You’re not lacking credibility. Just need to Advocate for Yourself.....

If you’ve ever sat in a meeting and felt frustrated that your point didn’t land—or worse, was completely overlooked—only for someone else to say the same thing ten minutes later and be applauded…

You are not alone.

And no, it’s not because you lack credibility. Or confidence. Or experience.

It’s because you haven’t been handed the microphone - yet.

Here’s what I mean:

In HR, we’re often the steady hands behind the scenes. The fixers. The listeners. The "go-to" people. But when it comes to recognition, influence, or promotion? We’re still expected to prove our worth, again and again.

Meanwhile, others who shout louder—or who just happen to be in the right rooms—get the spotlight.

That’s not because they’re better. It’s because they’re visible.

💡 Visibility is the currency of leadership.

But don’t worry—I’m not about to tell you to start showboating. That’s not your style. And it doesn’t need to be.

You can advocate for yourself in a way that feels authentic and effective.

Here’s how to advocate for yourself:

1. Don’t wait to be invited into the conversation.Find ways to contribute strategically in meetings. Offer insights, not just updates. Insights move you from “here’s what we did” to “here’s what it means” or “here’s what we should do next.” They demonstrate strategic thinking and show that you understand how your HR initiatives impact the bigger picture.

🧾 An Update:“We rolled out the new onboarding process last week.”

💡 An Insight:“We’ve noticed that the new onboarding approach has cut early attrition by 20%, which is saving both recruitment and training time in the first quarter.”

🧾 An Update:“We introduced a wellbeing survey.”

💡 An Insight:“Our wellbeing data shows that line manager support is the biggest driver of engagement right now—which gives us a clear focus for the next development cycle.”

2. Share your impact in the language of business.Instead of: “We ran a successful training session.”Try: “We’ve already seen a 15% increase in engagement since launching the new training approach.”

3. Use the channels you have.Internal newsletters. Team meetings. LinkedIn. Town halls. Make your value visible—especially to those making decisions about your next role.

The truth is, you don’t need to be louder.

You just need to show up in the right places, with the right message.

You already have the credibility.

Let’s make sure the right people see it.