One of the most interesting concepts I came across when I was just starting out in my corporate career was the PIE model – Performance, Image, Exposure. Typically this is represented by a pyramid diagram or a pie chart, depending on how pun-driven the explainer’s sense of humour is.
In terms of an individual’s career, the 3 segments represent the following:
- Performance: The actual work you do, the results you deliver.
- Image: The impression that others have of you (obviously this can differ from person to person).
- Exposure: The people who get to know about a) your results and b) your image.
At first, it was a concept that really didn’t sit well with me. It didn’t seem FAIR. Surely one’s career should really just depend on the results that you deliver? If you’re good at your job, you should do well, right?
If I’m honest, that feeling stayed for quite a long while. I resisted the concept that you needed to care about your image, about your exposure. I believed that I could just do my job and that the results I delivered would be what mattered. I wouldn’t need to care about image or about getting known by the decision-makers.
All that changed because I was asked to write some feedback for someone. The person in question was someone I actually hadn’t worked with as directly as others for whom I had written performance evaluations in the past. I realised that since I hadn’t been working directly with them, I didn’t really KNOW about their real work and their real results. Strangely, though, I still had definite opinions, both of what they were doing well and what they could improve on.
This is what made me realise that image and exposure are both important — and factors that you should ignore at your peril.
Whether you like it or not, only a limited number of people will get to work with you directly. Even those that do will get a fairly narrow view of the real results that you deliver. On the other hand, many many more people will form an image in their minds of what you’re like — perhaps that you’re a safe pair of hands, maybe that you’re very smart or very ambitious. Some may form a very negative image — that you’re a bullshitter or unreliable or untrustworthy. The combination of that image that people have of you (Image) and the groups of people that share that view of you (Exposure) can make or break your career.
The big light bulb moment for me was when I accepted that Image and Exposure were going to matter whether I cared about them or not. Of course Performance is also important and always will be — I firmly believe that folks who try to make it all about the image and the exposure are playing a dangerous game of smoke and mirrors and will eventually be caught out. But the difference between two colleagues with comparative performance, one of whom cultivates the type of image they want and makes an effort to get the right exposure and the other who ignores these facets completely … well, it can be very significant.
Thanks for this post. It describes me to a T except I’m only now hearing about the PIE theory years after I graduated into industry. I’ll start applying it this day forward now that I know the proper statistics.
I am now retired, but I realised late in my working life that what others around you thought about you was almost more important than what you actually did – because some of the people around you are the ones that organise promotions, and others are the people they talk to.
So publicising yourself, while very uncomfortable, is really important, and understanding how you appear to others (sometimes not how you see yourself at alL!) is also important.
I agree that what you do should speak most loudly, but not everyone sees everything you do, or how you do it.
I had been looking for this model since a few months ago. I am so glad u shared ur xperience…
Another layer is to add in responsibility between you and your supervisor.
Performance – This is 100% under your control.
Image – You and your supervisor share responsibility for this
Exposure – This is mostly up to your supervisor. You can be mindful of the exposure you get, but exposure to your supervisor’s boss and peers will often be at their discretion.
Thinking this way helps you frame the partnership both between you and your boss and you and your DRs. In large, hierarchical organizations if you’re not getting the support your need you will not advance, and it’s time to find a new job.
I am in academia(University professor)and can clearly see the relevance of the PIE model in academe as well. While it is important to create a positive image and exposure with upper administration(Dean, Associate Dean, Provost,etc), it is equally important to create a marketable image and exposure with students and peers because promotion and tenure in academe depends on largely a combination of Performance, Image and Exposure.
Dr.Peter Vakunta