If you want to get more recognition at work, “heads-down” excellence isn’t enough. Your boss is likely juggling fires; even strong work can fly under the radar. These six moves raise your visibility—without bragging or burning out.
Causes of Low Recognition
It’s likely you are feeling that your boss doesn’t appreciate you enough. Usually, this doesn’t mean that you have of a toxic workplace (although, of course, occasionally it does). More often, it’s because your boss is overworked and distracted by the many demands of their job. Sometimes, just to survive, they adopt the stance that no news is good news. As long as you do your job, your boss might be satisfied.
However, this is not very satisfying to you. Keeping your head down and doing great work can get you stuck in a dead-end job. The last thing you want is for them to see you as so good in this role that they never want to promote you or give you other opportunities.
So, if you want to grow in your career, it’s important to find positive ways to get your boss’s attention. The goal is to help them see that you are capable of more. Certainly, you don’t want to be needy, demanding, or worse, arrogant. The best way to go about it is to find positive and subtle ways to attract their notice.
Empathize with Your Boss
Start by putting yourself in your boss’s shoes. They may be running multiple teams, juggling pressure from leaders above them, and constantly putting out fires. With all that noise, it’s easy for even strong performers to slip under the radar.
When you understand what they’re up against, you can align your work with their priorities — and that makes it much easier to get recognition. Whatever you do, be respectful of their time. If they’re short with you, don’t take it personally; it may just mean they’re overwhelmed.
The key is empathy: seeing the situation from their perspective. It’s one of the most underrated leadership skills, and it works upward as well as downward. (I break down how empathy builds trust and performance in this post on empathy in leadership.)
If you already have one-on-ones, that’s the perfect space to put this into practice. If not, ask for time on their calendar once or twice a month so you stay visible and aligned.
Six Actions to Get More Recognition
Here are six actions that no one will tell you about that can raise your visibility.
1. Show your Work (Without Showing Off)
Asking for feedback can help you show your work without showing off. For example, share a rough draft and ask, “What would make this stronger?” This signals a growth mindset, not bragging.
2. Think Like a Leader
Let them know you are interested in the things that occupy the minds of people higher up in the organization. In your one-on-ones, bring one strategic question about priorities, risks, or trade-offs. Listen and learn how high level strategic decisions happen in your organization. Your interest can demonstrate strategic ability to your boss. If you can, figure out what the politics are and offer empathy and an occasional insightful comment about what is driving someone. Your interest and insight can help you become a trusted sounding board for further developments.
3. Prove You’re Focused on What Matters
Make sure your boss knows what you are spending your time on and that your efforts align with high priority items. Send a 3-bullet note with “This Week’s Priorities.” Make it short with quick headlines like What/Why/By-When. Showing your dedication to common goals reflects well on you. It also helps your boss look good.
4. Bring Good News to Your Boss
The idea is not to brag but to be a bright spot in your boss’s day. No doubt, your boss has plenty of problems. Offering a moment of positivity or a bit of good news can brighten their day. Once a week, drop a 2-line win: result and impact.
5. Stretch Your Responsibilities
If you want to demonstrate commitment, show your boss that no job is too big or too small for you. Volunteer for a pilot project. Be sure to get credit for ownership or co-ownership of the project. Be clear about the outcome and set a deadline for achieving it so it’s visible and manageable. Let your boss know that you are the go-to person if they want something done. Stretch assignments are a great way to demonstrate your readiness to take on more responsibility.
6. Connect as a Person
This can be difficult to do, especially if you and your boss are not in the same location. Remote work has made it far more difficult to make personal connections. But it’s not impossible. Take some time to strategize about what interests your boss.
Does your boss love sports? If you are a sports fan yourself, this is an excellent way to connect on a personal level for many people. If not sports, does your boss have children? What do they do for fun? Do they have a pet? Asking about their children or hobbies is likely to brighten their day.
Whatever it is, choose your topic carefully and keep the personal conversation short. Follow their lead—mirror topics they bring up; keep it brief and professional. Find a way to start meetings with a small 30-60 second check-in they they’ve signaled is welcome.
When It’s Time to Move On
Unfortunately, sometimes in spite of your best efforts, you will never get more recognition from your boss. It may be the case that your boss or the people above them see you in a certain role, and can’t wrap their head around you being anything else.
If you have done excellent work for a few years without meaningful promotions, start by exploring growth paths internally first—new projects, a stretch role, or a skip-level mentor—before you look outside. If you don’t have traction after your best efforts for at least six months, you may want to start quietly looking around at other opportunities.
I know two people who were excellent at their work and yet, not offered promotions. After several years of excellence, they quietly found other jobs in new organizations. The good news is that if you are really good, there is always a war for talent. Good companies are always looking for the people who get the most done.
If you jump ship, make sure you get a promotion from the get-go. It doesn’t make sense to make a lateral move. Also, make sure during the hiring process that the new organization knows that you are looking for a runway to take off to higher performance and positions. Get an assurance that if you perform as they expect, you expect to be promoted. Then, be prepared to work overtime as you prove yourself. You will need to get more recognition wherever you go. The war for talent is really only for the highest performers, the people who are dedicated to doing a great job for the long term.
By the way, both of the people I know who did this ultimately were re-hired at a more senior position at their old firm. If they miss you enough, they can always come back for you in a year or so. This is exactly how the war for talent works. No one wants to lose a high performer.
Stay Positive
It can be demoralizing if you can’t get more recognition at work. However, it’s important not to take things personally and overcome the tendency to become disengaged. If your performance drops because you don’t have your heart in it, your boss will notice, and not in a good way. It won’t benefit you if your boss sees you as a problem.
So, if you want to grow and be promoted, it’s your responsibility to keep your work up, keep your spirits up, and remain positive in your communications. Demonstrate that you can handle not only the workload, but are hungry for more.
Next Up
Empathy in Leadership: Why It Matters (and How to Practice It)
More leadership resources.
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