A Seat At The Table - MAC104

You Need to Be in the Room Where It Happens — But How?

You’ve heard the phrase before: “You need to be in the room where decisions happen.” It sounds powerful—exclusive even—but no one ever hands you the playbook for getting in that room. Working hard isn’t enough. Being the best at your job isn’t enough. The truth is, opportunities to sit at the table where decisions are made don’t simply appear—they’re earned, often through deliberate actions, strategic visibility, and building the right kind of influence. So the real question becomes: how do you earn that seat at the table?

 

If you’ve ever wondered why certain people are always in those key meetings, asked for input on big projects, or somehow always in the know—it’s not luck. It’s structure. It’s systems. It’s intentional networking. And yes, it’s strategy. Here’s the truth: most professionals are unknowingly stuck at the kids’ table at work. They’re working hard, hitting every target, yet still left out of the conversations that shape the future. The difference between being an observer and being a decision-maker often comes down to two things: visibility and relevance. And the good news? Both are entirely within your control. We’re about to unpack the exact strategy for you to claim your seat.

 

Before we get into the how, let’s address the mindset. Too many people treat being invited into the room as a reward—something that magically happens when they’ve “earned it” through hard work alone. That’s the wrong frame. You don’t wait to be discovered; you create the conditions where your absence would be noticed. The people in those rooms aren’t just good at their jobs—they’ve positioned themselves as indispensable voices in conversations that matter. They’ve made it impossible to move forward without their perspective. That’s the shift: stop waiting for permission to join the table, and start building demand for your seat.

 

Here’s something most people miss: there isn’t just one room or one table. There are many. Your manager has a “table” where the senior members of your immediate team gather to influence decisions. Your department has a table where departmental leaders—leaders in role and in influence—discuss priorities and resources. And your company has a table where executives make the strategic decisions that shape the entire organization. Each of these rooms operates at a different scale, but the principle is the same: when you’re not at the table, you’re not part of the conversation—or the outcome. The strategy we’re about to cover works for every single one of those tables, whether you’re aiming for the inner circle on your team or the highest-level conversations in the company. Master it at one level, and you can scale it all the way up.

 

So how do you actually get that seat—whether it’s with your team lead, your department heads, or your company’s executive leadership? You do it with Access, Contribution, and Expertise.

 

• Access: Intentionally building the relationships and visibility that put you in proximity to decision-makers—so when opportunities arise, you’re already in their line of sight.
• Contribution: Showing up in ways that move the needle—offering solutions, insights, and support that make you an active participant in progress, not just an observer.
• Expertise: Consistently demonstrating skill, knowledge, and judgment that make your presence in the room a competitive advantage for the group.

 

When you apply these principles, you stop waiting to be invited and start positioning yourself as the kind of person others want in every critical discussion. And because it works at every “table” in the organization, it’s a strategy you can scale from your immediate team all the way to the highest levels of leadership.

 

Access

Access is about more than just “knowing people.” It’s about intentionally placing yourself in the networks, circles, and conversations that feed directly into the rooms you want to enter. There are four ways to build it:

1. Expanding your network – Go beyond the comfort zone of your immediate peers. Seek connections across departments, functions, and even locations. Each new connection is a potential bridge into a different room.
2. Being a connector – Don’t just collect contacts; connect them. Introduce people who can help each other. When you become the hub, your value—and visibility—naturally rises.
3. Owning relationships – Keep in touch, follow up, and nurture connections over time. A name in someone’s inbox is far more powerful than a name they vaguely remember from a meeting last year.
4. Having a sponsor or advocate – A mentor gives advice. A sponsor uses their influence to open doors for you. Build relationships with people who have a seat at the table and are willing to say your name when opportunities come up.

 

When you have Access, you’re no longer on the outside looking in—you’re on the shortlist for the conversation before it even begins.

