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Do you believe self-promotion in the workplace is for braggarts and good work speaks for itself?

This isn’t a trick question because that belief won’t take your career places. That’s what this professional who delivered 100% of the time realized at a crucial point of her career track.

To be honest with you, I felt bad for her. Really bad because I knew what had happened. There wasn’t much we could do about it other than consider a new option that would give her the validation she sought.

This competent high achieving professional was paying a high price for not doing enough self-promotion.

The background story was a particular position promised to her 2 years down the line if she met the goals her manager had set for her. The Key Performance Indices were challenging but achievable.

The lady was not only on target but had achieved more in year 1. But sometime in the course of year 2, there was a change of plan.

Her manager apologetically informed her the prize position at the end of the year was going to a relatively new employee. He hadn’t yet earned his stars but the top boss was impressed with him. Nothing could be done about it.

This isn’t the first time I’ve seen this.

A few years back one of my coaching clients asked for a session purely focused on this topic. Again, it was about colleagues who made complete fools of themselves in meetings without having complete data or facts. Yet they seemed to shine while she stayed in the background.

What neither realized was that their colleagues knew how to get others to notice them and stand out.

It’s something Bonnie Marcus discusses at the very beginning of her book The Politics of Promotion.

In fact, those competitive colleagues were demonstrating Executive Presence. Get your copy of this checklist by clicking the below image.

Nobody likes a person who boasts, brags or shows off. Especially when its done to make other people feel lacking or less competent.

In fact, the Oxford Dictionary definition of self-promotion is “the action of promoting or publicizing oneself or one’s activities, especially in a forceful way”.

But I have a question for you.

What does it cost you if you claim credit for something you have achieved?

Nothing at all, and it can actually open up opportunities. However, many of us are afraid to take credit for our successes as it feels uncomfortable. We may feel we will be seen as bragging or tooting our own horn.

These feelings can be related to our feelings of self-worth, but other aspects can have an effect too.

How we were raised and the expectations put on us in our formative years can greatly influence our relationship with ‘going public.’

Many families, societies, and cultures express disapproval with outward expression that is considered healthy or even admirable in others.

Self-Promotion is an art worth mastering for the sake of your career

 A person who is good at self-promotion enjoys taking credit for his or her valid accomplishments. Self-promotion is an art. It is an effective leadership skill.

Self-promotion can be learned, which is great news for those who are not comfortable with it. It is a skill that can be greatly improved with practice and application.

Self-promotion is not showing off. Speaking up about accomplishments made and contributions you can deliver does not mean you are egocentric or self-absorbing.

It means being noticed by the right people for the right reasons and in the right manner.

Think about it. When you state your accomplishments in your Resume or on your LinkedIn Profile, you’re promoting yourself and letting others know about your strengths and capabilities.

If it feels alright there, then why not in the workplace?

5 Signs you are bad at Self-Promotion

I’ve already told you about 2 professionals who were poor in promoting themselves. Now let’s check if this is you?

You work hard, you go the extra mile and deliver beyond others expectations. However, you do not take credit for your success. Instead, you allow others (especially with seniority or longer tenure at work) to be recognized.

You do not use ‘I’ but ‘we.’ You share the credit for your own diligent effort among your peers, groups, teams, and other people, which does not necessarily help you, particularly when it comes to your career. This makes you feel good at the time, but you may regret doing so later and wish you had been able to confidently claim the achievement as your own.

You tell yourself that great work sells itself, so there is no need for showing off your outstanding performance.

You hope that the right people will notice your achievements. After all, it was you who did all the hard work.

Sorry to burst your bubble but it doesn’t work that way. As my mentor told me a long time back, you have to step up to the plate if you want your career to go places.

When someone compliments you for your achievements, you feel that you are just lucky and thank the universe for making it happen, rather than thanking yourself for your efforts and skills.

Here’s a truth bomb. Self-deprecation may be charming but it wont help you get that promotion or climb the corporate ladder.

Instead, Self-promotion in our context is the art of advocating for yourself.

It’s important to your career’s success because you get a chance to set yourself apart, showcase your importance to the team, get deserved recognition, and set yourself up for advancements and opportunities.

It’s a leadership skill that should not be taken lightly. It’s also a skill that will enable you to raise your Executive Presence in the workplace.

How to Promote Yourself the Right Way

Now that you know where you might be going wrong, how about doing the right things without feeling like a slimy braggart?

Self-promotion is one of the strongest skills found in successful individuals. Being able to self-promote has many advantages. It is vital to personal advancement, and if done well can place you in top positions within your workplace.

Here are some ways to more effectively promote yourself without being self-obsessed.

• Self-awareness is important to successful self-promotion. It is about knowing your attitudes, values, behavior, beliefs, feelings, and other personality factors. Take some time for self-reflection to understand why you think and act as you do. Question any beliefs or behaviors that are not supporting the actions you know you need to take. If you are self-aware, you can promote in an intellectual manner.

(Need help in developing your self-awareness? You want to check out this resource)

• We all have stories to tell, so if you tell them, make sure they are interesting and provide value. Ensure that your stories are appropriate to the achievement. Don’t embellish, but don’t be self-deprecating either. In fact, use your stories to demonstrate your point of view – all leaders know the art of storytelling.

• Deliver, and don’t make empty promises. Do what you say you will. You deserve merit if any achievement is truly yours to claim. Focus on ‘showing’ what you have done, rather than ‘telling’ what you will do. At work, it is easier to lead your team if your members see you fulfilling your responsibilities. Walk the talk so you can self-promote unashamedly.

• Show genuine appreciation and recognition if your efforts are not yours alone. There may have been individuals who contributed along the way. By showing genuine appreciation and gratitude to others, you will make them feel valuable too. It also demonstrates you’re a positive person who is self-assured and not afraid to acknowledge others for their work.

• Work on becoming an industry or subject matter expert. Use social media to demonstrate your knowledge, perspectives and point of view. This could be articles you’ve written or even curated content with a note on your observations. Comment with insights on posts related to your area of expertise and soon you will be noticed without having to worry about boastful. I promise you your efforts will be noticed both within social media but even your organization.

You can find more methods to achieve this goal in Get Noticed.

Self-promotion is not always easy, especially in the workplace, which is why it can feel uncomfortable to do until an event happens that compels them to understand the need for speaking about their contributions to the organization.

However, when done the right way, there are many advantages and can be life-changing. Effective self-promotion has helped many individuals unlock their true potential, overcome their weaknesses, and stand out from the crowd.

Isn’t it time you began promoting your achievements, the way they deserve to be celebrated?