How to Be More Visible at Work
One of the things that you will notice is that there are people who are not that great in a particular field, yet they are super visible.
If you are someone that can’t be visible, then it will harm you in the long run.
Especially at work.
How can you be more visible without coming off as a jerk?
Here’s the annoying thing.
A lot of the times, in order to be visible, you will be a jerk.
And that is perfectly fine.
That is where today’s talk begins:
- How to be more visible without coming off too much as a jerk.
The Lesson I Learned from Neil
A couple of years ago, there was this one guy from Chicago who was training me for my upcoming role.
I appreciated this guy a lot.
Let’s call him Neil.
The cool thing about Neil was that he always took the time to teach me.
But the annoying thing about him was that he was a little too talkative.
He would always make himself visible in group chats.
He would always talk a lot in group meetings.
He was that annoying guy who turned a 30-minute meeting into a 45-minute one just because he wanted to talk more.
The one thing I remember about Neil was that he was very loud and very visible.
He was not the best at his job, but he was always visible.
And he taught me something…
Be a Pest
In order to be visible, you want to be a pest.
That means you want to be like that one fly that does not go away.
The more you try to swipe it away, the more it keeps coming back.
- Your manager forgot your meeting? Be a pest. Keep bothering him about it.
- You’re trying to get coffee? Say “what’s up” to anyone that you see.
- You don’t know what to say in a meeting? Raise your hand and hope that something figures itself out.
Be a pest.
At times, in order to be visible, you will be annoying.
But who cares?
Just be visible.
The Side Effects of Being Visible
The side effects of being visible are that every now and then, you will annoy people.
And in my opinion, that is perfectly fine.
Because in the process of annoying people, you will build awareness.
And that awareness will add to your credibility.
The way we build an affinity toward someone is by going through ups and downs with them.
People who are too polite never build the downs with anyone, and that is one of the reasons they are forgettable.
They are meek, and they say whatever they need to say very rarely.
Other than that, they never show their face again.
Here’s a social law to remember:
- The jerk who is seen a lot is more lovable than the charismatic person who goes ghost mode.
When you realize this, you will see that there are different ways to be visible in the workspace.
Just understand that if you are doing a great job and no one knows that you’re doing a great job, then you will fall behind.
Strategies to Be More Visible
In this section, I’m going to give you a few strategies to be visible without coming off too much as a jerk.
- Create One-on-One Meetings with Your Manager
You don’t have to do too many meetings, but a monthly meeting allows your manager to see your face. A lot of people get a job and never say “what’s up” to their manager again. That’s not good. Take some time to check in with your manager once a month.
- Go Up to People’s Desks More
Even if you’re in a hybrid position, those rare days that you are in the office should be spent going up to your team members’ desks and saying “what’s up.” Even if you have nothing to say, just ask about their weekend. It doesn’t always have to be work-related.
- Try to Hang Out with People After Work
This is something to be aware of. You don’t want to hang out with people too much, but every now and then, you should. It’s a great way to build rapport.
- Raise Your Hand and Ask Questions Later
Every now and then in a meeting, you’ll notice you haven’t contributed in a while. This is when you should raise your hand. Once you raise your hand, ideas will start coming to you that you wouldn’t have thought of if you kept your hand down.
- Ask Unlimited Questions
You want to ask unlimited questions because there are no lifelines in the workspace. One great way to build likability is by asking questions. So ask unlimited questions about how you can get better at your job.
Be More Visible
I encourage you to be more visible, my friend.
The people who are not visible are the ones who are quickly forgotten.
And when you are quickly forgotten, you’re doing all of your hard work for no reason.
If you are a subject matter expert, then be a pest.
Constantly show your face.
- Turn the camera on during Zoom calls.
- Schedule one-on-ones with your manager.
- Raise your hand and ask questions later.
These few tips will put you ahead of the herd, and a lot of people will remember you more in the future.
For more tips on social skills, be sure to check out my book, the Charisma King
– ArmaniTalks 
