A red sports car, just waiting to be raced at top speed. A meal at a Michelin 3-star restaurant, savoring every bite. A luxury hotel room on the top floor, where you open the curtains and take in the view.
Great things aren't there just to be admired. They have a job to do. Why should it be any different with people?
Unfortunately, individuals with a lot to offer are sometimes overlooked for their capabilities. The answer to avoiding this? It's promoting your work and career by generating personal visibility. You have a good product—now sell it.
In service of your work, your career, or your group, intentional and strategic self-promotion is nothing to shy away from. Quite the reverse. Many leaders expect visibility and recognition to result automatically from simply doing good work. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
This chapter shows you how you can benefit from self-promotion and maintain your integrity and authenticity. We help you reframe common beliefs that get in the way of effectively selling yourself, and we provide numerous strategies and activities that can become part of your repertoire and one of the keys to long-term success.
“BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND WHAT YOU FEEL. YOUR POWER WILL COME FROM THAT.”
— MELISSA ETHERIDGE
PERSONAL BENEFITS OF STRATEGIC VISIBILITY
Self-promotion is a way to honestly leverage the accomplishments, strengths, and skills of people or groups. When we talk about being strategic in selling yourself, we mean that you are intentional in what you publicize and how. Leaders who effectively create visibility do so by being credible, consistent, and sincere. When approached with integrity, self-promotion builds the social capital needed to accomplish business outcomes.
First, let's consider the individual career benefits to you, the obvious ones being enhancing your pay and opportunities for promotion. There are other benefits to be gained that are more intrinsic in nature and just as valuable.
REWARDING OPPORTUNITIES. Gain new challenges, responsibilities, coworkers, and clients.
ENGAGEMENT. Acknowledgment can motivate you and sustain a commitment to the organization.
CONFIDENCE. The risk that accompanies promoting yourself can fuel confidence and also encourage you to capitalize on your strengths and develop new skills.
INCREASED SELF-WORTH. When others value your contributions and capabilities, it is strongly validating.
CREDIBILITY. When your reputation matches your accomplishments, you gain trust.
INFLUENCE. Negotiating for scarce resources, generating support, staying in the know, influencing decisions—these are all expectations of leaders. When others have confidence in your abilities, you can better meet these expectations.
BENEFITS FOR OTHERS
SELF-PROMOTION ISN'T ONLY ABOUT YOURSELF. It's also about your obligations to others. When it comes to touting their work, leaders should think beyond their personal interests.
DIRECT REPORTS. Advocating and creating opportunities for your direct reports demonstrates that you respect the talent in your department and want others to do the same.
BOSS. When you update your boss about a value added or a successful negotiation, you enable an accurate view of people's talents, generating visibility for the boss's group.
GROUP. Promoting yourself helps enroll others in the energy of the work. You can foster pride in the group's work by sharing recognition, visibility, and opportunities to learn.
ORGANIZATION. The organization deserves the best information and ideas that are generated by its people. Only by sharing information about skills and accomplishments can you help the organization fully leverage opportunities for collaboration, contributions, and advancement—including your own.
Now that you have a better idea of what we are (and aren't) talking about when we say “selling yourself,” consider the ten behaviors listed below that typify a leader skilled at authentic self-promotion; identify the three that you feel you are currently strongest in and the corresponding three that you feel are most in need of development.
| STRENGTH | NEED |
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Intentionally communicates capabilities and accomplishments. |
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Embraces self-promotion as part of being an effective leader. |
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Promotes self in an authentic manner. |
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Promotes self for the benefit of others. |
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Promotes self to a variety of stakeholders. |
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Strikes a balance between bragging and being overly modest. |
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Invites others into his or her work. |
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Listens to audience and identifies shared needs. |
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Creates or seizes opportunities for visibility. |
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Shares credit and gives others an opportunity to be recognized. |
Take a moment to reflect on how your perceived strengths and corresponding development needs in this area have played out in the past and currently. As you progress through this chapter, keep in mind how you might augment or leverage these approaches.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: FROM “TEA BOY” TO CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT AT CNN
She is one of the most influential journalists on the world scene, dispatched to so many trouble spots that soldiers jokingly track her movements to guess where they will deploy next.
But when Christiane Amanpour arrived in 1983 at the fledgling cable network CNN, she had nothing but a bicycle, $100 in her pocket, and a lofty idea.
“I was really just the tea boy, or the equivalent thereof, to begin with,” she once told historian Anthony Fellow. “But I quickly announced, innocently but very ambitiously, that I wanted to be, I was going to be, a foreign correspondent.”
