When we stop being a physical presence in the office

If perceived value plays a role in our ability to land promotions and move up the career ladder - and if our work interactions play an important role in that perception - what happens when we stop becoming a physical presence in the office?

In my free time, I’ve been reading “Who Gets Promoted, Who Doesn’t, and Why,” by Donald Asher. I’m a resume writer and LinkedIn coach, but I have a soft spot for career development. It’s a subject that I could talk about all day long. 

There’s a chunk of text in the book that I keep coming back to whenever I think about our new remote work culture:

“...no matter what you have done in the past, the boss really doesn’t care. What she cares about is what you can do for her (and the company) in your new position. Your past only serves as an indication of what you might do in the future… In fact, employers really don’t want to know what you’ve done, even lately. They want proof that you can deliver a specific, clearly targeted future… To get promoted you have to offer the best future out of the available options.”

The book spends a lot of time talking about perception. You can’t land the promotion if the perception of you isn’t aligned with where the company is heading. 

And so, I return to my question: what happens when we stop being a physical presence in the office?

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