10 Non-Cringey Ways to Get Noticed at Work—Without Self-Promoting Like "That Person"

How to stand out for the right reasons, with the right strategies.

Ashley Rudolph

Mar 03, 2025

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I’ve talked before about the art of being known for things and the importance of building relationships and making your work visible. And usually, when that conversation comes up, people nod along.

They get it.

But lately, I’ve been getting a different kind of question: How do you actually share your work in a way that doesn’t feel cringey?

Because let’s be honest, most people know that great work doesn’t always speak for itself and that opportunities don’t just land in our laps.

But knowing that and actually putting yourself out there are two different things.

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THE SCENE: RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS

Why does this all matter anyway?

Most advice on self-promotion stops at telling you to "Talk about your accomplishments more!". But what if you could make your work visible without feeling like you're constantly selling yourself?

For high-achievers, the real issue isn’t knowing that self-promotion matters. It’s finding ways to do it that don’t feel cringey, performative, or like you’re just making noise.

Research backs this up, particularly it’s impact on women:

Only 24% of women feel comfortable talking about their accomplishments at work (PRSA).
84% of women feel uncomfortable talking about their professional or academic achievements (US News & World Report).
Even when self-promotion directly impacts pay & promotions, women still downplay their achievements (Harvard Gazette).

Not promoting yourself at work can be a career-limiting habit.

People make decisions about your career—whether it’s a promotion, a raise, or a stretch opportunity—based on what they remember about you. Not what they could dig up in a spreadsheet. Not what’s buried in an email thread from six months ago.

And if you only think about visibility when performance reviews roll around? You’re already behind. Making your work visible should be a habit, not a last-minute scramble. You are the owner of your career and your career outcomes and that means you own the marketing and PR of your accomplishments.

Let’s get you in the spotlight.

THE TACTICS: HERE’S WHAT WORKS

10 non-cringey ways to promote yourself at work

As you advance in your career, your job becomes equal parts: (1) what you can do and (2) who knows it. That’s where my list comes in. Every strategy below is designed to:

Feel natural (not self-congratulatory).
Work with things you’re already doing (so it doesn’t feel like extra work).
Position you as high-impact (without the discomfort of bragging).

HOW TO OPTIMIZE YOUR COMMUNICATIONS →

1. Structure Your Insights for Maximum Impact

When you speak up, you only have a few minutes to make a strong point. Unfortunately, if your point isn’t clear, it won’t be remembered.

Most people ramble without making a clear point. That doesn’t have to be you.

Try structuring your insights in this way instead:

Brief context → Key takeaway → Call to action. See below.

Weak: “We should launch a mentorship program.”
Strong: “Employee retention is down 15%, with 40% citing lack of career growth. A structured mentorship program could increase engagement and retention.”

People listen to the second version because you appear well-researched and prepared.

2. Tailor Your Message to the Right Audience

The way you explain your work to a peer shouldn’t be the same as how you explain it to an exec. Most people share the same point with different audiences and it’s either too high level or too in the weeds. You’ll go further by tailoring information. Look at these examples:

To a colleague: “We redesigned the workflow, I’m working with the team to implement it this Friday”.
To an Exec: “We redesigned the Customer Service team’s issue triage workflow, cutting review times by 30%, which improved customer satisfaction scores by 15%.”

The exec is looking to understand impact/alignment to business objectives, whereas your colleague just may want to know how the work is progressing.

3. Own the Project Update—And Let It Do the Talking for You

If you’re leading a major cross-functional project, here’s a self-promotion hack that doesn’t feel like self-promotion: send a weekly project update. Most people assume leadership will ask for updates if they care but leaders notice the people who keep things moving. People who proactively communicate progress are perceived as leaders. You’re not just updating—you're showing strategic thinking.

Why this works:

You look completely informed on all developments.
You show strong communication & leadership skills.
You highlight the team’s wins, making you a connector.
You’re doing the part no one wants to do (aka status reporting 😅).

HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY COMMUNICATE WITH EXECUTIVES →

4. Prepare for Leadership Conversations Like a Pro

Not a verbal processor? Struggle to “think on the spot” in meetings? It’s not just you!

Most of the time, high-achievers might try to wait for the ‘right moment’ to contribute. And when it never comes? The conversation moves on without you being able to share your insight!
Try this instead → Prepare before you even enter the room.

