What kind of relationship do you have with your boss? Do you see each other once a month at your one-on-one meeting, or do you duet on “I Got You Babe” every Friday at happy hour? Distant or close, your boss is unlikely to be so candid as to reveal every juicy tidbit about your work environment.

These things you will have to discover on your own, because your boss won’t tell you:

Your reputation means as much as—if not more than—your work product.

How do your colleagues and supervisors perceive you? Are you consistent, detailed, and friendly, or wishy-washy and unkind? How you do your work can be more important than the actual work you do, and can be the tipping point when it comes to special projects or promotions. So if you’re overlooked for an opportunity, you might look to this along with these other reasons you haven’t been promoted yet.

Your job has no future.

You’re a valuable asset your boss doesn’t want to lose, so you’ll never be told your dreams and aspirations won’t come true here—you’ll have to deduce that on your own. Are employees around you moving up or sideways, or expanding their roles within the organization? What happened to the employees who did your job before you? If employees are turning over like a restless sleeper, you might be in a dead-end job.

Take time away from the office.

Remember, you’re a valuable asset who gets things done! Your boss isn’t going to tell you to put your productivity on hold to take time for yourself, so you’ll have to take charge of scheduling your own time off. And take heed if your boss actually does tell you to take time away; it’s could be a sign you’ve been acting a little cray-cray.

My stress is not about you (but it impacts you anyway).

You know those days when your manager is on a rampage, all terse emails, snippy remarks, and red-faced huffing around the office? These reactions are rarely about you or anything you did, even though you must suffer the negative and demoralizing impact of your boss’s behavior. Don’t expect your boss to apologize or put on a fake smile—their stress is real, and they might be having trouble dealing with it.

You know your job best.

Unless your boss promoted from your specific job, they won’t know your job as well as you do, and they may have no clue what your day-to-day looks like. Few bosses will admit the power you hold over your position! But you’ll want to loop them in on your daily activities and achievements so they can gain a better understanding of your contributions to the organization.