Why Visibility is an Organizational Strength
We were cutting it close. Last year, during a family holiday trip, traffic had us racing against the clock to the airport. We made it to the check-in line, breathless, only for panic to set in: I realized I didn't know the combination codes for any of our suitcases.
A frantic search through notes and WhatsApp messages yielded nothing. I was contemplating the risks of traveling without locked bags when a realization hit me.
My eldest son, I remembered, loved playing with the locks. It was his favorite game to lock and unlock the suitcases. I asked him if he knew the codes for all the bags. Without hesitation, he rattled off the combinations.
My biggest problem at that moment was solved by my son’s unexpected capability. The relief was immense.
It was a profound reminder: success often hinges on knowing the strengths of those around you and deploying them at the right time.
This story highlights a crucial dynamic in the workplace: the importance of corporate visibility.
Many view visibility as 'blowing one's own trumpet,' but that’s a misconception. True visibility is about proactively sharing your capabilities and passions with leadership.
It's not about self-promotion;
it’s about enabling leaders to understand the full range of their team's talents so they can be strategically deployed.
Visibility benefits the entire organization.
When leaders know who has specific skills, they can assign the right person to the right challenge, optimizing outcomes and increasing efficiency. Visibility removes ambiguity and allows for the strategic deployment of human capital.
How to increase your corporate visibility effectively:
a) Share Your Process and Impact: Don't just report completion; explain how you solved a problem and the value it created.
b) Volunteer for Cross-Functional Projects: This broadens your network and exposes you to leaders outside your immediate team.
c) Offer Solutions, Not Just Observations: Frame your insights as actionable strategies that solve organizational problems.
d) Connect Your Work to the Big Picture: Regularly articulate how your contributions align with the company's strategic goals.
e) Creating visibility is not about seeking attention; it's about providing leadership with the information they need to succeed as a collective.
When you share your capabilities, you're not just helping your career; you're strengthening the organization.
