The 5 reflexes to adopt to stop being invisible at work

2021-12-21T14:49:16.941Z

"Do and let people know." The diptych seems outdated. It is perhaps more current than ever, after almost two years punctuated by videoconferences and distancing. Difficult to be promoted, to change company or even sector of activity without working on its visibility, internally as well as on ...

"A role of representation." This is the mild euphemism by which some bosses or senior executives qualify the time they devote to talking about their business, to recounting their successes, their commitments and their ambitions. To let people know what they are doing, in short, to gain influence and impact. The stakes are high, even without being CEO of a CAC40 company, founder of a prominent startup or even a senior executive. “You don't have to wait until you have an important position to develop your impact,” Audrey Tcherkoff, director of the Women's Forum, reminded us during a discussion with Diane von Furstenberg.

Whatever level of responsibility, successes exist for good, in all their magnitude, when they are said to be. To his colleagues, to his managers, to those in the department next door, to

top managers

of his company ... or those of the competition.

The idea is not to show off to as many people as possible, but to the right people.

“It all depends on its objective,” underlines coach Jean-Michel Boissière, associate director of Coaching Médias Communication.

We will not adopt the same strategy depending on whether we want to be promoted internally, to promote our company outside or to be spotted, oneself, by possible recruiters. "

In all cases, we will have recourse to common postures and rhetorical techniques, with the same objective in mind: to showcase our work without giving the impression of being proud.

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1- Pitch your successes

The key is to bring facts and figures, to move forward on what has been accomplished or achieved by relying on hard-hitting evidence. This implies making them your own in order to be able to state them clearly, in a powerful way - in weekly meetings, in a project monitoring committee or even by email. The stake, to avoid a bragging trial, is also to value one's colleagues in the process. "We can bet on" us "to include colleagues or team, and be happy" for what we have done ", say" proud of our collective work ", suggests Jean-Michel Boissière. This allows you to assert your leadership posture in passing. ”

"We can very well slip in to his leaders, with a smile:" it was not easy to convince you but I am very happy to have defended and carried such and such a case "." One-on-one with your immediate supervisor, you can say head-on that you have worked a lot to get a particular contract or launch a particular product. Otherwise we end up working hard without anyone realizing it. "Above all, we do not start from the principle that the others know, will have seen or guessed what we have done", underlines our coach. No manager, however present, is in the head of his teams. This is true for all executives and even more so for

top managers

Hence the importance, as soon as we have the opportunity to meet them - in a meeting, in the corridors or at a corporate event, for example - to give them two words about last month's sales record and happiness. that we get from it.

“To become visible, we go on a campaign to demonstrate our added value, through what we do and what we are,” sums up Jean-Michel Boissière.

We do not gain charisma when we ask but when we propose. "

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2- Focus on transversal projects

A major skills sponsorship program, the creation of a corporate foundation, a call for tenders of an unprecedented dimension ... Companies, and a fortiori large groups, regularly engage in this type of project , which mobilize departments or entities of a group not used to working together. Whether you encourage it or join it along the way, joining a transversal project offers a precious opportunity to gain visibility with new colleagues and interlocutors. Among which are undoubtedly hiding potential partners, executives, current or future, who could notice you and need you later. All the more so as new missions mobilize new skills. A way to take risks, to prove to yourself thatyou got there and gain self-confidence. You need it to dare to make yourself visible.

3- Be identifiable

Without having a PowerPoint ready to draw in front of the CEO - or each potential employer, if you are looking to change companies - the idea is to be identified for certain personality traits, skills or specific areas of interest. Rigor, creativity, passion for participatory investment or sponsorship, talent for organizing collective reflection ... Behind our personality traits are often hidden professional strengths. The idea is to identify what, from a personal point of view, can become a professional lever. Before activating it. "The health crisis has further outdated empty requests or connection requests from strangers on LinkedIn," says Jean-Michel Boissière. It has reinforced the desire for relationships based on sharing, proximity and height of view.We just want to know who we're dealing with. ”

Hence the interest in making yourself readable, and that starts with social networks.

Of course, there are professional networks like LinkedIn and Viadeo, where it is important to be active by posting and reacting regularly on a limited number of subjects, so as not to disperse.

But, since the time has come for authenticity, why not invest in Instagram?

It was there, after all, that the first influencers became real business women on a promise: that of an intimate relationship with their followers.