Do you remember your school years? When we got high grades, we often didn't feel the need to tell our parents. It was an implicit expectation, a standard that didn't seem to require applause. In contrast, getting your first seven (C grade) was such an emotional shock that you felt the need to share it immediately—as a release, a way to manage the pressure.
This mentality often follows us to the job: we tend to stay silent when everything is going well and only speak up when problems arise. However, in today’s world, where hybrid work and the speed of information can make us "invisible," letting your results speak for themselves is no longer a sufficient strategy. If you don’t speak about your successes, who will?
Here is a Personal Branding exercise adapted from the 7Ps marketing model, designed to help you shape a solid professional presence:
1. Product (You and Your Value)
Imagine your skills are a premium product on the market.
- What are the 3 qualities your colleagues always mention in their feedback?
- What makes you "indispensable" to your team? Is it your ability to mediate conflicts, your speed of execution, or your analytical thinking?
2. Place (Where do you show up?)
Where do you feel most comfortable shining? You don't have to be a LinkedIn influencer if you're an introvert. Perhaps your "place" is a small working group, a project presentation, or an internal newsletter. Choose the space that feels natural for presenting ideas that make processes more efficient.
3. Price (The cost of visibility)
Visibility costs time and mental energy. What resources are you willing to invest? It might mean 30 minutes a week to write a progress report, or the courage to raise your hand in a meeting to propose a new solution. Who are the allies who can support you in this endeavor?
4. Promotion (Beyond your inner circle)
If only your desk mate knows how hard you’ve worked, the impact is limited. Who else needs to know about your success so that you’re considered for a raise or a promotion? Use the right channels: 1-on-1s with your manager, professional posts, or volunteering for cross-departmental projects.
5. People (Your community)
You aren’t alone in this process. How can your network—family, friends, mentors—help you reach your goals? Sometimes, a recommendation from a colleague with authority is worth more than ten self-presentations.
6. Process (Automating your image)
Create a system where visibility becomes a habit, not a sporadic effort. This could be a short message sent to the team at the end of every sprint or a monthly portfolio update. The clearer the process, the less energy you’ll burn "selling" yourself.
7. Physical Evidence (Your portfolio of wins)
Practical Tip Create a "Success Folder." Save screenshots of positive feedback, thank-you emails, and concrete data from your projects. When the time comes for an annual evaluation or an interview for a higher role, this file will be your unbeatable argument against any imposter syndrome.
Coaching questions for you:
- If you became completely invisible at the office tomorrow, which processes would immediately stall because you aren't there to manage them? (That is the core of your value).
- What stops you most from talking about your success: the fear of appearing arrogant or the lack of a system to organize your evidence?
- Who is that one person in the company (besides your direct boss) who needs to know what you’re working on to unlock your next opportunity?
When was the last time you shared a success with your colleagues or boss without waiting to be asked?