Lost out on another promotion? Smart tips to grow your visibility at work

By Rajeev Raju

“Does he work in our department? I always thought he was from some other function or, maybe a contract employee?!”
“I have never seen her speak up in meetings and never found her to be the confident type!”
“Sorry to say this, I don’t think he was even fit enough for his current role…he is clearly overrated!”

These were the jarring opening lines of a few peers soon after the line managers had introduced the promotion candidate’s cases for their career advancement, in an annual promotion committee forum.

So, who is responsible for your visibility and advancement: Yourself, your manager, HR or the organisation itself?


Oddly, I have often heard executives respond as, “Of course, it is my manager’s responsibility” or, “The organisation is supposed to take care of me for what I have contributed.”

As a Leadership Coach now, and as a leader of teams earlier, I have seen countless such situations play out repeatedly. It is disconcerting to see so many promotable candidates lose these chances simply because they were not visible to the decision-makers. The same applies to opportunities around local/global mobility, handling new projects and in other role enhancements.

In my view, the primary onus for your career growth falls on yourself. There are a handful of line managers, mentors and HR folks who will occasionally make the effort to position you well, across the organisation. To grow your visibility, you should ensure that –

• you know the influencers and decision-makers
• most leaders are aware of who you are what you bring to the table
• you identify forums where you can present your opinions confidently
• new challenges or projects are great avenues to showcase competencies
• networking is like a muscle: you must grow and strengthen it every day!

With WFH and virtual workplaces the new norm, the efforts required to grow your presence will need to be far greater. Participate and prepare well for virtual calls and video-conferences with your leaders. Find little windows to slip in your relevant viewpoint or ask a meaningful question. If you truly have the ability or knowledge on the matter, do not shy away from offering help to those in need.

It is becoming easier for people to find you out of sight and, therefore, out of mind! As I often remind leaders, it’s difficult to be distinct, it’s very easy to grow extinct!

- The writer is a global leadership coach and mentor, based in Mumbai. He believes in passionately inspiring CXOs to build their Gravitas. He has a decade’s experience coaching diverse leaders across industries and geographies and spent 20 years in leadership roles in investment banking, private equity, consulting and strategy.

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