Wanted

BE VISIBLE

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138

wa nte d

You need to be seen in the right places at

the right time

Get outside the circle of the people you encounter

every day and ensure you leave your ‘mark’ with

influential people.

Some people stand out in a crowd. You

need to be one of them. You need to

catch the eye of the people who count.

This has little to do with the way you

dress and more to do with your overall

demeanour and expressiveness.

Most senior people are wise enough to know that from time to

time they have to descend into the depths of the organisation to

meet employees and junior managers many ranks below them.

This happens for example at retirement events, conferences and

annual gatherings as well as at Christmas parties. It also

happens during ‘walkabouts’, charity functions and sports

contests. As a front-liner, team leader or middle manager you

need to be there. You need to be visible.

As a board director I worked for a company with over 7,000

employees. It was impossible for me to know all of them. On

average, once a week I would dedicate a whole evening, as

representative of the board, to attend a function for employees,

chat to them and give an impromptu speech. Invariably I would

enter a large room with hundreds of people sipping drinks and

chatting away. I would know none of them. They were all

strangers to me – although most of them would recognise me

from photos in the company newspaper. I could hardly stand in

a corner gazing into my drink. My job was to initiate

conversations, take an interest in whoever I was talking with –

and listen to what they had to say.

If you are not visible

in the organisation

you’ll be left in the

dark

If nobody approached me I would ask myself, ‘Who should I talk

to?’ My choice was always the same. I would talk to anybody

who caught my eye and sent me body language signals that they

would welcome a chat. You need to be that person whenever a

senior person is in your vicinity. It puts them at ease and it

makes them feel they are doing what all good senior people do –

chat from time to time with front-liners. You will need to ensure

you leave your ‘mark’ (by saying something important) and also

ensure they recall your name and department.

By becoming visible you will be entered on the mental database

of influential people at the top. When a challenging opportunity

arises and senior people are seeking help from the ranks you will

be one of the first they think of. You will have been earmarked as

‘rising talent’.

By becoming visible and engaging with decision makers you

develop confidence that you can chat to anyone. You should

never become an employee who shies away from senior people,

fearful you may say the wrong thing and make a fool of yourself.

Visibility also extends to consultative meetings at work. Should

a senior executive be chairing a session then make sure you

catch his or her eye. Make sure you ask a sensible question or say

something helpful. It is all about being seen and then heard. If

you are never seen there is little chance you will be considered.

PRA C T I CA L TI P

G

Try to attend as many company functions as possible and

challenge yourself to chat with at least one of the senior

executives present. If there are top people visiting from

other companies try to leave your mark with them too…

you never know!

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Be Visible

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wa nte d

Career stimuli

7

PSYCHE

G

It is estimated that the brain has up to 100 billion nerve

cells.

G

The eye sends 10 million bits of data to the brain every

second.

G

During our waking hours we are unconscious most of

the time.

G

You are a complex individual.

G

You don’t see yourself the way others see you.

G

You are not what you think you are.

G

How you make up your mind will be influenced by the

make-up of your heart.

G

Your career is a product of your psyche.

G

Those who have a good informal understanding of

psychology are those who will be WANTED.