You’re Not Behind. You’re Unrecognized.- Newsletter #56

Most people think that doing great work leads to promotions. But inside most organizations, that’s only part of the equation.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how promotions actually happen and where women get quietly stuck. Because it’s not just about doing the work.

I’ve seen so many women:

• do the work
• do it well
• do it consistently

…but never learn how to position the work.

Meanwhile, promotion decisions are often being made by, yes, your manager, but ALSO...

• your manager’s peers
• leaders across the org
• people who don’t actually see your day-to-day

So when a reorg happens (again), and you get a new manager (again). The feedback becomes: “I don’t know your work yet.” And just like that, you’re waiting for another cycle.

Not because you’re not ready. But because your work isn’t visible in the rooms where decisions are made. This is the part no one teaches: Doing the work is only half of what it takes to qualify for the next level.

The other half?

Making sure the right people know the work. And yes, this can feel like a pain. But it’s also something deeper.

Putting your work out there can be scary. Because you have to stand behind it.

It’s the difference between saying: “I think…” and “I believe…” 

or hedging. or softening. with the doubt language “well… um…”

Just ownership.

And once it’s out there?

You don’t control how people receive it. You don’t control what they think. You don’t control who agrees or disagrees.

That part is out of your hands. Which is exactly why so many people avoid it.

But visibility isn’t about controlling the outcome. It’s about being clear enough, consistent enough, and confident enough that your work can stand on its own.

And this is where it becomes a skill you can actually build.

With tools like Copilot, Claude, and the like, you can:

• track your weekly impact
• summarize your contributions
• and share them consistently

I’ve been building this into my own workflow. I'm building recurring prompts and agents to share all of these items:

• with my manager
• more broadly across my org
• and even on my own platforms

The key isn’t perfection. It’s consistency.

And one more thing no one talks about:

You need a hype crew.

A small group of people who:

• engage with your posts
• amplify your work
• help your visibility travel further than you can on your own

Not in a fake way. In a we see each other way. In a we know how the algorithms work way. In the way that is about sharing and supporting each other.

Because your career isn’t just a role. It’s a brand. It’s a body of work.

It’s you, Inc.

And, like any company, it grows faster when more people talk about it.

Curious, how are you making your work visible right now?

And who’s in your hype crew?

Empathy makes us human; actions make us warriors.