Loud Doesn’t Mean Productive: What I Learned About Performance in the Workplace

Have you ever been in a meeting where everyone’s trying to talk over each other just to sound like they’re working? And you’re just there, quiet, thinking, “Wait lang, I already did the job, why do I still need to say so much?”

Yeah. Same.

Recently, I came across a quote online (see pic below) that really hit me. It said:

“In toxic companies 🚫, your performance is only measured by how loud and present you are in meetings.
In amazing companies 🏆, words are just one part of the game; actions and output are more appreciated.”

Tapos napa-isip ako. Ang dami ko nang nakatrabaho — from back home in the Philippines, to global clients, to working here in the UK. I’ve seen both sides. And sadly, mas madalas, yung mga tahimik pero consistent, sila pa yung hindi napapansin.

🤐 Tahimik ka, di ka daw nagpe-perform?

In some companies, especially yung may toxic culture, the louder you are, the better you look. As in, if you’re the one constantly talking in meetings, parang automatic you’re the “leader” or you’re doing more.

But what if you’re the type of person who just puts your head down and gets things done? Yung tipong silent achiever lang? Hindi ba dapat counted din ‘yun?

And don’t get me wrong — I’m not against speaking up. I’m just saying: let’s not forget the value of actual work and results.

🌏 Is it a cultural thing?

Honestly, I think part of it is also culture. As someone from the Philippines working in a Western company, sobrang obvious minsan.

In our culture, we’re raised to be humble, to not interrupt, to let our work speak for itself. “Pakiramdaman muna,” diba? We don’t usually promote ourselves unless needed. But in many Western workplaces, being assertive is seen as being proactive. Kaya minsan, if tahimik ka lang, parang ang dating eh wala kang ginagawa — even if you’ve already done more than what’s expected.

That’s where the disconnect happens.

🛠️ What I’m Learning

Here’s what I’m starting to do now:

• I make sure I log and track my work — para may record.
• I try to speak up when needed, kahit one or two meaningful comments lang in a meeting.
• I send updates — kahit simple email lang — so they know what’s been done.
• And most importantly, I remind myself that value isn’t always loud.

Hindi mo kailangang sumigaw para mapansin. Minsan tahimik ka lang, pero solid ang gawa mo. And that’s something we should protect and appreciate — in ourselves and in others.

🧠 Final Kwento

I’ve been in both types of work environments, and trust me — ang gaan sa feeling to be in a place where your output matters more than your volume. Where people value what you do more than how often you speak.

If you’re in a company na parang kailangan mo pang sumayaw sa Zoom just to prove you’re working… maybe it’s time to reflect.

Let’s normalize quiet workers who get things done. Let’s appreciate different work styles. And let’s keep building a workplace where actions speak loudest.

Have you ever experienced this? Tahimik ka lang pero ang dami mong nagagawa? Kwento ka naman. I’d love to hear your side too.

-#Dadbuhay