Look at “Kate,” a successful executive in a large corporation who was stuck in the mid level. Colleagues who had similar responsibilities to Kate had been promoted, but Kate had been left behind.
When Kate discussed her situation with her boss, he told her that she lacked “visibility” in the company. Kate had focused so much on her many tasks and her team that she was unknown outside of her department. Maybe her boss had even nominated her for a promotion, but other members of the team had questioned it because they didn’t know her.
To change her situation, Kate began an internal networking and visibility campaign. Kate started volunteering for cross-functional task forces so she could contribute in a broader fashion and build her internal network. Since she had a large team of direct reports, she set up a monthly lunch-and-learn, and invited senior executives she wanted to meet to present to the group.
No longer the invisible woman and with a network of supporters throughout the company, Kate eventually got her promotion. The higher you go in your job, you’ll find you need visibility and the ability to create positive perceptions about yourself.