How to Get Recognized for Your Work

One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned in my career is this: No one will advocate for you the way you can advocate for yourself. When I first entered the professional world, I thought my work would speak for itself. I believed that if I put my head down, worked hard, and delivered great results, recognition and opportunities would naturally follow. But here’s what I discovered: While hard work is essential, visibility is just as important. It took observing how others approached their careers to realize this: The people who often get ahead aren’t just hardworking — they’re intentional about making their contributions known. They speak up in meetings, share their goals openly, and make sure their achievements don’t go unnoticed. That realization changed the way I approached my career. I began to see the importance of not just doing the work, but owning my voice and advocating for myself. Here’s what I’ve learned along the way about self-advocacy: 1. Track your accomplishments. I started keeping a journal where I noted key projects, results, and positive feedback. When performance reviews came around, I didn’t have to scramble to prove my value. I had it documented. 2. Ask for what you need. Whether it’s a promotion, mentorship, resources, or even a clearer direction, I learned to be upfront about my goals. 3. Speak up. This was the hardest for me. I used to hold back, worried my ideas weren’t “good enough.” But I realized that staying silent wasn’t helping anyone, not me, not my team, and not the organization. Advocating for yourself isn’t about arrogance or entitlement, it’s about honoring your value. It’s about recognizing that your hard work, skills, and ideas are worth being seen, heard, and rewarded. If I could go back and tell my younger self one thing, it would be this: Don’t wait for someone else to notice your potential. Take the first step. Speak up. Celebrate your wins. Ask for what you need. Your career is yours to build, and no one else will fight for it as fiercely as you can. #StephSynergy

Want a Promotion? Stop Hiding Behind “My Work Speaks for Itself.” It doesn’t. (If it did, you wouldn’t be reading this.) A few months ago, Sameer, a business head I coach, was stunned. He’d hit every target, led a turnaround, mentored two VPs, and still didn’t get promoted. His boss said: “We need to see more cross-company impact.” Sameer thought, “Wait, what? Isn’t that what I’ve been doing?” Meanwhile, Ananya got promoted. Why? She made her work visible, invited leaders to demos, led cross-functional projects, and owned her narrative. Sameer worked hard. Ananya worked smart and ensured it was seen. The Real Promotion Equation Performance × Visibility × Sponsorship = Growth. Miss any one of these, and you’re left wondering why your brilliant work went unnoticed. Here’s what data (and a few thousand real careers) teach us 1.    Promotion rates are cooling down. Managerial promotions hover around 7.3% (ADP, 2024). Translation: being good isn’t enough; being known for being good is. 2.    Great work needs an audience. Harvard research proves it: visibility and sponsorship matter as much as performance. 3.    Networking ≠ LinkedIn collecting. It’s about building strategic relationships and sponsors who can speak your name in the right rooms. 4.    Promotion = Visibility 2.0. Get promoted, and the market suddenly knows your name. It’s not just a raise, it’s a spotlight. What to Do Before Appraisal Season 1.    Turn wins into impact statements. Quantify what changed because of you. 2.    Build a visibility map. Who needs to see your work? Show them. 3.    Create a sponsorship shortlist. Find 2–3 senior advocates. 4.    Have the career presenting talk: “What will make me promotable in 6 months?” 5.    Upskill on purpose. Align learning with your next role. 6.    Document everything. Don’t let great work die in your inbox. Real Talk You can be brilliant and still invisible. Your work doesn’t speak unless you give it a microphone. So, before appraisal season, don’t just do great work Package it. Amplify it. Get it seen. That’s how results turn into promotions. #Leadership #CareerGrowth #PromotionStrategy #Visibility #PersonalBranding

