Get Ready! It’s the Newest and Biggest Generation in the Workplace, Primed to Make a Difference You Can’t (and Don’t Want To) Ignore. This series offers career advice for the Biggest Generation since The Baby Boom, by The Millennial Mentor.
By Robyn Tingley
Virtual teams are becoming more common in our workplaces. Technology allows us to stay connected and be productive from just about anywhere in the modern world. While it’s nice to have flexibility, working effectively can be a challenge when you’ve never met your colleagues or even your manager in person. Standing out and creating a name for yourself, can sometimes feel next to impossible.
After all, studies show that people who get repeated exposure to senior executives are the ones who get promoted. Global Integration asked workers to rank the three factors that form how you are perceived at work — actual job performance, professional image, and exposure. Exposure outranked the others by far. The more you are exposed to senior executives, the more chances you’ll have to make a good impression and open more doors for career opportunities.
If you’re working in a virtual team, you are no doubt wondering how to get more exposure if you aren’t physically in the room with the boss and other colleagues.
Here are 5 tips to help you get noticed in a virtual environment:
- Must Have Face Time – at some point, you need to connect in person. This can be a challenge with travel freezes, but try. Encourage your manager to convene a team session. Drop by the head office if you are on vacation nearby. Persuade your manager to let you go on a work trip to learn a new skill, deliver a presentation or add value in some way beyond networking.
- Conference Call – use these wisely. Call in early and greet others as they join. Speak up and ask questions, offer input. Make sure your voice is heard.
- Photos and stories – snap a few pictures of your project, or your work team, and send them to the boss with some statistics about what’s happening. Leaders in head office appreciate seeing what’s going on out in the field and staying connected to the real-time data.
- Video– videoconferencing is powerful, and is the next best thing to being there in person. It’s particularly good for one-to-one discussions or small groups where people can see and hear each other clearly.
- Strategic networking – think about who you need to get in front of, and reach out to them to share your knowledge and insights on a topic that is important to them. Add value, lead projects, share relevant industry reports. Become the ‘go to’ person in the field that leaders can rely upon for insight and action.
Apply these tips consistently to ensure being out of sight doesn’t mean being out of mind.
Robyn Tingley’s career has taken her around the world as an international executive in Human Resources and Communications. She is the founder of GlassSKY.org, an organization dedicated to workplace diversity, gender equality, and helping people succeed.
Other articles in the Series —
Millennial Envy — an introduction to this unique generation
Networking: An Investment in Your Future
Welcome to the C-Suite! 3 Ways to Boost Your Personal Brand
Make Your Resume Work for You: 5 Ways to Stand Out with Recruiters
Take Back Your Happy – 5 Steps
4 Simple Ways to Shine in Meetings