Module Outline Introduction Personal Behavior Styles The Art of Self-Promotion Standing Up for Yourself Test Your Understanding Additional Resources Glossary Module Evaluation   Course Outline

Leadership Development Series
Module 4 - Promoting Yourself as a Leader

The Art of Self-Promotion

Everyone likes to be recognized for a job well done. It makes you feel appreciated and valued. What's more, this acknowledgement is important to have in your employment record. It can be helpful during performance reviews or when you are considered for a high-profile assignment, a promotion, a pay raise or a bonus.

Good leaders will recognize a job well done and give team members credit for excellence. Unfortunately, not all supervisors are good leaders.

This is where you come in. You might find that you sometimes need to advocate on your own behalf. That is, you will need to promote your own work and your own accomplishments to get the recognition you deserve.

It is crucial to recognize that discussing your achievements is heavily dependent on your organizational culture. Perhaps company traditions prescribe that a mentor or supervisor speaks up on your behalf. Or maybe your supervisor is in another city and you communicate with her mostly by telephone or e-mail.

The skill of self-promotion needs to be adapted based both on the situation you are in and the culture - both in your workplace and in the general society - that you work in. All of the individual factors impacting your personal situation need to be thought through fully.

Although the specifics of how you advocate for yourself will vary depending on your situation, there are still some general ideas to consider. Regardless of where you are or what job you have, you need to think about how you market yourself, when you do, and with whom you should be speaking.

How

In thinking about how you can communicate your strengths, successes and accomplishments, consider:

• What special talents do you bring to your job?
• Do you have any unique skills?
• What do you want to be known for?

You should be your own best advocate. Consider what image you want your colleagues, your supervisor and key decision-makers in your company to have of you.

Assertive behavior plays an important role here. The more direct and straightforward you are, the more likely you will be perceived positively. If you exhibit aggressive behavior in this situation, then you might be seen as forceful or obnoxious.

When

Many people - women in particular - are taught from a young age that talking about their own accomplishments is boastful. It's often not considered a good quality or trait. But you can talk about your successes and commendations you have received without seeming arrogant or pompous. The key is to consider the context of the conversation.

If you're having a discussion with colleagues about viewer reaction to yesterday's newscast, you could mention that comments on the segment you produced were very positive. In a team meeting to plan coverage of the upcoming elections, you could point out that during the last election, your articles received praise from candidates and newspaper readers alike for their fairness.

Be careful about making unsolicited comments about your work. For example, in most offices, it is not considered appropriate to walk up to your colleague and tell her how wonderful readers thought your column was yesterday. If she asks you what kind of reaction your column had, you could then share what you know about feedback from readers.

Here are some other ideas to think about:

• Can you talk about your successes with your supervisor as part of a regular discussion or do you need to set up a specific meeting?
• Do you have to have a face-to-face discussion in order to highlight your accomplishments? Or can you give your supervisor a copy of a congratulatory memo or forward a complimentary e-mail?
• Is this important enough to share immediately or do you want to keep documentation in your own files and share it during your next performance review?

With Whom

There are probably many people at your company who can help you on your career path and who should, therefore, know about your skills, talents and accomplishments.

• Your supervisor: This person likely has the most influence over your immediate career. She will evaluate your performance - both on a regular basis and in performance reviews - and should understand what strengths and skills you bring to your job. You absolutely want to make sure she knows about positive feedback you get from the community as well as any awards or honors you receive.
• Your colleagues: Co-workers may be able to let you know about fellowships, support you in your quest for a promotion or recommend you for a position at another company. Everyone has different contacts and networks based on previous jobs, acquaintances from school or membership in associations. If your colleagues are aware of your talents, skills and interests, they are more likely to be able to support you.
• Key decision-makers in your company: Perhaps your supervisor's boss also manages a unit that you really want to work in. Think about conveying information to this person about your expertise and capabilities. Maybe it's the head of news who is really the one who can offer you the position of bureau chief. Consider what information she needs about your qualifications in order to consider you for the job.

There are undoubtedly others at your company who make decisions that can influence your career. Keep your eyes and ears open and ask around.

Here are some general tips for figuring out how, when and with whom to speak at your organization.

• Observe and talk with people who know the history of the organization. This can give you good insight into who the key decision-makers are and how decisions are made.
• Watch people who are good at promoting themselves and their accomplishments. Consider what they do, as well as how and when they do it. This can help you devise a self-promotion strategy that is culturally acceptable to your organization. Do keep in mind, however, that someone's position or situation might affect how, when and to whom she promotes herself.
• Talk to your mentor or find someone in your company you can trust. Ask for advice on who you should be talking to in order to promote yourself for a position you want.
• Contribute ideas at team meetings. If there is an agenda, review the topics prior to the meeting and think about what you can add to the discussion. No one will know you have a creative, new approach to a problem if you don't speak up. (Before you contribute, make sure you understand when your organization considers it important to speak up and share ideas, as well as when it is frowned upon.)

There is no one right way to promote yourself and there is no one ideal situation to do it in. Each response is unique to a given situation. These tips can help you to assess individual situations and decide which is the most effective way to proceed.