Kevin's visibility transformation started with a painful realization. Despite building critical features that powered 30% of the company's revenue, his contributions were invisible. His manager couldn't articulate Kevin's specific impact during performance reviews.
The Visibility Audit
Kevin documented every significant task over two weeks, then rated each:
Visibility Score (1-5): 5 = CEO/C-suite aware of this work 4 = Department leadership aware 3 = Direct manager fully understands impact 2 = Team knows about it 1 = Only I know what I did
His results were sobering: - 70% of his work scored 1-2 - Only 5% scored 4-5 - His most valuable contributions were his least visible
The Visibility Transformation Protocol
Step 1: Strategic Communication Channels
Kevin identified five key visibility channels: 1. Weekly team standups (reached 8 people) 2. Monthly all-hands demos (reached 200 people) 3. Quarterly board reports (influenced by his input) 4. Internal tech blog (read by leadership) 5. Cross-functional project presentations
Step 2: The 3-Touch Rule
For every significant accomplishment, Kevin ensured three visibility touches: 1. Immediate: Slack message in team channel 2. Weekly: Mention in standup or written update 3. Quarterly: Include in performance documentation
Step 3: Impact Quantification
Before: "Fixed the search functionality" After: "Optimized search algorithm, reducing query time by 73% and saving an estimated $180,000 annually in server costs"
Results: Within six months, Kevin was invited to present at board meetings. His raise that year? 27% versus the company average of 4%.
Visibility Multiplication Strategies
The Demo Effect - Record 5-minute videos of your work's impact - Share in multiple forums - Let your work speak across time zones and meetings you can't attend
The Teaching Moment - Turn accomplishments into learning opportunities - "How I solved X" presentations position you as expert - Teaching cements your association with the innovation
The Strategic CC - Include skip-level managers on key success emails - But sparingly—once monthly maximum - Focus on quantified business impact