One of the common traits that all of my clients have is that they are amazing at what they do. They are smart, hard-working and forward-thinking. Yet often they don’t get noticed at work the way they deserve. This can have a serious effect on confidence and self-belief, and a knock on effect for promotion prospects for many women who are MORE than qualified to move to the next level.
There are a few simple things that you can do to ensure you get noticed at work for your hard work and your positive impact. It’s time to stop feeling almost invisible and become as valued as you deserve to be.
1. Get comfortable with talking about yourself
Get comfortable talking about yourself. What you’re working on and the results you’re getting. That means paying attention to those things you take for granted (as just doing your job), and recognising that they are probably your greatest strengths. The things that come easily to you, likely don’t come easy to others and are what make you special!
It can really help to practice, talk to your dog or your plants if it helps. Get it in the muscle, so you can do it confidently. And, make sure you’re using ‘I’ and not we. Use the active voice (not passive) e.g. instead of ‘the problem has been solved’, say ‘I solved the problem’ and how you went about it.
2. Communicate your wins and impact
The annual performance review isn’t the only time and place to show how well you’ve been performing. Now you feel more comfortable talking about yourself, it’s time to speak up!!
When you back it up with evidence, e.g. facts and figures, it isn’t bragging it’s fact and will hep you feel more confident about it. For example, if you’ve landed a big sale or had a major breakthrough on a project, don’t wait until your next one to one to tell your manager what you’ve done. A real-time update on your success is one of the most effective ways of cultivating the positive image that you want. Leaving all that good news for your performance review definitely won’t have the same impact.
Quantify what you have achieved where possible with metrics. Facts and figures have much more impact than language that is embellished with adjectives. For example “I’ve managed to make a change to (process) that will generate (x amount) of savings” is a lot more impactful than “I’ve made a change to a process and it will make a big difference”.
3. Step out of your comfort zone
It’s time to step out of your comfort zone and be seen. Presenting is a great way to help others recognise what you do and the impact you have. It could be presenting at your team meeting, to your leadership team, or across the business. You could even volunteer to speak at industry events.
It’s time to start saying yes to, and even creating your own opportunities to be in the spotlight. My clients have had phenomenal successes doing this. From getting promotions to being head hunted.
Consider how what you’re doing could be of benefit to the rest of your business. How could your work be leveraged? How might educating others help embed new processes and improvements? When you focus on the positive wider impact you can have it can make it an easier to step up and make yourself visible.
4. Build your profile online
It might make you cringe a little…it’s always the thing that takes the most coaxing with clients, but being seen online can make a huge difference. The great thing about it is you get to increase your visibility inside your current organisation and outside at the same time.
And there’s no better place than LinkedIn. I’ve had women totally transform their careers by getting smarter about their online presence. So what should you be doing?
Well…start by getting your profile right! It should highlight your strengths, achievements, and your true potential. None of this modesty malarkey!
Make connections (yes it’s called social media for a reason). And post!! Share business successes and your role in them, your growth and learning, thought leadership on your profession and industry. Watch others that do it well and follow their lead. You’ll be amazed at the results.
5. Say No more often
This one is probably the one you were least expecting. Here’s the thing about being a yes person. You don’t get recognition for it. People take advantage. And nobody really understands your true value…which is in doing the things that you are great at.
Here are times you could do to say no…
- When it’s not your job
- If it’s below your pay grade
- Because it will distract you from key priorities
- When it can be delegated
- If it’s keeping you stuck in your role (and someone else doing it could free you up)
- When it doesn’t use your strengths
- If it’s not helping you get to the next level
- When it’s not aligned with your goals or values
- If you are doing too much
- When you feel like it!!
Being indispensable means that you cannot be promoted. If you do so much that nobody can replace you, nobody will!
Focus instead on saying yes to great opportunities. If you’re busy doing everything, you won’t have time to do the things that you can really make an impact with.
6. Recognise others and help them succeed
It’s nice to be nice. Simple. Be conscious to include positive feedback abs recognition for others. Nothing happens in a vacuum so when a project has succeeded, it is important to recognise the contribution of others. Being this sort of person makes you a pleasure to work with. It really is a golden rule, give others the recognition and praise you would expect yourself, both informally and formally. It has a snowball effect…need some help on a project at short notice? Ask the people who you have praised previously and they will be happy to assist. And your managers notice things like this. Acts of genuine kindness are infectious, so what could better than increasing your influence and making the office a bit happier.
Getting recognised in the workplace is one of the main motivations for making the effort (aside from your wages). You feel safe, valued, and you are motivated to do your best work. And lets face it you spend so much time at work you need to feel happy there or the impact on your mental health can anything from negative to catastrophic.
Professional career coaching can help you improve leadership skills and create a healthier work-life balance. As a coach I can provide unbiased expertise to help you get the results you’ve been hoping for. If you’d like to know how I can help you elevate your career to the level it should be why not contact me for a chat or learn more here.
If you want to know why you aren’t getting promoted, take this Quiz, it can offer you some clarity and strategies to make it happen!
And you really should check out my Career Audit, where I can help you get a clear plan for career success!