In my early 20s, I felt embarrassed to share my wins during team meetings. So I stayed quiet and got passed over for promotions because my value wasn’t visible. I wanted to move up the ladder, but I didn't want to sound arrogant by just highlighting myself.  Sound familiar? Here's a credit-sharing framework I started using that took me from Finance Associate to VP of Finance. 🎯 (I'm now a 4x board director advising Silicon Valley CEOs from $2M to $450M, so this hack works.) It’s called the “We, Then Me” strategy. ↳ Start by recognizing the team. Then, spotlight your own contribution. Here's how to apply it: 📉 Before: “The team delivered the project on time.” 📈 After: “The team really pulled together to hit our deadline. Sarah’s analysis was crucial, Mike handled client communications perfectly, and I focused on keeping us aligned on priorities throughout.” The result? I finally started getting credit for my work without overshadowing the team. It opened doors, raised my profile, and made leadership see me as someone who could lead, not just contribute. 📢 Remember: Doing great work isn’t enough if no one knows you did it. Share your wins.

To anyone who ever felt invisible at work: 𝗜 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 🔸 The meetings where you weren’t heard, the ideas someone else took credit for, the times you had to work twice as hard for half the recognition. 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀. It’s frustrating to pour effort into your work and feel like 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴. To speak up and be ignored, only to watch someone else say the same thing and get praised for it. To do exceptional work and still feel unseen when it matters most. But I’m here to tell you: 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲. 🔺 If your contributions are ignored, make them undeniable. - 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀. Keep track of the projects you led, the problems you solved, and the impact you created. Bring them up in performance reviews, in meetings, or even casually in conversations with leadership. - 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘂𝗽 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆. If your ideas are dismissed, find moments where they can’t be ignored, back them with data, say them with confidence, and don’t let others take ownership of your work. - 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀. If your voice isn’t being heard in certain rooms, connect with people who will advocate for you in spaces you may not have access to. ⚠️ 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁. If you don’t assert your value, it’s easy for others to overlook it. And if you’ve done the work, spoken up, and still aren’t being recognized, then maybe the environment might be the problem. At that point, the most empowered choice isn’t to stay where you aren’t valued, but to find a place that does 🙏🏻 Because while you can’t control every system, you 𝗰𝗮𝗻 control where you choose to put your energy. You’ve got this ✨

“Many feel it is the manager's responsibility to be aware of our efforts, as it can feel awkward self-promoting. Having to ask for recognition, promotions, and rewards is not easy. Is there a best way to do this?” Barbara Campbell and I are hosting a Customer Success Career Development Learning Series at Salesforce this summer and this was one of the questions we received during one of the sessions.   This is a common thought and expectation employees have of their managers. Many assume it is the manager's responsibility to be their biggest sponsor. The reality is that managers in today's workplace have a lot on their plates. They are expected to not only manage their people but also support leadership's goals, navigate organizational and team changes, and may even carry a book of business of their own. Which means, they may be stretched too thin to be always aware of your accomplishments and go to bat for you.   This is why we have to promote our work ourselves and make our impact known. How do you do this in a way that feels authentic, strategic, and not awkward? ✔ 𝐃𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐢𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬. Shift from “Here's what I did” to “Here's the measurable impact I made." ✔ 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲. Use 1:1s to share highlights of your work and connect to broader company priorities. ✔ 𝐀𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮. When a colleague, client, or leader praises your work, thank them and then give them language they can use when talking about you. By connecting your work to tangible outcomes, you make it easy for others to share your value in a way that will resonate with key decision-makers. ✔ 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. If someone offers you kind words in a 1:1 chat or private message, ask them to share it in a broader way/channel. Most people are more than happy to do it; they just don't think of it on their own. ✔ 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬. Get to know peers and leaders outside your direct team. Look for ways to collaborate and share your expertise. Multiply the number of voices advocating for you in rooms you aren't in. ✔ 𝐁𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬. People can't support what they don't know. Making your aspirations visible ensures your work and progress get noticed in the right context. The employee who asked the question later shared at the end of the session: “What I learned: My question WAS from a passive and weak point of view!”   That's the shift Barb and I want - moving from hoping someone else will champion your work to confidently, proactively doing it yourself. This work is not self-centered - it's a smart career strategy. When you take ownership of your career story, you stop waiting for opportunities to find you and start creating them yourself.

