Is your career held back by your work, or by who can see it?
A quick gut-check, not a test you pass or fail. Rate each statement 1 to 5. Answer with your gut, not your ideal self.
Visibility Habits
1.When I finish something hard, I tell someone who matters before I move to the next task.
2.My manager could describe my last big contribution accurately, without me reminding them.
3.I bring up wins in 1:1s without being asked.
4.People outside my immediate team know what I actually work on.
5.I document or share my work somewhere it can be seen (team channel, company newsletter, status email).
Senior Leader Access
6.When I have a reason to talk to a senior leader, I know how to approach them.
7.I feel comfortable taking up a senior leader's time, even briefly.
8.I've had a direct conversation with someone who has real decision-making influence over my career, in the last 3 months.
9.Not knowing a senior leader personally stops me from reaching out, even when it would help.
10.I know how to get in front of the right leaders when it matters, not just the ones I already work with.
The Comfort Gap
11.Talking about my own wins feels like bragging, even when what I'm saying is just true.
12.I catch myself saying "we" when I really mean "I."
13.I rehearse or overthink how to phrase something good I did before I say it out loud.
14.When someone compliments my work, my instinct is to deflect rather than say "thank you, here's what I did."
Direction
15.I have something I accomplished recently that almost nobody knows about.
16.I know exactly where I want to be in my organization.
17.I know exactly what it would take to get there.
18.I feel like growth/promotion is something that happens to other people, not me.