell, analyse data, manage projects or develop strategy. Yet your ability to collaborate, communicate clearly, handle disagreement and keep commitments can shape how others experience your work.
A technically excellent employee who withholds important information or makes collaboration unnecessarily difficult can slow down an entire team. Someone who communicates early, shares useful context and handles disagreements constructively can make the whole team more effective.
This does not mean you must be everyone’s friend, flatter your manager or agree with every opinion. It means understanding that work is interdependent: your output often becomes someone else’s input.
The unwritten expectation is not “please everybody.” It is make it possible for people to work with you and trust your contribution.
3. “Just one more thing” can quietly become a second job
The occasional urgent request is part of working life. The problem begins when exceptions become the normal operating system.
A task that takes five minutes to assign may require an hour to complete. A quick meeting can create follow-up work. A colleague’s emergency can become your recurring responsibility. And the employee who reliably says yes may gradually inherit duties that were never considered when their workload or salary was determined.
This is particularly difficult when employees want to demonstrate commitment or fear being labelled uncooperative.
The International Labour Organization’s global review of working time found that more than one-third of workers worldwide regularly worked over 48 hours per week. It also found that working longer than preferred was associated with poorer work-life balance. These are global findings, not figures specific to Nigerian office workers.
The practical lesson is to distinguish between a genuine emergency and a permanent pattern of overload.
When a new responsibility arrives, try asking: “I can take this on. Which of my current priorities should move so I can deliver it properly?”
That is not laziness. It is workload management.
4. Some of your biggest career opportunities won’t be called training
You may learn more about leadership by coordinating a difficult project than by attending a leadership webinar. You may learn negotiation by resolving a disagreement with a supplier. You may discover how senior management thinks by preparing a business case or presenting a recommendation to decision-makers.
These opportunities may not come with a certificate, a new title or additional pay.
They can still develop valuable skills—but only if you recognise what you are learning and can explain how it translates into greater professional capability.
There is a caution here: extra responsibility is not automatically career development. If you repeatedly perform higher-level work without recognition, support or a credible path forward, the organisation may be benefiting more than you are.
Be intentional. Keep a record of significant assignments, problems solved, results achieved and skills acquired. Discuss growth opportunities with your manager, and seek clarity when additional responsibilities become substantial or permanent.
Do not just accumulate work. Accumulate evidence of what you can do.
5. Nobody may tell you exactly what success looks like
A job description lists duties. It does not always tell you which outcomes matter most, how competing priorities should be ranked or what your manager considers excellent performance.
One manager may value speed. Another may care more about accuracy. A third may expect you to identify problems before being asked.
This is why role clarity matters. Gallup’s workplace research highlights the importance of employees understanding what is expected of them, how their contribution fits into the team’s work and how expectations change as circumstances evolve.
Do not wait until your performance review to discover that you and your boss have been using different definitions of success.
Ask questions such as:
- What are the three most important outcomes you want from me?
- How will we know that I am doing this job well?
- When priorities conflict, which takes precedence?
- What decisions can I make independently, and which need approval?
- What would you like me to improve over the next three months?
These conversations can prevent frustration on both sides.
And remember: you are entitled to seek clarity. A manager’s expectations should not remain a guessing game that only becomes visible when something goes wrong.
What this means for Nigerian professionals
In a demanding workplace, learning the unwritten rules can help you navigate relationships, anticipate problems and make better career decisions.
But there is a difference between being adaptable and being endlessly available, between demonstrating initiative and absorbing everyone else’s workload, and between learning through experience and being denied proper training.
Employees should learn to read their workplace. Employers should also recognise that ambiguity, excessive demands and unacknowledged responsibilities can undermine trust and performance.
The healthiest employment relationship is not one in which the boss gets everything they never thought to put in the job description. It is one in which expectations can be discussed openly, contributions are recognised and responsibilities remain fair.
The Lion Take
Your job description tells you what you were hired to do. Your workplace experience reveals what the job actually demands. Your judgement determines what you learn, what you negotiate and what you should not silently accept.
Pay attention to the unwritten rules. They can teach you a great deal about people, organisations and your own professional growth.
Just remember that not every unwritten expectation deserves your unquestioning compliance.
The Big Question
What is one thing your current or former workplace expected you to know or do that nobody ever mentioned during your interview?
