Latest / Career Coaching with Fexingo: Professional Coaches, Career Counselors, and Guidance for Workers / Why Your Internal Network Is Costing You Promotions
Transcript
- Lucas: We need to talk about the difference between being busy and being visible. There is a quiet epidemic in mid-level management where people assume that if they just keep their heads down and deliver excellent quarterly results, the promotion will naturally find them. Luna: It is the meritocracy myth. We are taught that hard work equals reward, but in large organizations, recognition is often a function of proximity to decision-makers, not just output quality. Lucas: Exactly. And I think we have seen this shift particularly over the last two years as hybrid work became normalized. When you are not physically in the office, you lose those casual moments of visibility. You might be sending better reports than your colleague, but if they are the one grabbing coffee with the director every Tuesday, they win the narrative. Luna: Right, because people promote who they know, like, and trust. If you are invisible to the people holding the budget keys, your best work just becomes noise in the background. Lucas: So let us look at a specific case. Consider Sarah, a senior analyst at a mid-sized tech firm. She consistently hit her targets, but she never attended the optional Friday lunch group or stayed late for the informal brainstorming sessions. Her manager loved her work, but when a director role opened up, the VP chose someone else. Luna: Who had slightly weaker metrics but a much stronger relationship with the VP? Because the VP knew exactly what problems that person was solving before they even walked into the room. Lucas: That is exactly it. The VP said later that he didn't feel he really understood Sarah's strategic thinking, whereas he felt he could trust the other candidate implicitly. It wasn't about competence. It was about connection depth. Luna: This makes me think about the concept of 'sponsorship' versus 'mentorship'. A mentor gives advice, but a sponsor uses their political capital to pull you up when you aren't in the room. Lucas: Yes, and most professionals spend all their energy finding mentors while ignoring sponsors. Mentors are great for skill-building, but sponsors are the ones who actually open doors. You cannot get a sponsor if you haven't built a relational bridge first. Luna: But here is the tricky part. How do you build those bridges without seeming manipulative or like you are sucking up? That line is very thin in corporate environments. Lucas: The key is to focus on shared problems rather than personal ambition. Instead of asking a senior leader for a favor, ask for their perspective on a challenge they care about. It shifts the dynamic from transactional to collaborative. Luna: So you are positioning yourself as a thought partner rather than a supplicant. That changes the entire tone of the interaction. Lucas: Precisely. Let me give you a concrete example. Imagine you want to connect with the head of marketing. Do not email them saying you admire their career. Instead, send a brief note referencing a recent campaign they launched and offer a specific insight or data point that complements their strategy. Luna: That is low risk for them but high value for you. You are demonstrating competence while opening a channel of communication. It is a professional handshake. Lucas: And it works especially well in virtual settings. Since we cannot rely on hallway chats anymore, digital touchpoints become your primary real estate. A thoughtful comment on an internal Slack channel or a well-researched email can be more impactful than a forced meeting. Luna: I have noticed that too. Some of my strongest connections started with a simple reply to a project update, asking a clarifying question that showed I had read deeply into the details. Lucas: That is smart listening. Most people wait for their turn to speak. If you listen to understand and then contribute something additive, you stand out immediately. It signals that you are engaged with the broader mission, not just your own silo. Luna: It also helps to identify the informal network maps. Every company has a few people who hold the real social capital. Knowing who influences whom is crucial intelligence. Lucas: Absolutely. These are often not the highest-ranking executives, but the long-tenured staff who remember how decisions used to get made. They can guide you away from political landmines. Luna: So, building a network is really about information flow as much as it is about affection. You need to know what is happening before it hits your desk. Lucas: Correct. Early access to information allows you to prepare better solutions. When the opportunity arises, you are already three steps ahead because you anticipated the need. Luna: This sounds exhausting though. Constantly scanning the room and managing impressions. Can you burn out from trying to be too visible? Lucas: It can be if you treat it as a performance. But if you view it as genuine curiosity about your colleagues' work, it becomes sustainable. You are just learning more about the ecosystem you operate in. Luna: That is a helpful reframing. It stops being about self-promotion and starts being about situational awareness. Which is a core leadership skill anyway. Lucas: Exactly. Leaders need to understand the whole board, not just