Why your best work keeps you invisible

The internal negotiation method that gets you noticed by the people who matter

Jacqueline Twillie
September 12, 2025

Your expertise isn't the problem (this is)

Why high performers get passed over and the 5-step method that changes everything

You know that moment when someone with half your expertise gets promoted ahead of you?

Or when your idea gets dismissed in a meeting, only to be celebrated when someone else repeats it weeks later?

(I hear about this from mid-level managers and ICs all the time.)

Here's the truth: That gap isn't about your ability.

It comes down to something rarely taught in school or professional training: internal negotiation. The skill of showing presence, influencing decision-makers, and connecting your work directly to what the business values.

The Problem Most High Performers Face

Think back to your last performance review. You probably listed your accomplishments—projects delivered, goals achieved, metrics hit.

But did you explain the risks you identified before they became problems? The issues you prevented? The way your work made the rest of the team more effective?

Many high performers stop there. They execute brilliantly but assume results speak for themselves.

What actually happens? Their work gets overlooked because it's not expressed in the language leaders use when deciding who's ready for the next opportunity.

Technical excellence isn't enough. To move forward, you need to negotiate internally so your work tells the right story in terms leaders already track and respect.

The L.A.T.T.E. Method: 5 Steps to Reframe Your Impact

L Look: Identify What Leaders Actually Care About

Do this: Research the one business objective your leaders mention most in all-hands, board updates, or quarterly reviews. Cost control? Revenue growth? Customer retention? Compliance?

Not that: Don't assume you know what matters. Stop guessing based on your department's goals. Look at company wide priorities.

A Anticipate: Predict Their First Objection

Do this: Prepare data-backed answers for the usual suspects: budget constraints, risk concerns, or headcount limitations. Have specific numbers ready.

Not that: Don't wing it or rely on "it's obviously valuable." If you can't quantify the impact, neither can they.

T Think: Connect Your Work to Their Metrics

Do this: Map your contributions directly to the KPIs they review weekly. Show how your work moves the needle on numbers that appear in their dashboards.

Not that: Don't talk about your work in isolation. Stop describing what you did. Start explaining what it drove.

T Talk: Lead With What They Value Most

Do this: Open every conversation with the metric they care about, then state in one clear sentence how your work impacts it. "This reduced customer churn by 12%, which translates to $2.3M in retained revenue."

Not that: Don't bury the lead with project details. Stop starting with process. Start with impact.

E Evaluate: Debrief Every Interaction

Do this: After each conversation, write down the questions they asked. Those questions reveal what matters most and prepare you for the next discussion.

Not that: Don't assume one conversation is enough. Stop treating these as one off pitches. Treat them as ongoing relationship building.

The Shift That Changes Everything

Invisible contributions don't move you forward. Visible influence does.

If you've felt overlooked despite strong results, it's not because you lack skill. It's because your contributions aren't framed in the language leaders use to make decisions.

Once you master internal negotiation, you shift from being seen as "just" a strong performer to being recognized as someone ready for leadership.

The conversations change. The opportunities multiply. The "not yet" becomes "yes."

Ready to practice this?

I'm teaching exactly how to identify what decision-makers value and frame your work accordingly in my free Maven lightning lesson:

Get a Yes Faster: Pinpoint What Decision-Makers Value

It's 30 minutes that could change how you're seen at work.

Does this hit home? I'd love to hear from you—just reply and let me know.

~ Jacqueline

P.S. My full course on mastering internal negotiation and leadership presence starts September 22nd. If you're tired of being the best-kept secret on your team, this is for you.

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