Creating your presence at your work Place
Your ability to be seen within an organization is critical. The reality is that you may be bypassed for important assignments and not receive the evaluations, salary raises and promotions you may deserve if you are not on the decision makers' radar screen. This is especially true in organizations that are large, consensus-based, matrixed and/or contain multiple decision makers -- which describes most organizations.
On the other hand, you don't want to be seen as spending all your time self-promoting instead of doing the actual work. And it is a problem for the organization as a whole if everyone is searching for face time and grandstanding with the important people rather than focusing on the organization's goals. Here are a few ways to get noticed -- without hurting your credibility:
Make Your Manager your Advocate
Your manager's success is tied in to your success. Help your manager look good, and that manager will find ways to help you. Consider speaking directly with your manager about how to publicize your successes.
Shine the Light on Others
See visibility with a theory of abundance rather than a zero-sum game. By helping others get noticed, you will often find that those people are willing to help you. Do it when you really notice someone else doing a good job, especially when they may have been overlooked.
Emphasize Your Passions
People notice when you are genuinely excited about what you do. It also can come off less boastful than emphasizing the greatness of your achievements.
Share Ideas That Help Others
When you share your success stories, do so with the intent of really assisting others. People will be less likely to ignore what you say if they see how they can learn from what you did.
Help Others Do Your PR Work
Enlist your advocates to shine a light on what you do. Share with them your goals and give them the ammunition to share with others. Ask customers or external parties who were highly appreciative of your work to let others within your organization know about it.
Find Role Models
Observe what others do to gain visibility for themselves. You can find ways that are comfortable for you personally, especially for those who are modest and self-effacing. Also, notice what creative tactics people use to raise their visibility.
Visibility has to go hand-in-hand with showing your true skills. You deserve to be evaluated fairly, but people make judgements on their perceptions of reality, not just on the facts. I can not overemphasize that enough. At the same time, I am not advocating smoke and mirrors. Rather, help others see your unique contribution to the organization's success so that they can realize how valuable you truly are.
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