Don’t make the mistake of waiting for your work to ‘’speak for itself’’ or assuming your manager will notice. Those mindsets can quietly stall your career. Photo: glam.com.
May Busch once thought that self-promotion was ‘’icky” and her good work should speak for itself, but in an increasingly busy business world she realised she had to be proactive in getting her achievements seen and recognised.
Do you ever feel like you’re not getting enough credit for the achievements you’re making at work? If this is the case, you are in good company.
The truth is, nobody is paying that close attention to anyone else.
Most people are busy thinking about their own priorities. That means it’s up to each of us to make the moves that get our achievements seen and recognised.
So where do you start?
Over the years, I’ve noticed three common mindset traps that quietly hold people back from receiving the recognition they deserve.
I fell into them early in my career, and they stalled my progress until I learned a better way. The good news is that all three of these traps have a simple fix.
Trap One — It’s my manager’s job to make sure I’m visible.
Wrong. Your manager is busy, stressed, and worried about their own career. Managers are human too.
That’s why it’s up to you to clue in your manager — help them see what’s really an achievement and why it matters.
Trap Two — My work speaks for itself.
No, it doesn’t. Your work doesn’t talk at all. It’s like walking down a supermarket aisle filled with rows of cereal boxes — your achievements are just one of many. It’s easy for others to walk right past and not even notice.
That’s why supermarkets use end-aisle displays to catch attention. Ask yourself: Which of your accomplishments deserve to be your end-aisle display?
Trap Three: I don’t do self-promotion.
I used to say this too. I thought self-promotion was icky, like you needed a shower afterwards. I’ve since reframed it. It’s not about self-promotion. It’s about updating people. Sharing what’s happening, what your team is achieving, and why it matters.
When you frame it this way, you’re explaining the impact your work made; you’re connecting it to what others are doing, and you may even inspire them or spark new wins for the team.
Believe it or not, people will often thank you for the update. Your presence, profile, and visibility are yours to own. Do it in your own authentic way that feels good to you.
Don’t make the mistake I did early on, of waiting for my work to ‘’speak for itself’’ or assuming my manager would notice. Those mindsets can quietly stall your career. Instead, take ownership of your visibility, because when you do, opportunities open up.
If this resonates with you, I go much deeper into how to become more visible for your value and potential at work in my book, VISIBLE: How to Advance Your Career Without Playing Politics, Selling Your Soul, or Working Yourself Into the Ground, due out this month.
May Busch’s mission is to help leaders and their organisations achieve their full potential. She works with smart entrepreneurs and top managements to build their businesses. She can be contacted at [email protected]. This article first appeared on May’s blogsite.
