Working loud: Gain visibility at work
Do you fear being overlooked at work? You can gloat without being annoying. It helps put focus on your personal branding in the workplace, and, according to an expert, it could pave the way for better tasks, pay rises and promotions.
But it also helps reduce the risk of being overlooked or laid off during downsizing.
Personal branding is about what other people say about us when we are not present, and we can influence their perception by working strategically with ourselves, says Therese Waltersdorff, who is a coach, author and personal branding instructor.
"In a workplace, you need people to think positively about you because they need to trust that you can get the job done.
"Conversely, when the organisation has to cut jobs, you definitely don’t want anyone to think you’re less capable than you actually are."
Does your manager know what you do?
Many people may associate personal branding with top executives, politicians or entrepreneurs, and for many, it can feel both un-Danish and unnecessary to make themselves clearly visible to managers and colleagues.
But there is something to gain from visibility for all characters and personalities – it's just about striking the right balance, says Therese Waltersdorff.
"You can do it in writing, for example. You can share important information or an interesting study with several colleagues by email. Or you can like posts on LinkedIn. It doesn't mean you have to sell yourself in front of the whole company to shout out how brilliant you are."
Therese Waltersdorff suggests taking stock of yourself and your personal branding status by asking: "Does my manager have a clear enough understanding of what I do to ensure I’m not at risk during the next restructuring?".
Build up your market value
Personal branding comes in many forms, says Therese Waltersdorff.
"Unlike in some other cultures, in Denmark, managers can expect you to do your job with 99 per cent certainty. And because of that, many will think it unnecessary to tell their manager about completed work. Consider going about it by submitting a status saying that the project has finished, what challenges were involved and what you have learnt – and what others may learn from it. This too is self-promotion," she says.
There are few arguments why you shouldn’t increase your visibility just a little bit to keep up with those of your colleagues who excel at showcasing themselves – because they exist in almost every workplace, says Therese Waltersdorff.
"If managers fail to think things through, the loudest will get their chance at the next promotion or involvement in an exciting project. And those who just do their job, but are the world's best kept secret, might end up being laid off because no one noticed that they actually did everything right."
Working loud and quiet quitting
Personal branding, or working loud as the phenomenon is also called, is about being proactive, communicating your achieve ments and being visible to both managers and colleagues.
Working loud refers to a work approach whereby employees actively make their work efforts, initiatives and achievements visible. They engage in making their managers and colleagues aware of their contributions and progress in the hope of achieving recognition, promotions, pay rises or new opportunities.
Quiet quitting is a concept on the other end of the spectrum. Employees who engage in quite quitting do the bare minimum of what is expected in the job and put in no extra effort. They typically avoid taking on additional responsibilities or showing high engagement in the company.
In quiet quitting, employees do not necessarily leave their job physically; rather, they disengage emotionally or mentally.
But what would workplaces look like if every employee was perpetually trying to position themselves and verbalise their contributions?
"What we consider unselfish and team-oriented, sadly, isn’t what’s valued the most when it comes to career-promoting activities. The top manager rarely promotes the employee who always puts paper in the copier and brings cake. It can seem a bit unfair, and that way you can end up working in a place where no one wants to do what doesn't create value," says Therese Waltersdorff.
A form of insurance
There's no way around social media when it comes to increasing your visibility. Especially LinkedIn is a good platform for steadily building up your profile and market value, not least for times when you might want or need to look for another job.
"Some people just have a strong brand. It's something they've created by positioning themselves. If putting yourself out there isn't for you, you can strategically try to create a ‘work persona’ to be more of an extrovert and play a role that will help you achieve the things you want. But do so only if you think you'll achieve something from it," says Therese Waltersdorff.
One thing is certain: Should you lose your job, you’ll stand stronger if you've already thought about your personal brand and already have connections on LinkedIn.
"Think of it as a form of insurance – perhaps a great job opportunity might even come of it." However, if you lose your job in middle age, building your personal brand from scratch can be a long haul," she says.
Personal branding
- Visible work effort: Make sure your efforts and achievements are noticed through regular discussions with managers and team members. Highlight your efforts not just directly, but in the right context, where you can discuss the learning process and new insights gained.
- Engagement in key projects: Take on high-profile or challenging tasks that help the business and create value. Some people are great at spotting tasks that are strategically important to the organisation and making sure they get involved in them. However, your engagement should start from a genuine wish to contribute to the project.
- Physical attendance: Come into the office regularly and limit working from home – it increases your visibility and will help keep you top-of-mind with managers and colleagues compared to those who work primarily from home.
- Networking: Working loud also involves actively building relationships and creating a network both within and outside the organisation. This can enhance your career opportunities.
Look beyond your own projects and be curious about understanding your organisation and your colleagues across departments. - Social media: Build a profile on LinkedIn with a wide range of contacts. You can also get involved by liking and commenting on other peoples' posts.
- Ask yourself: What would I like to achieve in the short or long term? What do others need to think about me for me to achieve that? What should I say or do to make others think this about me?