Many of my coaching clients are uncomfortable with self-promotion, even though it's essential to building the visibility needed to power their career success. If this rings true for you as well, take heart. There are meaningful ways to showcase your contributions and build your professional presence without feeling like you're bragging. Here are a few strategies to consider: 🎊 1. Share Your Wins Collaboratively Instead of focusing solely on your achievements, highlight how your team’s efforts contributed to success. For example, in a meeting, you might say, “Our team’s collaboration on [Project Name] really made an impact. I’m particularly proud of how we addressed [specific challenge].” This shows leadership and gives credit to others. 👀 2. Volunteer for High-Visibility Projects Offer to take on tasks or projects that involve cross-functional teams or public presentations. This puts your work in front of a broader audience and establishes your expertise without explicitly “tooting your own horn.” 💡 3. Ask Thoughtful Questions Speaking up in meetings doesn’t always mean sharing your own ideas. Asking insightful questions about ongoing initiatives shows you’re engaged, strategic, and invested in the organization’s goals. 📈 4. Document and Share Results Create concise updates on your projects to share with your manager or team. For example, you could write a quick email or slide deck summarizing outcomes and lessons learned from a recent initiative. This keeps others informed and reinforces your value. 🤝 5. Build One-on-One Relationships Visibility isn’t just about public recognition. Building strong relationships with colleagues and leaders through regular check-ins or coffee chats can help ensure your contributions are recognized organically. Visibility doesn’t require loud self-promotion. By focusing on collaboration, thoughtful communication, and consistent results, you can gain the recognition you deserve while staying true to your authentic self. #visibility #careerstrategies #authenticity

They’ll never know unless you tell them. At work, your silence is invisible. Your achievements won’t speak for themselves. Your boss has bigger fires to fight. HR isn’t tracking your growth story. If you don’t advocate for yourself, no one else will. Waiting quietly for recognition is not a career strategy — it’s a trap. But here’s the challenge: How do you let people know what you’re doing without looking like a show-off or making it awkward? Here are 5 subtle things that I've seen work: [1] Use “we” language, but highlight your contribution. When recapping a project win, say: “The team pulled off a great launch — and personally, I learnt a lot when I solved X challenge.” This balances teamwork and personal credit. [2] Share your learnings, not just your outcomes. Instead of “I crushed this target,” say, “This quarter taught me a lot about solving Y — happy to share tips if anyone’s tackling similar issues.” You position yourself as helpful, not boastful. [3] Update your manager regularly — even if they don’t ask. Send a brief, structured update (weekly or monthly) summarizing wins, progress, and next steps. You’re not bragging — you’re keeping them informed. [4] Talk about impact, not just effort. It’s not “I worked late every night,” it’s “The extra analysis I ran helped us uncover an overlooked cost-saving opportunity.” People care about outcomes, not hours. [5] Make sure your LinkedIn (and internal profiles) reflect your best work. Many managers do check — give them something accurate and impressive to find. Remember: Your career doesn’t advance just because you work hard. It advances because people know the value you bring. Speak up — thoughtfully, strategically, and often. #career #work #business #life

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 ≠ 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻—𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮. Recognition isn’t just about what you do. It’s directly linked to how you present it. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁—𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆. That’s where most professionals go wrong. • They list tasks. • They explain effort. But they don’t translate it into business value. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲: "We fixed bugs. We worked hard." It won’t land the way you expect. 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲. 👉 Risks avoided 👉 Business impact 👉 Strategic alignment 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝘄𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟯-𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮: 🔹 What you solved 🔹 What it prevented 🔹 Why it matters It works across meetings, emails, and reviews. 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲. A client in New York used this method. She led backend changes at a fintech startup. 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲: “We completed the API handoff.” 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿: “We cut handoff time from 6 to 2 days, avoided regulatory delay, supported faster onboarding.” • Same work. • But positioned with impact. She got visibility, appreciation—𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝟮𝟴% 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲. This formula doesn’t just clarify your work. It changes how decision-makers see you. Want proven ideas to grow every week? Join 4,000+ professionals reading our newsletter. Subscribe now — link is in the comments. 📬 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆? DM me to set up your free strategy call. #peakimpactmentorship #growth #leadership #dnaofinfluence #success

