Feeling invisible at work? How to increase your visibility without feeling like a show-off

It’s an incredible feeling when you’re firing on all cylinders at work: you’re hitting your deadlines, you’re under budget, you’re delivering on all your goals – all of this must mean you’re in line for a promotion. But then the day comes, and you get overlooked for someone else. It’s crushing – you’ve been doing everything right. Except, perhaps, when it comes to the tricky art of climbing the career ladder. Doing a good job – even a brilliant job – simply isn’t enough if no one can see it.

“We often expect good work to speak for itself, but sadly it never does,” says career coach Emily Button-Lynham. Simply put, you could be the highest performing employee at your company, but if no one knows or understands the scope of your contribution, pay rises and promotions will likely continue to pass you by.

“Visibility is vital if we want to develop our career and progress within an organisation, or even outside of it,” says Button-Lynham. “It’s people knowing who we are, the value and impact we bring to a team and organisation and also what we are working towards in our careers.”

The problem is that many of us assume this means shouting about our achievements and waving our success in people’s faces, which feels a bit, well… icky. “As women, we often hold ourselves back because we don’t want to come across as arrogant,” says Button-Lynham. Career coach Jenny Holliday agrees that under-confidence is often the biggest block to visibility in the workplace: “There can be a fear of looking too keen, but we also fear failure, and being more visible can put us in a more vulnerable position.”

No one wants to look like a show off; however, there are so many more ways to increase your visibility at work than by simply being the loudest person in the room. “Making yourself visible can feel like a big challenge, especially for people who are more introverted,” says Holliday. “But being loud isn’t the same as being visible. It’s a mistake to think that being noisier and speaking more is the way to increase visibility. In fact, you can be more visible by stealth; you don’t have to shout about what you’re up to with everyone.”

In today’s hybrid world, where working from home means fewer opportunities to bump into someone by the coffee machine and have an impromptu chat, it’s more important than ever to make sure your work is being properly recognised by the right people. Here’s how to do it effectively, without giving yourself the ick…

First things first: there’s no point in slaving away and working into the night if what you’re working on isn’t of high value to your organisation’s broader goals. “Ensure that what you’re working on has a tangible impact and value to your team and organisation,” says Button-Lynham. “If this isn’t obvious to you, take time to understand the strategic focus for this year and the role your department or team plays in that.”

If you’re worried that your work isn’t of high value, start putting yourself forward for small projects. “If the opportunity arises, look to collaborate with another team,” says Holliday. Seek out opportunities to expand and grow your role, especially ones that align with your organisation’s big vision, come with a measurable output or put you in front of senior team members.

We all bring something unique to work, so take time to understand what your personal value is. “How do you do things in a different way than others and what is the value in that?” says Button-Lynham. “A good example here is relationship building. Many people have to do this as part of their role, but how do you connect with people on a deep level quickly? How do you understand their goals and create shared responsibility and focus? How do you make their lives easier?”

One of the best ways to increase your visibility at work is simply by getting to know as many people as possible, at all levels of the business and across all departments. “Join events, meet colleagues for coffee, ask people to introduce you,” says Button-Lynham. Holliday suggests joining in with “extracurricular activities, like organising a book group or joining a running club. This will help you get to know people outside of your team and your niche in the company. Make an effort to speak to people in other departments, including HR.”

Every new relationship helps increase your visibility at work, even with people who aren’t directly involved in deciding whether you get a promotion or pay rise. “The more you build your network, share what you do, the value you bring and what your next steps are for career development, the more people can support you – be that by signposting resources, training that may help or other people to talk to.”

If you do any training, talk about it. “Show you are working on your skills,” says Holliday – there’s no point in advancing your skillset if no one knows about your shiny new talents. Likewise, ensure any training you do is beneficial to yourself and your team: “Don’t just do all the training; pick wisely, so that you’re visible but with a purpose,” says Holliday.

Of course, you do also need to get on your leader’s radar (for the right reasons). “Your leader is key to amplifying your visibility, so it’s important you focus on building a good (or at least amicable) working relationship with them,” says Button-Lynham. “Make their life easier. Identify opportunities where you can help them with their priorities (that also may put you in front of key stakeholders) and have open communication about the support you need from them and how they can help you to increase visibility.”

Images: Getty