Joel A. Garfinkle's PVI model

In the first of my series articles based on my interview with Joel A. Garfinkle, author of ‘Getting Ahead – Three Steps to take your career to the next level’, I introduce his three-pronged PVI model: improving perception, increasing visibility and exerting influence.

Won’t my work/professionalism speak for itself? That is the question as our old friend Hamlet would have said. By simply letting your work speak for itself, you’re not doing anything to help improve perception, increase your exposure or visibility with senior management. Therefore, the executives at your company won’t know how valuable you are and therefore your career won’t advance as you would like it to.

Here are four things you can do today:

1. Write down and share your accomplishments. Once you’ve done that, then you need to update management on the particular project you’re working on, including how your work is affecting its progress.

2. Prepare notes ahead of meetings. If you know that you’ll be speaking at a meeting or event, take the time to jot down what you want to say beforehand. When you have something prepared, it makes it more likely that you will speak and that you say what you mean.

3. Schedule one-to-one meetings. These are great opportunities to talk about your work and how your input and results affect your company.

4. Volunteer for events. Participating in a committee or helping to host a conference or charity event provides you with an abundance of networking opportunities. You will meet new people, talk about your work, and put your name and face in front of people who wouldn’t normally notice you.

Whether you are a new employee, a middle manager or senior executive, perception and visibility will be constant determining factors throughout your career journey.

The single biggest change you will find at the lowest rung of the ladder compared to the highest echelons are performance and influence: the former will be most important to your success when you start out while the latter assumes huge importance at the highest level.

If you apply the principles of the PIV model, you will be making significant career strides. In the next of our series of articles, we look at that all-important first step – improving your perception.