You're on Zoom. Your boss and your colleagues are together in a conference room. The conversation moves fast. The side comments and quick decisions happen off-camera. By the time you unmute, the moment has passed.
Then the meeting ends, the laptop closes, and the people in the room keep talking in the hallway.
If you work hybrid or remote, you know this feeling. Emma Grede has talked about how women can fall behind in remote work, and it's a real risk. When you're not physically present, your work is easier to overlook, even when it's excellent.
I say this from experience. Today, I'm the only member of my management team who isn't based in Europe. Visibility doesn't happen by default for me. I've had to manage it on purpose. Here are two things that help:
1. Package your wins
In an office, people pick up on your work by osmosis. They overhear a call, see you in a meeting, or catch you at the coffee machine. Remotely, that doesn't happen. Written communication has to do the work instead.
So over-communicate. Send short, proactive updates to your boss and key stakeholders. Good ones include:
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What's moving forward. A quick note on progress, so people know where things stand without having to ask.
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A recap of a recent win. One or two sentences on what happened and why it mattered.
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A customer insight or feedback. Something you heard that others might not have, and what it could mean.
Keep each update brief and easy to forward. The goal is to make your contribution easy to share when you're not in the room. If your boss can paste your update straight into their own report, you've done it right.
2. Follow up on one specific point after a meeting
Virtual meetings can be hard to break into, especially when half the group is in person. If you couldn't get a word in, you haven't lost your chance to contribute.
After the meeting, pick one point that was discussed and send a useful addition. For example:
"Your point about customer retention stayed with me. I pulled last quarter's numbers, and here's one pattern that could help us decide."
This works because it's specific and it's useful. You're not repeating what was said or asking for attention. You're adding something that moves the decision forward.
You don't have to speak the most to be remembered. Give people something they can use.
You can manage your visibility
Working remotely doesn't have to mean being overlooked. Visibility in a hybrid workplace isn't about being the loudest voice on the call. It's about making your work easy to see, easy to share, and easy to act on.
Start with one proactive update or one thoughtful follow-up this week, and build from there.
Every Wednesday, I share a piece of career and leadership advice I've learned working for some of the world's biggest brands. Follow along on Instagram for Work Tip Wednesday.
