Category 16 · 10 frameworks

Visibility & Personal Brand

Methods for making sure the right people know what you do, how well you do it and what you want next.

PIE Model

Harvey J. Coleman, Empowering Yourself: The Organizational Game Revealed Career progress depends on three factors: Performance (the quality of your work), Image (what people think of you) and Exposure (who knows about you). Coleman argued that strong performance alone is rarely enough to get promoted. 02

Sponsorship

Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor (Center for Talent Innovation) A sponsor is a senior person who uses their influence to advocate for you in rooms you are not in, unlike a mentor who mainly gives advice. The relationship is reciprocal: you deliver results and loyalty in return. 03

Brag Document

Julia Evans, blog post 'Get your work recognized: write a brag document' A running document where you record what you have accomplished, including the less visible work. It gives you and your manager concrete evidence at review time. 04

Show Your Work

Austin Kleon, Show Your Work! Share your process, not just finished results, in small and regular pieces. Over time this builds an audience that understands what you do and how you think. 05

Working Out Loud

John Stepper, Working Out Loud (building on the phrase popularised by Bryce Williams) A practice of building relationships by making your work visible and offering useful contributions to a network around a goal. Stepper's version uses small peer groups called circles that meet weekly for 12 weeks. 06

Elevator Pitch

Widely used sales and career technique; no single confirmed originator A short, clear explanation of who you are, what you do and what you are looking for, deliverable in about 30 seconds. It helps people remember you and know how to help. 07

Personal Brand Statement

Personal branding concept popularised by Tom Peters, 'The Brand Called You', Fast Company A one- or two-sentence statement of the value you consistently deliver and who you deliver it for. It anchors how you describe yourself across CVs, profiles and conversations. 08

Weekly Wins Update

Common management practice; no single originator A short, regular email or message to your manager summarising progress, wins, blockers and next priorities. It keeps your work visible without requiring meetings. 09

Reputation Audit

General career practice; no single originator A structured check of how you are actually perceived compared with how you want to be perceived. It reveals gaps you can then close deliberately. 10

One-Page Profile

Person-centred planning practice in the UK, associated with Helen Sanderson and Helen Sanderson Associates A single page that sets out what people appreciate about you, what matters to you and how best to work with you. It gives new colleagues and stakeholders a quick, accurate picture of you.

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