Coaching for Leaders

723: Create Visibility for Your Work, with Melody Wilding


Listen Later

Melody Wilding: Managing Up

Melody Wilding is an executive and leadership coach for smart, sensitive high-achievers who are tired of getting in their own way. She teaches human behavior at Hunter College and is a regular contributor to Harvard Business Review, Forbes, and Business Insider, who named her one of the “most innovative coaches.” She is the author of Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge*.

Good work speaks for itself. It’s a lie many of us have wished was true, but found that there’s actually much more work involved. In this conversation, Melody and I discuss what really helps in creating more visibility.

Key Points
  • Good work does not speak for itself.
  • Our fear of appearing self-promotional can hinder the visibility conversations that our leaders and team need from us.
  • A story will be told about your work. By having stories that you are ready to tell, you get to shape the narrative.
  • Instead of listing what you’ve done, highlight what you want to be known for.
  • Give visibility to work that is important to your team, puts you in contact with stakeholders, and impacts that bottom line.
  • Always have a 3-step pocket update at the ready. Share a (1) project, (2) detail, and (3) result.
  • Capitalize on casual conversation. Say yes to the right invitations and be the person that keeps the relationship going.
  • Resources Mentioned
    • Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge* by Melody Wilding
    • Interview Notes

      Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required).

      Related Episodes
      • Get Noticed Without Selling Out, with Laura Huang (episode 480)
      • How to Start Finding Useful Stories, with David Hutchens (episode 593)
      • Getting Better at Internal Communication, with Roy Schwartz (episode 687)
      • Discover More

        Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

        ...more
        View all episodesView all episodes
        Download on the App Store

        Coaching for LeadersBy Dave Stachowiak

        • 4.8
        • 4.8
        • 4.8
        • 4.8
        • 4.8

        4.8

        1,391 ratings


        More shows like Coaching for Leaders

        View all
        The Look & Sound of Leadership by Essential Communications - Tom Henschel

        The Look & Sound of Leadership

        1,163 Listeners

        The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk by Ryan Hawk

        The Learning Leader Show With Ryan Hawk

        1,330 Listeners

        Teaching in Higher Ed by Bonni Stachowiak

        Teaching in Higher Ed

        366 Listeners

        HBR IdeaCast by Harvard Business Review

        HBR IdeaCast

        170 Listeners

        Negotiate Anything by Kwame Christian Esq., M.A.

        Negotiate Anything

        705 Listeners

        How to Be Awesome at Your Job by How to be Awesome at Your Job

        How to Be Awesome at Your Job

        1,028 Listeners

        Radical Candor: Communication at Work by Kim Scott, Jason Rosoff & Amy Sandler

        Radical Candor: Communication at Work

        700 Listeners

        Worklife with Adam Grant by TED

        Worklife with Adam Grant

        9,169 Listeners

        Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style by Laura Camacho

        Speak Up: Develop Your Executive Presence & Leadership Communication Style

        98 Listeners

        Maxwell Leadership Executive Podcast by John Maxwell

        Maxwell Leadership Executive Podcast

        381 Listeners

        Maxwell Leadership Podcast by John Maxwell

        Maxwell Leadership Podcast

        2,445 Listeners

        No Bullsh!t Leadership by Martin G Moore

        No Bullsh!t Leadership

        124 Listeners

        A Bit of Optimism by Simon Sinek

        A Bit of Optimism

        2,174 Listeners

        Coaching Real Leaders by Harvard Business Review / Muriel Wilkins

        Coaching Real Leaders

        669 Listeners

        HBR On Strategy by Harvard Business Review

        HBR On Strategy

        78 Listeners

        HBR On Leadership by Harvard Business Review

        HBR On Leadership

        160 Listeners