Visibility Workplace Success Series – Part 4 (Copy)
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash
How to Gain Visibility as an Asian in the U.S.
Starting from childhood, Asians are trained to conform within a group. If they want to stand out, oftentimes it’s done through high grades and performances that showcase a special talent. In certain Asian cultures, anyone who likes to draw attention to themselves in the crowd can be considered “weird.”
So, Asians studying in the U.S. might see their American peers raising their hands, commenting, and even disagreeing with the professor as really weird! And so is seeing co-workers openly telling their employer what they want in their career and how they can contribute best. Super weird!
But here’s the thing.
In the U.S. you have to be visible if you want to gain the respect and attention of your peers and professors. You need to become comfortable with speaking up in discussions inside and outside the classroom.
And if you choose to stay and build your career in the U.S., there’s a good chance you won’t get any further than middle management if you don’t learn how to lead, be comfortable being in the spotlight, and communicate clearly.
Being quiet and insecure won’t get you where you want to go.
It’s time to learn how to get comfortable gaining visibility.
First, Let’s Dispel a Few Myths
Myth #1: Standing Out Is Weird
It might feel strange when you start to engage in discussions or social conversations, but the people around you won’t find it weird. In fact, in the U.S. you’re more likely to be viewed as weird, or at the very least you’ll go unnoticed, if you stay silent and choose not to participate.
Once you start initiating discussions and conversations, the weirdness of it will diminish and before you know it, it will feel quite normal.
Myth #2: I’ll Impress My Managers with My Great Work
It’s true, you might impress your boss with your amazing work ethics. But so will the other employees.
Your boss is just as likely to be impressed with your verbal contribution in meetings—your insights, perspectives, and intelligent questions.
Don’t rely on your work ethics alone to help your boss recognize your skills, talents and abilities. You have to tell them.
Myth #3: If I Work Really Hard, I’ll Get the Recognition that I Want
In the U.S., working hard is an important attribute. And along with it is being able to speak well and confidently, and letting your leaders know what you’re good at and how you want to advance your career.
There are many who work hard, but the ones that get recognized are the ones who also make themselves known to their employers and leaders.
Myth #4: I’ll Be More Successful If I Keep to Myself
While you’re in the U.S., engaging in discussions and social conversations with your peers and managers is necessary in order to:
become more comfortable with the culture
learn social cues
network for opportunities that could benefit your education and career
be considered for a raise or promotion
amongst a host of other positive reasons.
When you’re getting used to using a new language and adjusting to a new culture, it can be tempting to keep to yourself in order to avoid uncomfortable and awkward situations. However, when you miss out on the opportunity to interact, you’re also missing out on improving in the language, getting comfortable in your environment, developing friendships, and seizing potential opportunities that will help you further your educational and career goals.
In the U.S., keeping to yourself is only good if you want to be your own invisible best kept secret!
How You Can Stand Out and Still Be Humble
Remember, the goal is to gain visibility for your work and value—not be Lady Gaga and steal the show! You want to be recognized for your contribution, skills and intelligence, but not by overshadowing the people around you.
Here are some ways you can garner the attention of your peers, managers and boss without creating enemies:
#1. Speak Up in Meetings
Be sure not to speak up for the sake of being noticed. If you have information, knowledge, or insight that would be helpful in solving a problem, now is the time to do it! Keep within the topic at hand and avoid going into unimportant details that are irrelevant to the discussion.
If you know the topic of the meeting, prepare bullet points and ideas in advance so you can feel at ease and focus on really listening during the meeting instead of trying to think of something to say.
Don’t be shy about asking questions for clarification. There are likely other people in the room thinking the same thing, but are too timid to ask.
#2. Build Relationships with Managers and Key Players
There are several ways to build these relationships and here are a few to get you started:
Take the initiative: Don’t wait to be told what to do. Be innovative and proactive when approaching projects.
Look for opportunities to lighten your boss’ workload: If you see a better process, method or way of doing something that will save your boss frustration, time or money, share it with them.
Respect their time: It’s tempting to shoot off an email or pop into someone’s office to share an idea or talk shop, but every time you do you’re interrupting. Instead, schedule time on their calendar to discuss your ideas and stay within the time limits of the appointment.
Ask for feedback: When you do this, you’re not only showing that you care about your contribution to your job and the company, it also demonstrates that you’re interested in promotion and development.
#3. Ask to Get Involved in High Visibility Projects
High visibility projects are usually ones that either makes or saves the company a significant amount of money. For these kinds of projects, don’t wait to be asked to get involved—volunteer! This is especially important for work settings that are highly competitive and performance driven.
If you’re unaware of any projects you can get involved in, then identify a business problem that needs to be solved and pitch your solution to your manager.
#4. Join Committees of Interest and Serve Leadership Roles
Getting involved is a very important step if you want to advance in your career. This is an opportunity to showcase what you’re capable of—your knowledge, skills and expertise. The opportunities to learn and apply what you learned will help to further your career.
If your goal is to get past middle-management in your career, taking on leadership roles will garner the experience and attention you need to succeed in the C-suite arena.
#5. Grow Your Network
When you read the same book over and over again, it becomes predictable and you don’t usually learn many new things. The same is true with your network—if you spend your time with the same people day in and day out, it’s unlikely you’ll significantly grow your career. Socializing with new people and having new experiences is an important part of advancing your career.
As you start to network, think first about your networking objectives. Taking this first step will help you identify who you want to build relationships with and why. These people can be within the organization you currently work or outside.
Next, figure out how you can reach out to them or spend time with them. Can you organize an after-hours social event and invite them? Can you get involved in an event they’ll be attending? It doesn’t only have to be centered around work—it can be fun, too!
#6. Remember to Share Credit with Others
This last one is especially important in order to garner the support of your peers and managers.
Don’t take full credit for something when others were involved in the success. Congratulate and celebrate the wins openly and honestly with everyone who was involved.
Do You Need Help? Schedule a Free Call with Me!
If you’re an international student who’s looking for help navigating the American work culture, schedule a free 30-minute call with me and together we’ll discuss strategies to help you have a successful career in the U.S.
About The Author
Many years ago I came to the U.S. from Taiwan and studied in a field that rarely accepted “fresh off the boat” international students from non-English speaking countries. I’m Dr. Vivi Hua, Psy.D. and I help international students navigate the cross-cultural aspects of their experience in the U.S., so they can succeed academically and socially and build a life and career that they desire!