Promoting yourself
Personal development / 01 July 2010
Us Brits have inherited a culture of modesty and, some would argue, a fear of success. But there’s nothing wrong with being confident about your achievements and proud of your successes
Slow and steady rarely wins the race
Visible and steady wins the race these days. How can your boss reward what he/she can’t see? If they can’t see all the great work you’ve done, what’s the point in doing it?
Think of yourself as a product
Nobody will buy you if they don’t know you’re there. You need to let the right people know the value that you bring, and then ‘do what it says on the tin’ to prove your worth.
Make sure you know the key people that have the power to influence your career – these people are your target. And don’t forget the less obvious people too – you may be surprised at the power of the CEO’s PA
David Thompson, consultant
Don’t blow your own trumpet if you have patchy performance
You’ll do more damage than good if you’re all style but no substance. You need to perform on the job to be taken seriously when you blow your own trumpet about it
Know what your unique differentiator is
What makes your approach different? Know what differentiates you and be prepared to share it so people know how to categorise your contribution.
Think of your unique style as a professional skill – what makes you a valuable contributor? Do you want to become known as the ‘the ideas guy’, the ‘detail girl’, a ‘solid pair of hands’?
Be clear about your achievements
Always have a couple of things ready to mention when people ask, ‘how are things going with you?’ Having a few key, recent achievements at the tip of your tongue is useful – you never know who you’re going to strike up a conversation with in the lift. Didn’t the scouts or guides teach you to ‘always be prepared’?
Target your audience
Make sure you are letting the ‘right’ people know about your achievements. A scattergun approach isn’t going to get the results you’re looking for.
Make sure you know the key people that have the power to influence your career – these people are your target. And don’t forget the less obvious people too – you may be surprised at the power of the CEO’s PA – their opinion counts more than you think, so don’t think senior always equals influential
Be clear about your outcome
Why are you blowing your trumpet? What do you want to achieve? What is your desired outcome? Are you focused on earning more money, getting promoted, taking on more responsibility? Be clear about what you want. That way, you can mould things to make sure you get it
Source: David Thompson is author of The Magic BlackBerry, published by Marshall Cavendish, and head of consultancy Beyond the Dots