Let’s imagine a common workplace situation. You work remotely on a team that recently onboarded many new hires. In addition to your primary responsibilities, your days are increasingly filled with resolving conflicts, answering cascading questions on Slack, and helping to fix broken communication between departments.  

Your tenure on the team, and direct experience with the contrasting personalities across various departments, have enabled you to prevent potential issues from escalating. However, your manager works in another time zone, and it feels like you’re on totally different planets.  

Your boss is primarily focused on overall project outcomes and client feedback, which means they are usually completely unaware of the daily headaches you’re handling. Your efficiency in troubleshooting potential problems means many issues never come to light. As a result, you feel your manager doesn’t understand the impact of your efforts. 

When performance review season rolls around, you find yourself overlooked in favor of team members who have worked alongside other leaders on high-profile assignments. This lack of recognition is beyond frustrating.  

Coupled with the exhaustion from splitting your time across so many responsibilities, your motivation starts to seriously dip. Before you know it, you’re more short-tempered and frustrated with your team, your responsibilities, and your manager. 

Does any of this sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. According to a 2024 study by Nectar, 37% of employees reported never receiving recognition from their employer, leading to decreased motivation and increased turnover? over time. 

Many team members work tirelessly, only to see their contributions go unnoticed. This can be particularly true for the “invisible work”—tasks crucial to your team’s success but often go unrecognized.  

If you’re in a similar situation, it’s essential to not only record your small wins but to identify ways for those achievements to accelerate your career. Here’s how to turn those invisible tasks and small victories into a solid case for your next promotion. 

Understand the requirements of the role you’d be promoted to

Before you start aiming for a promotion, it’s crucial to understand what the role requires. Research the specific requirements for the position you’re targeting and be ready to show how you can deliver. 

Start by looking at the job description and talk to individuals currently in or familiar with the role you’re targeting for a promotion. 

This research and analysis will enable you to identify the hard and soft skills you already possess, and the skills you’ll need to develop for that role. You can then use the next steps as a personalized career growth roadmap for your advancement.   

Collect wins for promotion proof points 

Small wins matter more than you may realize. They are often stepping stones to much larger promotions and achievements further down the line. Celebrating and documenting these can prove your contributions and momentum over time. 

Set up reminders to record your accomplishments on a weekly and monthly basis. Reflect on your notes monthly to analyze the key actions you took and their outcomes. 

Be as specific as possible. Document the details of each task, including dates, outcomes, and the skills used. For example, “I created a new process for recapping programs, which allowed us to finalize our case study within five business days instead of two weeks. This resulted in acquiring three new clients by the end of the month.” 

Quantify the achievements that demonstrate the impact of your work. Remember to save emails or messages from coworkers and supervisors that praise your efforts and results. 

Communicate your contributions 

Consistent communication about your contributions is crucial. Often highlighting our work to others can feel awkward. No one likes to feel like they’re bragging, but at the end of the day, working hard and waiting for your boss to notice isn’t enough. 

Leaders can often become consumed by fires to put out fast, as that’s central to their remit. This can result in underestimating the areas of work where people consistently deliver results. 

Before meetings with your manager, prepare concise talking points about your recent accomplishments and how your impact supports your team and company goals.  

Be visible across your organization 

Visibility within your organization is a key component for career advancement. You need to ensure that your contributions are noticed by key decision-makers within your organization. 

Reflect on what you want to be known for within your company and what you need to do more of. Consider opportunities to raise awareness of your work and build relationships with leaders who influence your next role. 

When opportunities arise, volunteer for cross-functional projects or raise your hand to take part in company-wide initiatives. These projects can enhance your skills and put you in front of people who matter. As you do so, continue to build relationships with your peers in other departments and pay it forward by sharing your skills with more junior members of your team. 

Share your career and promotion goals with your manager 

Finally, if you don’t ask, you may never get it. It’s important to communicate your promotion aspirations with your manager so you can hear their feedback on your goals. 

Be ready to emphasize your promotion proof points as examples of key accomplishments, results, and the value you’ve contributed to your team.  

Plant the seed early by letting your manager know your goals and use that opportunity to start a dialogue about your growth. This will also enable you to get valuable feedback on your next steps.  

Tracking your small wins regularly is essential, not just before your promotion but throughout your career. Regularly documenting and reflecting on your achievements before, during, and after you pursue a promotion, will unleash a habit that will continue to propel you forward.