their piece. By investing in relationships, you are practicing the exact skills required for the next level. Luna: If we've helped you think through a career move or decision, consider supporting the show directly. It helps keep these episodes ad-free and available for everyone. You can find us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo — that's F. E. X. I. N. G. O. Lucas: Thank you to everyone who has already chipped in. It really allows us to dig deeper into these nuanced topics without cutting corners on research. Luna: Back to the network map idea. How do you measure if your networking efforts are actually working? What are the signals? Lucas: Look for invitations to informal conversations. If senior leaders start asking for your opinion on things outside your direct scope, that is a major signal. It means they see you as a peer in thinking, even if not yet in title. Luna: So the test is whether they are consulting you, not just directing you. Consultation implies respect for your judgment. Lucas: Right. Also, watch who cc's you on emails. If you start getting copied on threads you weren't part of originally, it means people trust your expertise and want you in the loop. Luna: Those are subtle but powerful indicators. It shows you are becoming part of the central nervous system of the organization. Lucas: Another sign is when people introduce you by your name and role, but with added context. Like, 'this is Alex, who handles our data infrastructure.' They are validating your authority to others. Luna: That is essentially word of mouth advertising within the company. It builds your reputation organically without you having to brag about yourself. Lucas: Which brings us back to the idea of value creation. The best networking happens when you are solving problems for others. If you help someone succeed, they will remember you when opportunities arise. Luna: It creates a debt of gratitude, which is a positive form of leverage. People want to reciprocate good deeds. Lucas: So don't just network for your own gain. Network to make your team and your company better. The career benefits follow naturally as a byproduct of being a valuable collaborator. Luna: That feels much more authentic. It aligns your personal growth with the organization's success, which should always be the goal. Lucas: Agreed. It removes the guilt factor. You are not playing games; you are simply engaging more fully with your professional community. Luna: What about remote workers? How do they replicate this in-person warmth when everything is through a screen? Lucas: You have to be intentional about camera usage and video calls. Being face to face, even virtually, builds rapport faster than text. And schedule regular one-on-one check-ins that are not strictly agenda-driven. Luna: Just twenty minutes to catch up on how things are going, not just project status. Humanizing the relationship is key. Lucas: Exactly. Share a bit of personal context when appropriate. It makes you a real person, not just a username on a directory. Luna: Vulnerability builds trust. Admitting you don't know something or asking for help can actually strengthen bonds with senior leaders. Lucas: It shows confidence. Only insecure people pretend to know everything. Asking for guidance demonstrates a growth mindset, which is highly attractive to managers. Luna: So the strategy is: be useful, be present, and be human. That covers the bases for effective internal networking. Lucas: Useful, present, human. I like that trio. It simplifies a complex topic into actionable behaviors. Luna: Do you think companies are doing enough to facilitate these connections, or is it entirely on the individual to build their own ladder? Lucas: Ideally, companies should create structured programs for cross-departmental projects. But realistically, most org charts are siloed. So individuals have to take the initiative. Luna: That places a heavy burden on employees. It requires emotional labor on top of technical labor. Lucas: It does. And that is why this is a competitive advantage. If you master the soft skills while others focus only on hard skills, you accelerate your trajectory significantly. Luna: Because you are operating at a higher level of organizational fluency. You speak the language of influence. Lucas: Exactly. And that fluency is what separates contributors from leaders. Leaders connect dots across departments; contributors stay focused on their own lane. Luna: So the next time you feel stuck in your career, look at your network map. Are there gaps? Who do you need to know better? Lucas: Start small. Pick one person outside your immediate team and ask them for coffee or a virtual chat. Just one connection can change your perspective. Luna: One conversation might reveal an opportunity you didn't even know existed. It is worth the effort. Lucas: It absolutely is. Visibility is not vanity; it is viability in a modern workplace. Luna: A final thought for our listeners: who is one person in your industry that you wish you had reached out to earlier, and what would you say to them today? Lucas: I would tell them that I am sorry I waited so long to ask for advice. But I would also thank them for the path they carved, which made it easier for me to follow. Luna: Gratitude is a powerful connector. It opens doors that logic alone cannot. Lucas: Let us hope that door stays open for all of us.