When it comes to organizational visibility, how do you rate yourself? Does everyone in your department know who you are? Yet, no one outside your department has a clue about who you are or what you do.
During my keynotes and workshops, I ask audiences how visible they are in their organizations. The results are amazingly consistent. A whopping 66% admit that no one outside their department knows about them. In spite of their response that over 50% of attendees are in multi-disciplinary meetings at least twice a month.
I would say there is a conversation or two or three missing from your arsenal of professional habits and mindset. At the very least. You and I can do something about your current career scenario. Starting with the fact that you chose to read this post.
One reason you fall short on organizational visibility is that you assume everyone already knows what your department “does” for the organization.
They don’t. And here’s why. No one in your department has ever clearly articulated the functional utility of what its employees bring to the business table. Even if you all swear that you do not serve in a business function, at all. Spoiler alert: you do.
I would say that topic is a conversation in which you all need to start engaging. With each other, for starters. And I will be honored to choreograph just what that conversation looks and sounds like.
Another reason you fall short on gaining organizational visibility is another assumption you make. You assume that it is up to your manager to create your visibility.
He or she won’t. At least not automatically. And, most of the time the reason they make you more visible is that you become disruptive. Because you feel unfulfilled in your current role and assume that it is up to someone else to cure your boredom.
Why do you leave your career trajectory in the hands of everyone else in your organization? Think about it. They are worried about their own number one priority: themselves.
Then, you fall short of organizational visibility because you are not as curious as you should be.
I had a wonderful mentor who told me to stick around the company until I had done one of everyone, once. Then, it was time for me to move on. I worked for a large pharmaceutical company. And, he wasn’t talking about just doing one of everything there was to do within my own department, either.
Trust me, by the time I “moved on” I learned how that entire organization was organized, functioned and financed. What are you waiting for?
Then, take the next steps towards professional success. Become more visible, relevant and valuable to your organization.
- Planning your next corporate or association meeting? Engage me to present one of my Storytelling for STEM Professionals and Left Brain Thinkers speaking programs, workshops or moderated facilitation services. Contact me here.
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Babette Ten Haken’s One Millimeter Mindset® Storytelling for STEM Professionals and Left Brain Thinkers Speaking Programs target purpose-driven professional success. Become more visible, relevant and valuable to your organization.
Find out more about Babette’s professional story here. Babette is a member of SME, ASQ, SHRM and the National Speakers Association. Her playbook of communication hacks, Do YOU Mean Business? is available on Amazon.com. Babette’s speaker profile is on the espeakers platform. Contact Babette here.
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