Standing Out

Are you known for doing special work in your department or company? Are you the go-to person for certain of your skills? Do people like to work with you? Do you get good reviews from your manager? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then it sounds as if you have a strong personal brand, a positive reputation.

The next question is: How visible are you outside your immediate department? Having a great personal brand but lacking visibility in your company is much like throwing a great party but failing to send out the invites. How do you get in front of those who need to know about you so you can be tapped for those choice assignments or to fill those positions so you can get ahead?

Getting visible sometimes requires you to take a chance and stick your neck out. Remember that keeping your head down and just doing your job is no longer a winning formula for getting visible and getting ahead.

Here are some tips on ways to gain greater visibility.

1. Make sure those who have the power know your unique value. Make sure that updates about projects you are proud of working on get sent to those that need to know. It’s hard to cc the big boss on all your emails, but it might be possible for you to volunteer for a project that puts you in closer proximity where she/he can see you in action as well as hear of your successes. Use caution that you don’t overuse the cc resulting in emails looking more like spam than like real information.

2. Attend meetings or speaking engagements where the power people congregate and network with them before and after these events. The idea is for them to know your name, what you do, what you are capable of doing, and what your unique value is to the firm.

3. Start an internal blog with postings that would be of interest to people in your firm, be on brand, and demonstrate your thought leadership. Blogging is not a dead art. In fact, if the information is useful it remains a great way to get widespread recognition. You could discuss articles, white papers, or interesting work that’s being done in your area that would bring to light your knowledge and expertise while gaining much greater visibility.

4. Networking across departments in your company is critical to developing relationships and alliances. By expanding your network outside your immediate area you gain a better understanding of what other areas of your firm are doing, the expertise they have and need, and how your skills and abilities can be utilized and augmented to better manage your career. By getting to know other people in your company you can all benefit by becoming each other’s brand ambassadors.

5. Don’t wait for new projects to find you. Everyone is busy but it’s important to take the time to find new ways to contribute to your company’s success/bottom line. Be creative and identify projects that showcase your creativity. By doing that you will be demonstrating your unique value, and building your own net worth and social capital (you make your boss look good if you look good).

6. Is there a project you would love to work on in a different department? If it furthers your career goals, is on brand, and would be a great way to highlight your skills and abilities volunteer to get involved. I know that this can sometimes be difficult to accomplish but this is where your exposure to those with influence helps. Try getting permission by focusing your request not only on why you would be a great addition to the project and add value but that the experience and perhaps even the results would benefit your department as well.

Are there other ways you know of standing out and getting greater visibility and recognition? Please share them with us.

Want to Stand Out? Let’s talk.