KE, I think everyone wants to hear that they are doing a good job. Unfortunately, not everyone is lucky enough to have an employer like Barry who will tell them. It's tough to wonder how someone feels about you in general and especially when it comes to your work performance. I'll never forget how I felt at my last job one day when I was plugging away in the back room as a page, checking in books. My supervisor was showing someone around and told them that back here was the bottom of the ladder at the library. While that wasn't really speaking against my performance, her words and tone of voice did make me feel like what I was doing didn't matter much. On the other side, I will also never forget a time about 6 months into my current job when someone from our library system was visiting. My boss introduced me and said that I was doing a "top-shelf" job for them. In both jobs I carried those comments around with me and it really affected how I felt about myself. In the first case I felt very negative for a couple of weeks until I remembered something someone else said at a book repair workshop about how the pages were the first line of defense in protecting the library's holdings. That perked me right up but I'd still rather be where I am! So...yes, a pat on the back when you're doing well is not a lot to ask for but if you aren't getting that find ways to pat your own back and keep your eyes peeled for a different situation.