The Work You Do vs. The Story They Tell
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In every organization, there are two stories running at once:
The work that gets done, and the story people tell about the work that gets done.
Those two things are rarely the same.
And if the second one is left to chance, so is your career.
Microsoft’s research proved it: technical skill accounted for less than half of who got promoted to senior leadership.
The other half? “Narrative clarity” and “executive presence.”
Translation: the ability to make sure the right people know the right things about your impact at the right time.
That’s not self-promotion.
That’s strategy.
It’s shaping the story so the opportunities that should find you—actually do.
In this episode of The Storyteller’s Edge, Ginger Zumaeta—3x Emmy winner, author of Deckonomics®, and messaging strategist—dives into the invisible operating system that drives career visibility.
It’s a look at how to make work travel beyond the room, how to build advocates inside your organization, and how to ensure great work doesn’t stay quiet.
What We’re Covering
1. Why Merit Isn’t Enough
Great work doesn’t always speak for itself.
Without a microphone, it whispers.
Stanford research shows that when high performers stay quiet, their success gets credited to luck or team effort.
Meanwhile, confident communicators—sometimes with weaker results—get over-credited.
Visibility isn’t about volume; it’s about clarity.
It’s how others experience your value in high-stakes moments.
And when confidence wavers, proof points bring it back.
Evidence connects actions to outcomes—and closes the gap between competence and recognition.
2. The Visibility Operating System
Three levers quietly decide who gets noticed and who gets overlooked:
Narrative – The story about your work that travels when you’re not in the room.
Clarity here makes your name easy to repeat.
Sponsorship – Senior leaders willing to spend political capital on you.
Mentors advise. Sponsors advocate. Both matter, but only one moves careers forward.
Political Skill – The judgment to deliver the right message, to the right person, at the right time.
The pre-conversation often matters more than the meeting itself.
Ignore these three levers, and opportunity goes on autopilot.
3. How to Make Your Work Travel
Visibility is learnable.
It’s not about volume—it’s about retellability.
If a story about your impact can’t be shared in a sentence, it won’t spread.
That’s where the SARCA Framework comes in:
Situation – Connect your work to a real business priority.
Action – Say what was done, simply and clearly.
Result – Quantify the outcome.
Credibility – Back it up with proof or validation.
Ask – Define what support or decision is next.
This turns facts into narratives people can repeat.
It makes your work memorable and easy to champion. When stories spread, opportunities follow.
The Takeaway
Merit whispers unless it’s amplified.
Visibility isn’t noise—it’s clarity.
And clarity travels.
Tiny Challenge
Try the 30-Day Visibility Challenge:
- Choose two upcoming opportunities to use the SARCA framework.
- Identify two people who can amplify your story.
- Tailor your framing for each audience.
The goal isn’t louder self-promotion—it’s making sure the right story circulates when you’re not in the room.
🎧 This episode of The Storyteller’s Edge is your blueprint for making sure great work gets seen, shared, and remembered.
Listen in. Save it. Use it before your next big meeting.
LINKS & RESOURCES
• Read: The Unspoken Rules of Visibility: What Everyone Uses—But No One Teaches You
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