Personal PR: Generating the Workplace Visibility You Deserve

After many hours, you finally figured out a way to streamline a report your department produces for senior executives.  Your suggestions will save you and your coworkers’ valuable time each month.  However, a few weeks later you learn your manager mistakenly believes one of your coworkers managed the project.  You don’t get the credit you deserve, but decide it’s best to keep quiet.  After all, it’s rude to toot your own horn, right? 

That’s not entirely true on the job, where it’s OK to draw attention to your accomplishments.  In fact, it’s often necessary to ensure your professional success.  Think about it: You’re not ashamed to mention your successes during an employment interview in order to land the position you covet.  If you view your career as a continual interview for increased responsibility and higher-level positions, why not speak up when it’s warranted?   

A personal promotional campaign can help build your confidence, cause others to put their trust in you and position you for the next step in your career.  Here are some tips to ensure those around you know how talented you really are:

Know your audience.  The main focus of your efforts should be your direct supervisor.  But don’t stop with him or her.  It’s also important that coworkers, clients and business contacts know of your capabilities and achievements.  People talk, and if you develop a positive reputation — for helping others when they request assistance or for always producing high-quality work, for example — word will travel to those who are in positions to reward your efforts. 

Get your name out there.  Being the guy in the human resources department who no one knows can spell death for your visibility campaign.  It’s vital that people know your name and face.  Say hello to those you meet in the hall and always give out your name and contact information when interacting with colleagues from other departments.  At the company holiday party, introduce yourself to the coworkers, managers and executives in attendance.  You’ll meet valuable contacts, build camaraderie and make it easier for people to recall the name of the HR whiz.

Document your work.  One of the best ways to remain on you boss’s radar screen is to provide him or her with regular status updates.  If you are already submitting this report to your supervisor, make sure it’s in an easy-to-digest format.  Are the points you include direct and concise so your manager can quickly comprehend the information?  At the same time, are you adequately describing your achievements?  For example, “trained employees on new enterprise-resource planning system” does not illustrate that you actually developed a PowerPoint presentation and gave hands-on instruction to two dozen individuals.

Speak up.  To build your visibility you need to be, well … visible.  Speak up at your department’s next staff meeting and fill the group in on your latest activities.  When providing project updates, give credit to employees who helped you with your assignments.  They’ll likely do the same for you. 

Volunteer.  Lending a hand when needed is a great way to build your skills and demonstrate your value to the organization.  Even if you have no previous experience with a particular project, your assistance could be useful to colleagues.  Don’t wait to be asked before offering your services.  For example, proactively enrolling in a PowerPoint training class may allow you to develop presentations for the team, and prevent your department from having to outsource these projects to a costly freelancer.  No matter what assignments you take on, be enthusiastic and go the extra mile to exceed expectations.

Increasing your visibility in the workplace is one of the most important steps you can take to ensure your career success.  After all, there is only one person who is concerned about your professional development: you.  If you don’t draw a little attention to your achievements, no one will.