Wisdom: Owning Your Accomplishments
“There is no shame in helping others see your value.” - Anonymous
Let’s be honest - self-promotion is uncomfortable.
It can feel unnatural to highlight our own accomplishments. This sentiment is common among women in particular - we don’t want to sound like we’re bragging or full of ourselves. So, far too often, we keep our heads down and hope someone notices how hard we’re working.
The reality is that self-promotion is a necessary step on the path to promotion. We are easily overlooked when we’re not owning our accomplishments, especially when our male counterparts are actively self-promoting.
So how do you self-promote in ways that are both authentic and effective?
Change your mindset. Re-frame the concept of self-promotion as increasing the visibility of your work. Although it may sound counter-intuitive, self-promotion isn’t actually about you - it’s about the impact that your work is having. What is the positive impact that you've been able to have as a result of your talents and hard work? How have your contributions impacted your organization or the people you serve? Whether your target audience is leaders within your organization, current or potential clients and partners or prospective employers, it's important that your accomplishments are visible.
Track your accomplishments throughout the year by keeping a running list of your various "wins." Closed a deal at work? Recruited a new client? Signed with a major partner? Whatever it is, make sure you're keeping a list of your accomplishments as they happen. It can be easy to forget the details or overlook certain achievements as time goes on, so be intentional about tracking them in real-time.
Don't forget the small stuff! Every night, write a list of 3 things you are proud of from that day - big or small. This will help you get into the habit of acknowledging your achievements regularly, which allows you to become comfortable with highlighting your successes.
Keep track of praise and positive feedback that you receive from your clients, peers and supervisors. Write down oral praise and file written notes or emails in a designated folder. Along with your list of accomplishments, this can be useful to revisit in advance of your annual review, particularly if you are advocating for a promotion or pay increase.⠀
Pro Tip: Keep all emails acknowledging your contributions or expressing gratitude for you and your work in a folder marked “Gratitude.” Revisiting these notes of encouragement can also help to keep you on track when you may be feeling unmotivated or overextended in your work or personal life. It has the added bonus of highlighting which strengths or skills are best serving you in your work. ⠀⠀⠀⠀
Remember - self-promotion is a necessary step on the path to promotion. The good news is that it is possible to self-promote in ways that are both authentic and effective.
What's one thing you can commit to doing this week to self-promote in a way that feels authentic to you?