Most high performers aren’t overlooked. They’re misreading how recognition actually works. If you believe great work speaks for itself, this will sting a little. Because at senior levels, effort is assumed. Execution is table stakes. And visibility isn’t optional, it’s part of the job. I see this pattern constantly. Exceptionally capable leaders doing critical work, quietly. Meanwhile, someone less qualified gets promoted. Not because they’re better. But because leadership knows exactly how to describe their impact. Here’s the uncomfortable truth: Recognition isn’t about how hard you work. It’s about whether the right people can clearly articulate why you matter. One client of mine, Sally, was driving real business outcomes. But senior leaders couldn’t see the through-line between her work and company priorities. So we changed one thing. She stopped “doing great work” in isolation and started deliberately shaping how her contributions showed up in leadership conversations. Regular touchpoints with senior leaders. Clear framing around business impact. Language others could reuse when advocating for her. The result? She was approved for promotion to Senior Director. Not because her performance changed. Because perception finally caught up. If you want recognition at the next level, here’s what actually works: 1/ Be visible where decisions are made ⇢ Not everywhere. Just where outcomes are decided. 2/ Treat visibility as a leadership responsibility ⇢ If you can’t connect your work to business impact, no one else will. 3/ Give people language to advocate for you ⇢ If they can’t describe your value in one sentence, you’re invisible. 4/ Lead before the title ⇢ Scope comes before promotion, not after. 5/ Talk about outcomes, not tasks ⇢ Results get talked about. Busy work doesn’t. 6/ Decide what you want to be known for ⇢ Being good at everything makes you easy to forget. 7/ Build allies, not just excellence ⇢ Recognition compounds faster when it’s shared. This isn’t about self-promotion. It’s about professional strategy. And if you're tired of being the go-to without the title, I'm teaching 3 positioning strategies that get high performers recognized at VP level. Free masterclass. June 12th. Replay included. Women leaders - this one's designed specifically for the dynamics you navigate. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gz6hHmjs If this helped, repost it ♻️  Someone in your network needs to hear this before they burn out trying to be “excellent” a little longer. 🔔 Follow me, Jill Avey for more career ascension strategy.

Hard work ≠ Recognition. But let's get real for a moment. I used to believe that hard work alone would get me noticed. I thought if I kept my head down, delivered results, and exceeded expectations, the recognition would naturally follow. But here’s the hard truth: visibility is the bridge between effort and opportunity. If people don’t know the value you bring to the table, they won’t think of you when it’s time for promotions, leadership roles, or new opportunities. Here are 3 simple steps to start building visibility: 1. Own Your Wins ↳ Speak about your accomplishments with context and confidence. ↳ Instead of saying, “I worked on a project,” share the impact: "I led a project that saved 20 hours of manual work per week, increasing efficiency by 25%." 2. Expand Your Opportunities ↳ Volunteer for high-profile, cross-functional projects or stretch assignments sponsored by senior leaders. ↳These opportunities not only showcase your skills but also introduce you to key stakeholders across the organization. 3. Align Your Work with the Bigger Picture ↳When sharing your contributions, tie them to company goals or team success. ↳ Example: "Our team reduced project delivery time by 15%, helping the company hit its Q3 targets early." Remember: Hard work matters, but visibility amplifies its impact. Your time, your energy, your dedication deserve recognition. Not invisibility.