Mastering Self-Advocacy: Overcoming Common Challenges (self-advocacy series 1/7)
Self-promotion can be daunting, often leaving individuals grappling with concerns about how they will be perceived when discussing their accomplishments. The fear of coming across as arrogant or self-centered can deter people from effectively showcasing their skills and achievements. However, self-promotion is not an all-or-nothing proposition; a third way allows individuals to promote their work artfully and tactfully, thereby advancing their careers.
This article will explore two common challenges hindering self-promotion and strategies to overcome them. The second article in this series will delve into additional obstacles that individuals may encounter in the quest for effective self-advocacy.
1. Avoiding Bragging
Concerns about sounding arrogant or self-centered when self-promoting are valid, especially if you are constantly using “I” and not acknowledging other’s efforts or putting down peers, such as, “Unlike my peers, I exceeded my goals…”. However, there is a way to discuss your work without sounding cocky.
· Educational opportunity. Reframe self-promotion as an opportunity to educate others. By sharing your work, including the challenges and lessons learned, you provide valuable insights to your colleagues. It also signals to others that they can seek your assistance if you possess specific expertise demonstrated through recent projects. In the 1990s, Intel faced a similar challenge of insufficient promotion despite being the market leader in microprocessors, renowned for their technical superiority and high-quality products. Their microprocessors outperformed competitors’ chips, offering faster speeds and enhanced capabilities. However, there was a disconnect between their exceptional technology and consumer awareness. To address this issue, Intel launched a successful branding campaign by incorporating its “Intel Inside” logo on computers. This initiative effectively raised Intel’s visibility, making it a household name and influencing consumer choices. The lesson here is that, like Intel, individuals should enhance their visibility to ensure their value is recognized.
· Better Utilization. Sharing your skillsets helps the company better understand how to leverage your abilities efficiently. This prevents misaligned job requisitions and ensures your skills are put to their best use. It also helps them avoid bringing in other people if they have somebody who can already do aspects of the job.
· Focus on High Achievers. Companies sometimes pay disproportionate attention to people who are not meeting benchmarks and ignore those blowing it out of the water. There is a real business case for shifting that attention and those resources to the high performers because they will likely be flight risks if they feel underutilized. At the same time, organizations will be left with average employers.
· Informing new leaders. There are times when new leaders come into the company, and they do not know your track record, so it may take a while for them to learn all your capabilities and interests. Having that information on the sooner side is so helpful so they can best leverage your talents. The more you share what you have done, what you are proud of, what you have learned that might benefit others, and what you want to do next, the easier it is for them to utilize you.
· Creating an Equitable Playing Field. Failure to share your accomplishments can disproportionately affect women, as men often get promoted based on potential while women rely on their track record for recognition.
· Controlling Efforts and Ignoring Unhelpful Opinions. You cannot control what others think, but you can control your efforts to share your passions and accomplishments. Your sharing has the potential to give you visibility and propel your career. You can choose not to share anything, and they can still think all those things about you anyway, yet you have missed the possible benefit.
2. Being a Team Player. Some believe sharing their achievements may overshadow the team’s work or negatively impact their image as a team player. However, there is a balance that allows you to highlight both individual contributions and team success.
· Recognize Great Teamwork. It is easy to fall into either/or mindset — thinking that sharing your achievements means you aren’t a team player. However, every team comprises individuals who naturally desire recognition for their efforts. With this in mind, you can appreciate the team’s great work while also recognizing individual contributions to success. This phenomenon is common in sports, where the team’s victory is celebrated alongside specific standout moments like a critical defensive stop, a key goal, or a game-winning pass. It aligns with Social Psychologist Marilynn Brewer’s Optimal Distinctiveness Theory, which suggests that at every level, people seek to belong to a team while having a unique role to play. Balancing both individual and collective recognition is essential.
Self-promotion is a crucial skill for career growth, and this article addressed two common challenges: the fear of bragging and concerns about being seen as a team player. You can overcome these obstacles by reframing self-advocacy positively and balancing individual recognition with teamwork. Stay tuned for more insights in the next article on mastering self-promotion and advancing your career.
Quote of the day: “Don’t be afraid to shine; the world needs your light as much as you need it to grow.” — Matshona Dhliwayo, Philosopher & Author
Question: What is the biggest challenge you have in promoting yourself? Comment and share below; we’d love to hear from you!
The next blog in this series 2/7 will focus on additional challenges and strategies with self-promotion.
As a leadership development and executive coach, I work with leaders to communicate effectively, including strategically self-promoting; contact me to explore this topic further.