 

Contribution

Contribution is about making yourself indispensable—not through sheer volume of work, but through strategic impact. You want to be seen as someone who moves things forward in ways that matter to decision-makers. Here’s how:

1. Volunteering – Step up for initiatives outside your normal scope, especially when they align with high-priority goals. This shows you’re invested in more than just your job description.
2. High-profile projects – Seek assignments that are visible to leadership or cross-functional in nature. These projects often get discussed in the rooms you want to enter, and your involvement gets your name in the mix.
3. Finding gaps – Look for problems that no one “owns” and take them on. When you solve an overlooked issue, you stand out as proactive and solution-oriented.
4. Delivering under pressure – Anyone can contribute when things are calm. The people who shine in high-stakes moments are the ones leadership remembers when the next challenge comes.
5. Creating wins for others – Help colleagues succeed and give them public credit. This builds allies who are more likely to advocate for you in conversations you’re not part of—yet.

 

Strategic contribution builds a track record of impact that decision-makers notice and remember. It’s one of the fastest ways to turn “who’s that?” into “we need them in the room.”

 

Expertise

Expertise is what transforms your presence in the room from optional to essential. It’s not just about knowing your stuff—it’s about being recognized for it. Here’s how to build it:

1. Showing leadership – As covered in Episode 101 (https://managingacareer.com/101), leadership isn’t a title—it’s behavior. Take ownership, guide others, and elevate the performance of those around you. Leaders are invited into rooms because they make the group stronger.
2. Being the go-to person in a specific area – Specialization creates demand. If you’re the one who can answer the tough questions or solve the tricky problems in your field, your absence will be noticed.
3. Staying ahead of the curve – Keep learning and bring fresh insights to the table. Share trends, tools, or strategies before others even know they exist. Being “future-ready” makes you valuable in strategic discussions.
4. Demonstrating sound judgment – Expertise isn’t just technical—it’s knowing when to speak up, when to hold back, and how to frame input so it moves decisions forward.
5. Documenting and sharing wins – Don’t assume people know your impact. Make sure your results are visible—through reports, updates, or even informal conversations with decision-makers.

 

Expertise positions you as the person whose input changes outcomes. When you combine it with Access and Contribution, you’re no longer hoping for an invitation—you’re building a reputation that demands one.

 

Flip the Script: Take a Hard Look at Where You Stand

If you’re still wondering why you’re not in the room, it’s time for some honest reflection. Ask yourself:

• Are you known beyond your immediate team, or are you mostly invisible outside your bubble?
• Does leadership understand what drives you and what unique strengths you bring?
• Are you just delivering on assigned tasks, or are you actively driving projects and initiatives forward?
• Are you waiting for an invitation, or are you proactively showing up where value needs to be added?

 

The harsh reality is that most people stay invisible because they’re too heads-down, focused only on their own work. But if you want to influence decisions and shape outcomes, you have to be on the field—not just on the sidelines.  And here’s another truth: your manager might not be the way in. If they don’t have a seat there themselves, you’ll need to build lateral and upward relationships to get the visibility and access required to move forward.

 

The Final Word: Claim Your Space by Becoming Irreplaceable

The room isn’t reserved for people with fancy titles or the loudest voices. It’s reserved for those who consistently deliver value, create momentum, and make themselves impossible to ignore. It’s for the individuals who understand that influence isn’t given—it’s earned by being reliable, insightful, and proactive.

 

Think about the people who come to mind when you imagine leaders who really matter. Chances are, they didn’t get there by waiting for invitations—they carved out space by stepping up when it counted, by building networks that mattered, and by developing expertise that made their presence in any conversation an asset.

 

Your career won’t advance just because you show up; it will advance because you bring something others can’t afford to lose. That means showing up not just to do your job, but to move the work forward in ways that others recognize and respect.

 

Be the person who doesn’t just participate but who shapes the direction of the conversation. Be the person who others trust to take on challenges and deliver results, even when it’s not easy. Be the person whose absence would leave a noticeable gap.

 

Claim your space by becoming irreplaceable—and watch how the room begins to open up for you.

 

Let’s Keep the Conversation Going

I’d love to hear how the ideas from this podcast have helped you advance your career. Visit ManagingACareer.com and leave a message via the Contact form (https://managingacareer.com/contact) or, if you prefer, click the button to leave a voicemail directly from your computer.

 

Share which episodes have made the biggest impact on you and how you’ve applied what you’ve learned. If enough of you send in your stories, I’ll start including them in upcoming episodes to inspire others on this journey.

 

Your voice matters—let’s build this community together.