In our last blog, we explored why leadership is an honor and not a privilege, which stimulated some great online discussion. We emphasized the level of responsibility and honor that come when we step into a leadership position. We strongly advocated that everyone can be a leader or exemplify impactful leadership behaviors, characteristics, and traits, as leadership is not about title, rank, or role, it's about influence and how you show up.  

This week, we are addressing a topic that has come up a lot in my recent discussions with leaders from various industries and organizations across the globe. Some leaders have expressed concern about being overlooked or forgotten about as it relates to future promotions and opportunities because they are not onsite at all or are only onsite a few times a week.

The out-of-sight, out-of-mind notion came up quite a bit, so we wanted to be proactive and take the opportunity to address this head on with some practical tips and approaches to ensure you steer the ship on your career advancement opportunities.‍‍

Don’t Let Physicality Get in the Way – Take Charge of Your Career

Staying on the radar screen for promotions while working remotely requires proactive effort and strategic actions. Here are several ways leaders can ensure they remain visible and valued:

Provide Status Updates on Accomplishments & Wins: Clearly communicate your accomplishments (no matter how small they may be) and the impact you and your team are having on achieving your overall goals and objectives. Please don’t assume that your respective leader and colleagues are dialed in what you and your team are doing because they might not be. I see a lot of leaders who fall into this trap where they feel sharing these sorts of updates is egotistical or gloating.  Well, it might be if that is the energy you are bringing, but we view this as your responsibility to keep your leader and colleagues apprised of what is happening within your team and with you.    

Maintain Regular Communication: Stay connected with your leader, team members, and other colleagues through regular updates or check-ins through virtual meetings, or go onsite every so often so that you can interact with them in person if geographically feasible. Check in with them to see how they are doing and be intentional about building and strengthening relationships. Demonstrate your engagement and commitment by interacting with those that you value and that are critical to your success. Don’t leave things to chance or happenstance.

Engage in Networking Opportunities & Give Back: Take advantage of networking opportunities within and outside your organization. Participate and volunteer for committees and groups that are of interest to you. It is a great way to give back and be part of something that is meaningful to you while you network and build relationships across the organization or externally.

Seek Development Opportunities: Continuously seek opportunities to develop your skills and knowledge relevant to your role and career aspirations. Attend both onsite and virtual training sessions, webinars, or courses, and actively seek feedback to demonstrate your commitment to growth and improvement.

Demonstrate Leadership and Initiative: Take the initiative to propose new ideas, solutions, or projects that can contribute to the organization's success. Show leadership by taking on additional responsibilities, mentoring colleagues, or leading cross-functional initiatives.

Maintain a Positive Attitude & Professionalism: Stay positive, adaptable, and resilient in the face of challenges or uncertainties. Demonstrate professionalism, effective two-way communication, and a professional demeanor in all interactions. Lead by example and set a standard for yourself that you can be proud of.

Seek Feedback and Advocate for Yourself: Proactively seek feedback from your leader, peers, and respective team to better understand areas for improvement and areas where you excel. Advocate for yourself by highlighting your accomplishments, skills, and career aspirations during performance evaluations or career discussions. Be clear with your leader about what you want and work together to create a development plan that will get you there.

Be Intentional & Purposeful in Everything You Do: We do not have the luxury of having the impromptu hallway or lunchroom conversations unless you are onsite. We also do not have excess time in our calendars for socialization and intentional relationship-building opportunities, therefore, we must make every interaction and meeting we have matter.  

Successful or high-performing leaders aren’t successful by fluke. They plan, possess high levels of self-aware and emotional intelligence, and maintain a growth mindset so that every interaction is high value or high impact. They also lean into servant leadership and try to add value to those they serve and support within their team and across the organization.

Doing great work and lifting others up are table stakes and if you want to build a positive brand and reputation for yourself. Try implementing these strategies and approaches. Not only will they help you stay visible and front-of-mind when opportunities surface, doing so will take your performance to a whole new level.

We Want to Hear from You

What are your thoughts on this topic of maintaining visibility in the remote world of work?  What are you doing to ensure you are not forgotten or overlooked when opportunities or promotions arise? 

We want to hear your thoughts. You can email me at joanne.trotta@leadersedgeinc.ca or call me on 416-560-1806 to start the conversation.  

‍