To be successful in today’s work world, it’s not only “who you know”, it’s “who knows and remembers you”. Simply put, I recommend being more visible and provide more value than others do. Lots of visibility with no value is like “fluff” and you are not taken seriously. If you have valuable ideas and opinions that you don’t express, you can be overlooked.
You need to demonstrate both – be visible and provide value.
Here are some ways:
1. Volunteer outside of your area. Stretch assignments will build both skills and organizational visibility. Be the one to suggest and lead initiatives that will help your organization address critical business issues. Or get involved with company or community fundraisers or social events. This will give you the opportunity to get in front of people you don’t normally interact with to demonstrate the value you bring.
2. Speak up. Be visible by speaking up in meetings and providing valuable information or an alternative point of view. Be prepared and take time to write out your thoughts in advance so you come across as a knowledgeable contributor. Set intentions to provide something of value a minimum number of times per meeting.
3. Create strategic networks. Key stakeholders need to see, know and understand your worth on order to support you. Decide who should be in your circle of influence both inside and outside of your company and create win-win relationships with those people. Then strategically “map” out which relationships need to be enhanced or cultivated and work towards maintaining a robust network.
4. Position yourself as the subject matter expert. What is your differentiator – the thing that you do better than anyone else? Show others that you are the “go to” person because you have industry know-how. Become visible by being active in associations to stay on top of industry best practices. Create value by actively sourcing information by presenting, writing articles or blogs in your area of expertise.
5. Serve on boards. In addition to having a rewarding opportunity to be engaged in an impactful and meaningful way, working on boards gives leaders unique opportunity to demonstrate visibility and professional value. Board membership offers a high-impact way to leverage your expertise and skills and contributes to leadership success.