High Visibility, Low Maintenance
Doing great work is fundamental to your career success. But it’s not always enough. It is equally important to be on your boss’s radar. Leadership consultants emphasize the importance of finding “champions,” powerful leaders in your company who will speak up on your behalf and recommend you for important projects and promotions. But your boss can’t be your champion if he or she doesn’t know what you are doing. Here’s the challenge – there are two different kinds of radar. I call them visibility and maintenance. Visibility means giving your boss to have a clear line of sight to your achievements and contributions. Maintenance is about being the center of office drama and conflict. Here’s what the two dimensions look like:
Low visibility/Low maintenance = Invisible. You may be doing good work and you’re not causing problems, but your boss is unlikely to see you as a candidate for special attention.
Low visibility/High maintenance = Pain in the neck. Your boss only hears about you when you are stirring up trouble. This is a fast road to stagnation at best and job loss at worst.
High visibility/High maintenance = Prima donna. You are doing great work and your boss knows it. But you are also the center of drama and conflict in the office. Depending on your boss’s priorities, he may put up with the drama because of the contributions you are making, or he may decide that all the trouble you create isn’t worth it.
High visibility/Low maintenance = Star. This is the magic formula. When your boss sees you coming, she knows it’s going to be good news. You are making her life easier, not more complicated. Aim for High Visibility/Low Maintenance in your relationship with your boss. Built on the foundation of outstanding work, it’s the springboard to success.
