He is the first North American pontiff to be elected leader of the Catholic Church
Have you ever been at a job where you felt completely invisible? Where no one really spoke to you, namely your boss or leadership? Perhaps you asked for one-on-one meetings, but they were few and far between, so you never knew how you were doing. Whatever the exact scenario you've found yourself in, if you've fallen victim to feeling unseen or unrecognized, you're not alone. In this gallery, you'll find ideas for improving your visibility and an option if all your best efforts land flat.
Curious how to improve your life at work? Click through now.
Feeling invisible at work can mean something very different to each individual. More often than not, though, the sentiment can arise when you're feeling ignored or even underappreciated.
This feeling can occur among your superiors or colleagues. Perhaps your colleagues are talking behind your back, purposefully exclude you, or fail to recognize your accomplishments.
Feeling invisible can also occur when your manager doesn't provide you with feedback or if you rarely receive raises or promotion opportunities.
There are many ideas and ways to manage feeling invisible at work. The slides that follow explore several of them.
Think about your life, as well as your career. Try to figure out if something in your routine is causing you to feel invisible in your person or professional life.
Watch how coworkers interact with one another or who participates in group settings, such as meetings. This might help you make the first step in joining conversations or interacting with others.
Schedule a meeting with your manager and be honest, direct, yet respectful, about how you're feeling and, ideally, what you're missing. Share your insights, then ask for their input or feedback. Being a manager can have its own challenges; perhaps they just have a lot on their plate.
Consider creating some goals for yourself and discuss how becoming more visible is important to help you achieve these goals.
Focus on improving your self-confidence. Research ways you might boost your ego that could help you shine and feel less invisible.
Always take time to think about the unique contributions and skills you provide at your place of work. Reflect on the accomplishments you've achieved during your time in your current role.
People-pleasing can be an attempt to fit in but actually leave you feeling alone or ignored unless someone needs something from you. Try to say reject unreasonable tasks or requests.
Make sure you accept credit for the excellent work you complete. Using tact, if someone attributes recognition of your work to someone else, speak up.
Look for opportunities to hang out with those you work with during informal settings and formal company events. Challenge yourself to engage with at least one new person while you're there.
If you are frequently wearing all dark colors, consider a brighter shirt. Always keep in mind professionalism and the workplace dress code, but adding in some more approachable, friendly colors might help.
A mentor can be someone inside or outside your organization who can help you improve your confidence and how you can modify some behaviors in the workplace.
Consider joining professional organizations centered around your career or professional interests. This might give you more of a sense of community and help build your confidence at work.
Start a weekly or monthly email update for your managers or team. You could share things like industry trends, project updates, and more.
Try offering to host a lunch to teach on a topic you're knowledgeable about, or organize guest speakers. This can position you as the go-to person in your organization for certain information.
Volunteer for things that require collaboration between teams. This can help you gain exposure outside your immediate department and, ultimately, build a stronger internal network.
If your manager is often busy and can't attend all the meetings, offer to go on her behalf and report back.
Identify some small yet impactful part of your company and become the expert in it. This gesture can help you gain more visibility.
Establishing thoughtful leadership can give you a competitive edge and help others at your company see your accomplishments.
Acknowledge and appreciate colleagues' work in meetings, emails, or otherwise. This can help boost morale and show you as someone who uplifts others.
If becoming visible in your current job is simply impossible, it might be time to look for a new work environment that can better suit your needs. This can also provide you with the opportunity to start anew and present yourself accordingly.
Sources: (Indeed) (Psychology Today)
See also: Mastering that first job interview or take a new career step
Effective strategies to get recognized in the workplace
From invisible to influential
LIFESTYLE Workplace culture
Have you ever been at a job where you felt completely invisible? Where no one really spoke to you, namely your boss or leadership? Perhaps you asked for one-on-one meetings, but they were few and far between, so you never knew how you were doing. Whatever the exact scenario you've found yourself in, if you've fallen victim to feeling unseen or unrecognized, you're not alone. In this gallery, you'll find ideas for improving your visibility and an option if all your best efforts land flat.
Curious how to improve your life at work? Click through now.