Welcome to the March edition of The Inbox Coach. This month I’ve chosen a topic which I still feel I am learning to master and that is self-promotion.
I was talking to a client last month about self-promotion and it brought back lots of painful memories of the early days of my career. I always want my work to speak for itself, believing that if I do a good job that will be enough, but what I’ve come to realise is that I also need to highlight my work to people.
Why you might not notice my work
I can think of lots of examples of great work that I have done over the years and there are many reasons why that work might not have got the recognition I would have wanted it to…
A lot of the things I’ve worked hard to achieve will look effortless; the struggle has been behind closed doors.
The brilliant results I’ve worked for might not be visible to my senior managers if they are busy or not involved in the day to day.
My role in making things happen isn’t always apparent if I’m doing tasks which are more behind the scenes
People take for granted that I’m good at what I do, and they need reminding
I think in the past I’ve also sought a lot of validation from other people, which has looked like me waiting for people to notice the brilliant things I have done and as a result I’ve missed out on the credit that I was due. The thing I realise now is that no one is as invested in your career development as you are, so if you can’t champion yourself who will?
Reframing the situation
When I think about blowing my own trumpet and telling other people that I am good at my job I start to feel uncomfortable. The way that I get over this is to think about the impact of my work. I know that the work I do with my clients helps them to feel great at work. I also know that there is a ripple effect from this work. As my clients take bold actions towards career fulfilment, they inspire those around them to do the same and outside of work they are better able to show up to support their friends and family. That is a huge positive impact in the world, and I can only do more of that if I promote my work to a wider audience.
Somehow, thinking about self-promotion as a means for me to make a greater positive impact in the world is an easier way for me to get behind it. I am also fuelled by watching people who aren’t as qualified and capable as me promote their work with confidence. I don’t want to compare myself to other people or put them down, I believe we all have something to offer, but if someone who doesn’t have half the skills and experience as me is putting themselves out there, I need to get over my fears and do it.
Reflection
*If you can’t do the exercises from this email now, then don’t forget to pick a time when you are going to do them and add this email to your calendar
Promoting yourself and your work is one of those things that is unique to you. It may come very naturally, or it might be something that you have to work at. You could be the sort of person who makes sure everyone knows what you have contributed, or you are more likely to sit back and hope that your work speaks for itself. However you feel about self-promotion, it is worth taking the time to reflect on how that looks for you. Try asking yourself these questions…
How do you feel when it comes to self-promotion at work?
Which situations do you champion your work to those who matter?
When do you play down your role in a project or piece of work?
How would you like to feel about self-promotion at work?
What do you aspire to when it comes to making yourself and your work known to others?
Making time to think about your development, even if it is something you are already skilled at, can help you to build on those skills and not get complacent or in this example sell yourself short by not celebrating all that you bring to your career.
Action
Like so many career development activities, the best way to get better at them is to put all the theory into practice and take an action. Something I notice a lot of people doing is playing down a compliment about a piece of work they have done well or a situation that they have effectively managed. These moments of praise from other people are ideal opportunities to reinforce the work you have done. By accepting the compliment and sharing some of the insight into your work, you are giving yourself another opportunity to showcase your talents.
Task
When you are paid a compliment this week, try saying “Thank you” and following up with a positive statement such as “I found that tough, so I’m pleased you appreciated it” or “I worked really hard to get that right so I’m glad that you noticed.” Don’t be afraid to show the effort you have put into something that you could be easily dismissed.
Inspiration
“You see a lady sitting there and she's not doing anything, and you tend to forget that of course she wasn't always a little old lady. There's all this coloured stuff inside her, it's all inside, bubbling.” - Judith Kerr
I’ve chosen Judith Kerr for my inspiration this month. I loved how Judith worked in her later years, reminding us that just because someone looks old doesn’t meant there isn’t a whole life there going on. However, it is her childhood years I want to reflect on as they were disrupted, and her world turned upside down by having to flee her home in Germany just as Hitler was coming to power. Judith spoke about her experience of coming to the UK as a teenage refugee and wrote about that experience in When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, a semi-autobiographical story. It reminds us that people losing their homes due to conflict and finding themselves displaced from all that they know has been going on for a long time.
On Friday night I was involved in bringing together over 200 young people from the USA and UK to sing Everyday Wonders: The Girl From Aleppo by Cecilia McDowall at Cadogan Hall. This piece of music tells the story of Nujeen Mustafa, who at 15 fled her home in Syria and found a new, safe life in Germany. As thousand more people find themselves displaced due to conflict this was such a moving performance to put on.
The crisis in Ukraine is most prominent in the news, and I’m saddened and horrified every day by the news that is coming from there, but people are displaced from their homes all the time by war and conflict, as both Nujeen and Judith’s stories show. It sometimes feels wrong to be talking about career fulfilment when so many people are struggling to have the basic human rights of shelter, warmth and food. I see it as my responsibility to make an even greater effort to use my work for good. The ripple effect of positivity I spoke about earlier does make the world a better place. It might not help those in Ukraine today, but every person who feels just a bit better at work is in a better place to help and support people who need it.
What we can do to help is to donate to organisations who can directly help the people involved. A dear friend has set up the Five Families appeal with Save the Children which lists out ways your money can help. The British Red Cross is also asking for donations. Both feed into the Disasters Emergency Committee who are partnering with local organisations to get help to those who need it most. Another amazing organisation to follow is Refugee Action, who support those in the UK who have fled their home and campaign for greater rights for refugees. They are doing some amazing work and I was proud to support them at our concert on Friday.
If you are able to make a donation, email your MP or campaign to support people who have had their lives turned upside down you will be making a difference. I would also like to encourage you to look at the impact you can make at work. Just one small positive interaction or kind gesture will put much needed hope into the world. If you can take time out of your week to focus on showing up as your best self, then you will be doing something to try to make the world a better place.
I’ll be back with more career development thoughts next week
See you then
Laura
P.S. I’ve listed all the previous editions of The Inbox Coach emails on my website which you can find here. Each email has reflection questions and action tasks, so if you need to revisit a topic you can now browse them all in one place
