Are Your Visible at Work?
By Nicole D. Smith, Editorial Audience Director of Harvard Business Review
We’ve all heard the common job advice: “Keep your head down, work hard, and produce great results.” From the early stages of our careers, many of us are taught that’s what it takes to be recognized and get promoted.
Unfortunately, this is only half the story. While it’s true you need to put in effort and establish yourself as a strong, dependable contributor to grow in any role, it takes more than hard work alone. The impact of that work needs to be visible to others.
In our article “How to Become More Visible at Work,” my co-author, Angela Cheng-Cimini, and I discuss why visibility is so important. Being visible means that people notice and value your contributions, and when those people are in positions of power, there are benefits. Big ones.
You build influence. You're more likely to be included in career-changing projects and conversations. You gain access to new and important information. Ultimately, you’re in a better position to get promoted, because your accomplishments and potential are widely known.
But for many people, the actions that lead to visibility—speaking up in meetings, networking, touting your work or your team’s work—can feel uncomfortable, or even inauthentic. So, how exactly do you go about it?
First, lean into your strengths. The skills that come easily to you often reflect the most authentic parts of yourself. For example, as someone who is naturally curious, I feed into my desire to learn more by asking questions. Inquisitiveness is a genuine way for me to connect with my colleagues, deepen my knowledge, and in turn, become more visible to stakeholders across my organization.
Second, make peace with feeling uncomfortable. Promoting yourself and your work takes courage. Speaking up to share your perspective in meetings requires vulnerability. Building relationships with people in positions of power can feel scary. At the same time, all of these actions will help you grow and increase your visibility. It’s not supposed to feel comfortable.
I encourage you to think about how to become more visible at work, and what your career looks like with visibility—or without it. Here are a few articles to help you learn how to make your work seen and respected by others.
Recommended Reads
How to Become More Visible at Work
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It takes more than hard work to grow in your role and build credibility.
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Don’t wait until your year-end review to ask for growth opportunities and point to the impact of your work.
How to Get Noticed by Your Boss’s Boss
Get senior leadership to notice you (without upsetting your manager).
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