Latest / The Internal Move Podcast with Fexingo: Lateral Roles, Internal Transfers, and Staying at Your Company / How an Internal Transfer Can Help You Gain Visibility With Senior Leadership
Transcript
- Lucas: So you've been at your company for a couple of years. You're doing solid work. Your manager likes you. But you look around and think — does anyone above my director even know I exist? Luna: That's such a common feeling. And usually the advice is 'just network up' or 'find a mentor on the exec floor' — which is fine in theory, but really hard to pull off. Lucas: Right. And I think there's a quieter, more structural path that people overlook: using an internal transfer to put yourself in the line of sight of senior leaders. Not by angling for a promotion, but by moving into a role that is naturally visible. Luna: That's interesting. So you're saying the move itself — the lateral shift — can be the visibility strategy, not just a change of scenery. Lucas: Exactly. And before we get into the mechanics — I want to be upfront about something. You've been listening to The Internal Move Podcast, and we keep it ad-free because we think career advice should be straightforward, not sponsored by a recruiting platform. If that matters to you and you'd like to support the show, the link is buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No pressure, just a way to keep this going. Luna: Yeah, it's a small gesture that makes a big difference for us. Now — let's talk about how one person actually pulled this off. Lucas: So I came across this story recently. A product manager — let's call her Priya — was at a large software company, working on a mid-tier product that was stable, profitable, but not really on the CEO's radar. She was doing great work, but the leadership team was focused on the company's new ai powered analytics platform. Luna: Classic situation. The core product funds the business, but the shiny new thing gets all the executive attention. Lucas: Exactly. So Priya didn't wait for a promotion. She found out that the internal incubator team building that analytics platform needed a product manager who understood the existing product ecosystem — because the new tool needed to integrate with the old one. She applied for a lateral transfer, got the role, and within three months she was presenting to the CEO in a quarterly review. Luna: Three months. That's fast. What was the key? Was it just being in the right place at the right time? Lucas: Partly timing, but I think she made three deliberate choices. First, she identified which initiative had the CEO's active attention. Not just any project — the one that was central to the company's narrative for the next year. Second, she framed her existing knowledge as an asset, not a limitation. She said, 'I know the legacy system inside out, and that's exactly what you need to make this integration seamless.' And third, she made sure her new manager understood that she wanted visibility. She didn't hide in the corner. Luna: That third point is crucial. I've seen people take lateral moves into high-profile teams but then just keep their head down, expecting the work to speak for itself. But senior leaders are busy — you have to actively put yourself in their orbit. Lucas: Right. And Priya did that by volunteering to present the integration roadmap at the quarterly review. Her manager was happy to let her take the spotlight because it made the team look good. So she got the exposure without stepping on toes. Luna: So the takeaway so far is: pick a visible initiative, leverage your unique knowledge, and proactively seek moments to present. But there's a risk here, isn't there? Lucas: There is. When you move into a high-visibility role, the stakes are higher. If you make a mistake — or if the project stumbles — it's not just your manager who notices. The CEO might remember your name for the wrong reasons. So you need to be confident that you can deliver under that kind of scrutiny. Luna: And not everyone wants that. Some people prefer to operate below the radar, and that's totally valid. But for someone who's thinking, 'I want to be considered for the next big thing, but I don't want to leave my company,' this is a smart play. Lucas: Exactly. And it's not just about product roles. I've seen this work in finance, HR, even legal. The principle is the same: find the area the executive team is spending their time on, and figure out how your existing skills can contribute to it. Luna: Do you have another example? I'm thinking of someone in a support function, like IT or facilities, who might feel they don't have a path to visibility. Lucas: Sure. I know a case from a large retail company. An IT manager — let's call him Raj — was handling backend systems for the warehouse. Solid work, but nobody in the C-suite thought about him. Then the company launched a big omnichannel initiative — online orders, in-store pickup, same-day delivery. That required real-time inventory data, which was Raj's area. He volunteered to lead the technical integration for the pilot stores. Luna: So he moved from a support role into a project that was directly tied to revenue. That's the same pattern — identify the strategic priority and reposition yourself. Lucas: Exactly. Within six months, he was presenting inventory accuracy metrics to the VP of operations and the CIO. He didn't change his title much — still an IT manager — but his visibility skyrocketed. And when a director role opened up in the omnichannel division, he was the obvious internal candidate. Luna: So the lateral move was a stepping stone to a promotion, but the promotion came because of the visibility, not because of the transfer itself. Lucas: That's a really important distinction. The transfer doesn't automatically get you a raise or a new title. It gets you the audience. What you do with that audience is up to you. Luna: Which brings us to a practical question: how do you even find out which initiatives are on leadership's radar? I mean, you can't just walk into the CEO's office and ask. Lucas: You can, actually — but there's a better way. Most companies have all-hands meetings, quarterly town halls, or internal newsletters. Listen for the projects that get mentioned repeatedly. Watch where the budget is going. Talk to people in strategy or finance. And if you have a good relationship with your manager, you can ask them directly: 'What are the top three priorities for the executive team this year?' Luna: That's a great question. And once you have that list, you look for the one where your skill set is a natural fit — not a stretch, but something you can credibly contribute to. Lucas: Right. And if there isn't a perfect fit, you can sometimes create one. Maybe you propose a small pilot project that supports the bigger initiative. That's lower risk, and it gives you a reason to interact with the people running the high-profile effort. Luna: I like that. So you're not jumping into the deep end — you're testing the waters with a small collaboration first. Lucas: Exactly. And that reduces the stakes. If the pilot goes well, you've proven your value. If it doesn't, you haven't bet your entire reputation. Then you can use that success to justify a full transfer. Luna: One thing I'm wondering about — what if the high-visibility project is in a different office or requires a lot of travel? That might not work for everyone's personal situation. Lucas: That's a real constraint. In Priya's case, the incubator team was in the same building, so it was easy. But if the role is in another city, you have to weigh whether the visibility gain is worth the disruption. Sometimes you can negotiate a hybrid arrangement — come in for key meetings, but work remotely most of the time. Luna: And if that's not possible, maybe there's a different high-visibility project that is local. The principle is the same — look for the strategic priority, not just the shiny object. Lucas: Exactly. And I want to add one more thing. Once you make the move, don't assume visibility will happen automatically. You need to be intentional about it. Volunteer for presentations. Ask to be included in leadership meetings. Send updates to stakeholders. Make your work known — professionally, not obnoxiously. Luna: That's a fine line. How do you do that without coming across as self-promotional? Lucas: Frame it around the project's success, not your own. Say, 'I wanted to share the progress on the integration because I think it's relevant to your team's goals.' That makes it useful, not boastful. And if you deliver results, people will naturally associate you with the success. Luna: That's smart. So it's more about being the person who brings useful information to leaders, rather than the person who talks about themselves. Lucas: Right. And over time, that builds a reputation as someone who is valuable, credible, and plugged in. That's exactly the kind of person who gets considered for director-level roles and special projects. Luna: So let's recap the strategy in a way listeners can apply next week. Step one: identify the top leadership priority. Step two: find where your skills intersect with it. Step three: propose a small collaboration or apply for a lateral transfer. Step four: once you're in, actively seek visibility through updates and presentations. Lucas: That's a perfect summary. And I'd add a step zero: don't assume you have to leave your company to get noticed. Sometimes the best move is the one you make within the same building, just into a different hallway. Luna: I love that. Different hallway, same company. It's a good way to think about it. Lucas: And if you have a story about a lateral move that changed your visibility — or if you try this approach — we'd love to hear about it. You can always reach us through the show page. Luna: Yeah, we read every message. And until next time, keep looking for those hallways.