Be an active listener and an engaged speaker. By closely listening to your conversation partner (or to any speaker) you are showing them respect, thus rescuing them from invisibility. Active listening creates common ground and leads to a deeper mutual understanding and empathy. Asking questions is one way to move a conversation from passive to active. Try to avoid asking “yes or no” questions and instead stick with “how and why” prompts. For example, if a friend is recounting a recent trip abroad instead of asking, “Did you enjoy it?” you could say, “What did you enjoy the most about it and why?” Ask follow-up questions as well to show that you are still engaged. If you have a valid counterpoint, bring it up in a civil way. Indeed, sometimes you can even acknowledge your desire to play devil’s advocate, an angle that often injects a degree of liveliness into a conversation. In addition, seeing both sides of an argument demonstrates mental flexibility, a trait widely admired. Perhaps a simple boost of self-esteem is required to get the ball rolling on your path to social visibility. Do something crazy, zany, and outgoing to get some attention with people you will probably never see again. Keep these spontaneous actions positive. For example, high five a random person on the street or ‘pass it along’ by paying for someone else’s coffee. By doing so, you will have secured your visibility (and noticeably impacted another person) for at least a day. And, Stanford University research studies have shown that paying it forward stimulates social behavior and generosity. Keeping a busy schedule greatly increases your odds of social visibility. Ask your friends, family, and co-workers to suggest activities and events that may be of interest to you. Keep an eye open for new opportunities and, remember, don’t be afraid to try something adventurous!  If you are at work this may mean tapping in to local networking groups. For example, many young professionals groups meet up according to specific age ranges or fields. This will increase your social visibility by giving you an instant commonality with others. Or, your involvement could take the form of service activities such as organizing departmental parties or charity drives. Helping others is always a positive way to draw attention to oneself. Thematic meet-up groups are another option for almost guaranteed social visibility. These are groups of people who all express similar interests (alumni, outdoors-types, board game enthusiasts, etc.) and who get together at planned gatherings (often organized via social media).
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