Do This to Be More Visible in Your Career

When you reach a certain point in your career and struggle to get to the next level — it’s time to raise your visibility and play bigger. For that, you need to show your value so you can be considered for new opportunities or promotions. Don’t hold yourself back.

• Ensure others see your authenticity at work.
• Share the information with your management.
• Look at the choices that you make every day.

Most important — Don’t forget to celebrate your wins!

A leader who doesn’t feel ready for leadership responsibilities will struggle to trust their abilities.

They will compare themselves to everyone else and live with doubt and insecurity. They want to show up authentically but, because of their own doubts, it isn’t easy for them. Brene Brown said that “authenticity is a practice, and you choose it every day.”

Building self-awareness of this disconnect in your authenticity is the first step to help you explore what is causing it.

You can ask yourself some key questions:

• Are you comparing yourself to others or focused on doing what you think is right?
• Can you be the person that you really are, instead of the person that everyone else wants you to be?
• How can you take small actions to become that authentic leader now instead of in the future?
• What if you set an intention to be authentic in every interaction that you had with your team, clients, and management?

Focusing on your authentic self allows you to be a better leader and build trust and create stronger relationships with your team and others in the organization.

I know you think your manager knows what you are doing, but you need to know the truth, they don’t.

They are in as many meetings as you are and don’t have visibility to all of the things that you are doing. They can’t possibly stay completely up to date with the latest status of your projects and your team unless you tell them.

You may want to ask them how they would like to stay updated. You can choose from a variety of options such as status reports, teams messages, texts, emails, and one on one conversations. Whatever method you choose should be easy for you and for them.

The important thing is to share the information that will help your management see the great things that you and your team are doing.

This additional communication may feel like extra work, but if you have an interest in getting new opportunities, it is crucial. You have to be visible to the decision-makers in order for them to see what you can deliver and how you are leading your team. Take the initiative to equip them with the latest updates so they can see that you are ready for the next opportunity.

Are you focused on doing the easy things that keep you in the background or the harder things that could put you into the spotlight?

This isn’t always a conscious thought, but more than likely the easy things are what you already know and would be considered the safer choices.

The harder choices are what can help you be more visible and give you more career options. They are scarier to do and will require you to put yourself out there, but what if you did them well? What if people saw you in a new way because you tried doing them? Focus on doing something that pushes you out of your comfort zone and it could provide so many more opportunities for you.

Take a look at your choices and before you automatically choose, ask yourself if your valuable time should be spent on that choice.

Is it going to bring you visibility? Will it make a difference in how others see you or not? Don’t hold yourself back from bigger things without at least considering what your options are. You always have the choice and choosing the option that scares you more, may just benefit you in ways you can’t even imagine!

Whatever actions that you are taking to move your visibility forward are worth celebrating!

Think about where you started and where you are now. Have you been bolder and taken bigger actions? Have others responded to you in ways that are different? Do you feel more confident in what you are doing?

Even if you struggle some days, just keep moving forward. Take one action today to share the value that you bring so people can see you and what you can do! Celebrate the wins even if they are small. All of those small actions add up over time.

Ready to stop holding yourself back and do what it takes to increase your visibility? If you want to set up some time to chat about your specific situation, here is the link: 30-minute conversation.

Susan M Barber, Author, Podcast Host, Former Fortune 500 IT Director, turned Certified Executive Coach helps business leaders to play bigger, increase their visibility and finally, shine a light on their leadership strengths so they can elevate their position in the workplace. She brings a depth of business knowledge to her coaching from her 25+ years of leadership experience at Kraft Heinz. As the author and podcast host of The Visibility Factor, she is creating a visibility movement for leaders to show their value and be seen for their true talent. Susan is married with three children and lives in the Chicago area.