Podcast Summary: Coaching for Leaders

Episode: 723: Create Visibility for Your Work, with Melody Wilding
Release Date: March 3, 2025
Host: Dave Stachowiak
Guest: Melody Wilding

Introduction to Visibility in the Workplace

In Episode 723 of Coaching for Leaders, host Dave Stachowiak delves into a pervasive challenge faced by many professionals: creating visibility for one's work. The episode addresses the common belief that "good work speaks for itself" and explores the additional efforts required to ensure that contributions are recognized within an organization.

Guest Introduction: Melody Wilding

Dave welcomes Melody Wilding, an esteemed executive and leadership coach known for her expertise in guiding high achievers to overcome self-imposed barriers. Melody is a professor at Hunter College and a regular contributor to top publications like Harvard Business Review and Forbes. Recognized by Business Insider as one of the most innovative coaches, Melody is the author of "Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge."

The Myth of "Good Work Speaks for Itself"

The conversation begins by challenging the notion that exceptional work naturally garners attention. Dave remarks, "Leaders aren't born, they're made... a topic that comes up all the time... how do I create more visibility for my work?" (00:00-00:26). Melody concurs, emphasizing that in today's fragmented attention landscape, even remote or hybrid work can obscure achievements from key decision-makers.

Rethinking Self-Promotion: Strategic Visibility vs. Shameless Self-Promotion

A significant part of the discussion revolves around differentiating between genuine self-advocacy and perceived self-promotion. Dave articulates a common fear: "I don't want to self-promote... it's not about shameless self-promotion, but rather how you present what you're doing." (03:06-04:02). Melody reinforces this by outlining that visibility should serve both personal and organizational goals. She states, "it's about giving your superiors... the full picture, all of the data they need to make informed decisions..." (04:02-05:57).

The One Year Vision: Guiding Visibility Efforts

Melody introduces the concept of a "one year vision," a strategic tool that helps individuals align their visibility efforts with their long-term career aspirations. She explains, "your one Year vision allows you... to be much more selective to pick out things that align with where you want to go in the year ahead." (08:19-10:53). This vision acts as a filter, ensuring that the work highlighted supports the individual's desired professional trajectory rather than merely showcasing day-to-day tasks.

Building a Story Bank: Capturing and Utilizing Your Achievements

To effectively communicate accomplishments, Melody advocates for maintaining a "story bank"—a repository of anecdotes and examples that illustrate one's skills and contributions. She outlines its benefits:

1. Reinforces Competency: "It reinforces a sense of competency for you... that increases your confidence." (16:05-18:10).
2. Preparedness: Enables quick, concise responses in spontaneous interactions.
3. Ease During Reviews: Simplifies the process of compiling achievements for performance evaluations or professional profiles.

Melody advises keeping the story bank simple, recommending tools like Google Docs or physical notebooks, and updating it regularly with significant weekly achievements.

Practical Strategies for Enhancing Visibility

The conversation offers actionable tactics for increasing visibility:

• Pocket Updates: Craft brief, structured updates that encapsulate current projects, specific details, and results. Melody suggests a formula: "one current project plus one specific detail plus one result" (22:25-24:20).

• Structured Communication: Implement regular updates or newsletters to share team progress, positioning oneself as a leader who fosters collective visibility rather than individual bragging.

• Written Over Spoken: For introverts, written updates can provide a comfortable medium to articulate achievements thoughtfully.

The Power of Saying Yes to Opportunities

Dave shares a personal anecdote illustrating the benefits of embracing unexpected opportunities. By accepting an invitation to engage with an executive, he secured a significant role briefing a $10 billion company's executive team (25:04-27:53). Melody encourages listeners to remain open to such chances, emphasizing that sometimes what may seem like a casual invitation can lead to substantial career advancements.

Managing Up: Benefits and Misconceptions

In the closing segment, Melody redefines "managing up," dispelling the misconception that it equates to ingratiating oneself. She emphasizes that managing up is a form of proactive career development:

• For Self-Advocacy: "Managing up is not something you do for your manager's benefit. It is something you do for yourself." (32:50-34:15).
• Broad Scope: Extends beyond direct supervisors to include skip-level managers and other influential stakeholders.
• Professional Hygiene: Ensures one's work is aligned with organizational needs and is visible to those making key decisions.

Conclusion and Final Insights

The episode concludes with Melody highlighting the importance of intentional visibility as a means to enhance both personal growth and organizational success. By strategically managing how and what one shares, professionals can ensure their contributions are recognized, paving the way for career advancement and effective leadership.

Notable Quotes

• Dave Stachowiak: "Good work speaks for itself. It's a lie many of us have wished was true..." (00:00).
• Melody Wilding: "Visibility is not us just stroking our own ego and just puffing up our chests for the sake of it." (04:02).
• Melody Wilding: "A little preparation goes such a long way to help you feel confident in that moment and sound more articulate." (22:25).
• Melody Wilding: "Managing up is not something you do for your manager's benefit. It is something you do for yourself." (32:50).

Additional Recommendations

If you found this episode insightful, consider exploring related episodes for deeper strategies on visibility and leadership:

1. Episode 480: Get Noticed Without Selling Out, featuring Laura Wong.
2. Episode 593: How to Start Finding Useful Stories, with David Hutchins.
3. Episode 687: Getting Better at Internal Communication, featuring Roy Schwartz.

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