Many women keep their heads down, deliver great work (and excellent results) and hope that someone notices and rewards them appropriately. Unfortunately, such recognition doesn’t happen very often. So why do some women wait and hope?

Some don’t want to appear “greedy” for claiming credit for the contributions they make. After all, most of us work in teams ─ the team deserves the credit, not any one individual, correct?

Others feel that it is awkward to have to point out their accomplishments. Somehow, it seems more meaningful if others notice our contributions without prompting. It’s purer, more meaningful…

Even those who recognize the need to be more proactive about letting people know what their contributions have been and the value derived from them, sometimes aren’t sure about how to do that in a way that feels authentic and is culturally acceptable.

If you have been fortunate enough to have had champions who’ve made sure you were given the credit you deserve, you have been lucky. But how long will your luck hold out? The reality is that doing a great job ─ delivering above expectations excellence is necessary but not sufficient. You have to make sure that the right people are aware of your contribution.

How? The answer depends on your particular situation. Here are some ideas:

• Perhaps you can pass along a compliment you received from a colleague or client with a note that says something like, “Wasn’t it thoughtful of X to let me know how much the fact that he got what he needed on time and in the right format meant to his ability to deliver to the client?

• Send your boss a report on a regular basis providing an over view of your accomplishments. You might preface it like this, “So that you have the information easily accessible, I wanted to provide you with a quick update regarding the progress I’ve made on the various projects I’m managing…”

• At a minimum, keep a journal detailing your accomplishments and kudos you’ve received so that you have them handy when performance evaluation time rolls around.

The workplace, for the most part, isn’t cruel but it is callous and crazy busy. If you simply hope that others will notice your contributions, you’ll probably be disappointed.

Hope is not a strategy; making your value visible is up to you.

TAGS: adding value, contributions, Performance reviews, personal brand building, self-promotion