Nadia De Ala, founder of Real You Leadership, a group coaching program for women of color, says, "We are often taught that bragging in any way about our work in any way is bad and equates to being arrogant or not being humble, or we believe in the myth that our hard work should speak for itself."
De Ala emphasizes that she works with recovering people-pleasers to help them overcome the embarrassment of showing off their work. Also, she said, "Mastering the skill of praising your outstanding efforts and accomplishments without coming across as pushy or disparaging yourself in any manner is a crucial aspect of self-advocacy and ultimately positions you for opportunities in leadership, advancement, and compensation increases."
You must consciously look for opportunities to share your accomplishments with your managers and colleagues to increase their awareness of your work. Here's how to accomplish that in a meeting or online while being honest with yourself:
Share with Team Members What Support You Can Provide
Your accomplishments can benefit you and other team members by fostering their own learning and development. Framing your goals in a way that benefits others can be an effective way to spark interest.
De Ala states, "By framing your achievements to express the progress you have made and offering ideas on what you have learned, you can share your great work without feeling uncomfortable." You send an email like, "I just figured out how to solve the problem and finish my project. It took me a while to get here, but I'm sharing what I have learned in case it helps someone else."
Lara Hogan, the author of Resilient Management, highlights that if you find it hard to brag about your work, rely on facts about your actions and their impact as much as possible. If possible, quantify the difference you have made at work, and make sure the discussion directly relates to other people's concerns. This gives the impression that you are working towards a common goal rather than merely trying to boost your reputation.
Hogan gave the following example: During a hiring needs meeting, you could say, "I also concentrated on this. Last month, I changed our interview process, increasing our team's confidence in hiring decisions and enhancing the candidate experience. Four of the six required employees have been hired in the last two weeks."
Give Credit to Others, and They Might Give It to You More Often
One way to make others notice your work is by praising your colleagues' projects. By sharing positive feedback, you help build a team culture where promoting each other's work is natural and desirable.
Nadia De Ala states, "You can regularly communicate statements like, 'My team and I completed the first phase of the project.' Feel free to notice the team or the entire organization when you see a team member performing exceptionally well. What goes around comes around, and giving genuine praise to others shows that you care not just about your growth but also about the growth of the entire team."
Professor of psychology and executive coach Cicely Horsham states, "Sharing your strengths helps you advance in your career. Also, it improves your well-being and health. Instead of concentrating only on challenges, sharing these achievements with coworkers that you get along with eases tension in the workplace."
Keep Your Manager Informed of Your Accomplishments to Encourage Their Support
Ideally, your manager is already advocating for you, so senior executives with the authority to promote you know that you are doing great work. However, sometimes you may not have the best manager and need to help them manage your career. Therefore, share your accomplishments with them during one-on-one meetings to help them see your professional excellence.
Executive coach Melody Wilding suggests adding an "Accomplishments" section to your agenda in meetings with your manager, saying, "It's an opportunity to define your accomplishments and ensure that your manager can advocate for you among peers and senior executives."
However, not everything should be centered around the effort you put into your work, as it does not necessarily mean success. The result of your work ultimately dictates the degree of success you attain. Therefore, talk enthusiastically about the results instead of the task itself. Say something like, "I enjoyed working on this project and learned a lot from working with my colleagues."
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