Before big meetings, ask yourself:

What insight can I bring?
What data backs up my point?
What framing makes it compelling?

When you’re prepared, you don’t have to think about what you say on the spot or worry about whether you’re making a coherent point, you’re already prepared. All you have to worry about is knowing when to jump in.

5. Use Your 1:1s to Position Yourself for What’s Next

Your 1:1s are not just check-in meetings. They are career-shaping conversations.

Most people just run through a status update: “I finalized the Q2 marketing plan.”
Try this instead → “One of my goals this quarter was to make our campaigns more efficient. I built a new marketing plan that reduces time spent on campaign planning by 20%, so we can focus on execution.”

Same work. Different positioning.

And suddenly, your boss sees you as a strategic thinker, not just a task executor.

HOW TO LEVERAGE YOUR NETWORK FOR VISIBILITY →

6. Build Relationships Across Teams, Not Just Up the Ladder

When you think about self-promotion, what comes to mind? Schmoozing with executives? Dropping your highlights in Slack or in company wide emails where executives can see them? So many people assume career growth is about impressing higher-ups.

Try this instead → Build influence in all directions.

How to do it:

Ask questions about how other teams work.
Find overlaps in projects and offer to help another colleague.
Be the person who makes intros. Visibility grows when people associate you with value. Making an introduction is valuable.

Bonus tip: If you’re working on your relationship building and communications skills — I loved Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg. Either read the book or if you have 29 mins to spare, listen to this podcast episode where he breaks down non-verbal communication.

7. Have a “Brag Buddy”

When you’ve established relationships with colleagues - you may find that they are also aiming to get promoted. Why not give them a boost? Try establishing a practice where you hype each other up in meetings, Slack, and leadership conversations.

I have a friend that did this with a few people on his team. They were all incredibly hard working but the extra boost of publicly shouting each other out for the hard work they were already doing went a long way for each of their professional reputations.

8. Compliment People Publicly, Not Just Privately

I just talked about partnerships with close colleagues, but you don’t have to limit your praise to just that! Visibility doesn’t have to be a solo effort.

Most people say “good job” in private.
Try this instead → Recognize wins in a way that creates visibility for them.

When you lift people up, they will return the favor. Sharing the love with my colleagues over the years taught me that people do remember how you make them feel. They remember being seen. And long after the metrics and project deadlines have faded, they remember who acknowledged them when it mattered.

HOW TO LEAVE AN IMPACT AND OWN YOUR WINS →

9. Make Your Work Referenceable

Your impact shouldn’t be limited to what you say about yourself—it should show up in how other people talk about your work.

Most people build things that only they use.
Stand out by trying this instead → Create resources that outlive you, like templates, guides, or processes that others use so your name stays attached to high-value work.

The more people rely on something you created, the more they associate you with value. Fun fact: I built many docs at one of my previous companies between 2014-18 that were still in use well after my departure. See below for a surprise anecdote LinkedIn exchange in 2024, 6 years after I left:

10. Track Your Wins—Then Use Them

Tracking your wins is step one. This helps so that you won’t have to rely on your memory at the end of the quarter. Keep a simple doc with:

Projects you led
Problems you solved
Metrics and impact
Praise from leadership or colleagues

Remember, framing is everything → Instead of “I created a dashboard,” write, “I built a dashboard that cut reporting time by 50%, freeing up 10 hours per week for the team.”

And don’t stop at tracking your wins, use them strategically. PS - you’ll have your wins prepped for review season:

Reference them in 1:1s to show progress.
Drop them into team meetings when relevant.

THE WRAP UP →

The Bottom Line

If self-promotion feels unnatural, start with what already exists—your 1:1s, project updates, and meetings. The key isn’t doing more, it’s doing what you’re doing differently. At first, it might feel uncomfortable—even unnecessary. You might wonder: Does this actually matter? Will people notice?

But work that isn’t seen might as well not exist. Effort only counts if the right people know about it. That’s why I gave you 10 ways to start. Pick one. Start small. Or go big from the start.

Just don’t stay invisible.

Because the people who get ahead aren’t always the ones who work the hardest. They’re the ones who make sure their work gets seen. And that choice? That part’s up to you.

Good luck! See you next week.

Ashley

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