The ensuing arc of Amanpour's career is a textbook example of making your own luck—in other words, creating a personal brand and then selling it. Iranian-born and English-educated, Amanpour promoted her internationalist identity, bilingualism, and knowledge of world affairs to communicate her capabilities and vision for her future role.
She climbed the ladder rung by rung, beginning by conducting person-on-the-street “vox pop” interviews with ordinary people. “Nothing was too paltry,” she said. But by combining promotion of her genuine abilities, consistent performance, and cohesive branding, Amanpour eventually promoted herself into the role she aspired to all along.
How might you combine Amanpour's potent blend of authenticity and ambition to shape the future you envision for your career?
Many leaders aren't comfortable with the concept and practice of self-promotion. It is often viewed with derision—as a personal public-relations campaign, a way of shouting “Look at me! I'm the best!” Even leaders who see the value of self-promotion are often unsure how to proceed.
Many of us have beliefs or mindsets that get in the way of effective self-promotion. As a result, many talented managers avoid promoting themselves, their work, and their groups. Unfortunately, they and their organizations are missing out on the benefits of greater visibility.
To overcome your hesitancy or aversion, it is helpful to understand common barriers to effective self-promotion. We call these limiting beliefs. If you can find a new perspective, or reframe your belief, you'll find that self-promotion will become more natural and more effective.
LIMITING BELIEF: Accomplishments should speak for themselves.
REFRAMED: A lot of good work falls under the radar.
Many people believe they shouldn't have to promote themselves because good work will speak for itself. Or they believe that meeting the requirements of the job (“I'm just doing my job. What is there to promote?”) will provide sufficient visibility. Unfortunately, this is not true. Many managers are surprised to find that bosses, peers, and direct reports do not recognize their skills and contributions. It is your job to let people know about your work, why it is important, and how it benefits others.
Never assume that you will be noticed, given credit, or rewarded for your accomplishments if you don't share them. Nor should you assume the word-of-mouth grapevine will work in your favor. You need to communicate with all of your stakeholders.
LIMITING BELIEF: Productivity trumps promoting.
REFRAMED: Promoting is productive.
Promoting yourself and your group is part of your job. If you want to be truly productive, you need to shift your mental model away from seeing self-promotion as a waste of time. Instead, look at it as a way to sell yourself as a resource to the organization. Your productivity will not be jeopardized; in fact, it will improve when you have the information and the relationships to get the resources, information, and support you need.
LIMITING BELIEF: Senior management doesn't want to hear about me.
REFRAMED: Senior management appreciates information and talent.
Here again, effective self-promotion isn't just about you but also about your leadership role. Although senior managers do not need excruciating detail about you and your current task, they do want to know that you are engaged in your work and in the goals of the organization.
Have a clear statement in mind—a promotional sound bite—about a key project or component of your work. If you're asked about your work, you can take advantage of the moment to demonstrate your credibility as a communicator and a leader. For instance, if someone asks, “How is your project?” don't limit your response to “It's fine” or “We're really busy.” Instead say, “The project is great,” and then briefly describe what you've done so far and how it's making a difference.
“COMMITMENT IS NOT A WORD. IT IS AN ACT.”
— JEAN-PAUL SARTRE
THE SWEET SPOT
Self-promotion is necessary to business success, but like most behaviors, it can be overdone or underdone to your detriment. To develop strong, effective self-promotional skills, leaders need to learn the difference between over-the-top, obnoxious bragging and the kind of exaggerated modesty that is equally dishonest in its own way and results in good work being overlooked.
To find the sweet spot, stay focused on the value of the work. Take yourself out of the equation . . . even though you will gain and benefit. By focusing on the work itself, you will not go overboard with bragging, nor will your hesitancy to be in the spotlight become a liability.
QUIZ: WHAT'S YOUR PROMOTIONAL PERSONALITY?
Can you spot your behaviors and reactions in one of the descriptions below?
Schmoozer. You are highly social and know everybody. You like to see and be seen, particularly with “the right people.”
Your challenge: Make sure that you are not perceived as a phony with little substance and a big agenda; your interactions should be meaningful and genuine with everybody.
New mindset: Self-promotion should be targeted, intentional, and sincere.
Worker. You are highly competent, work oriented, and productive. You view social activities, networking, and self-promotion as time wasters.
Your challenge: Expand your view beyond the task and take a broader view; see how connections enable you to have stronger impact.
New mindset: Self-promotion contributes to workplace effectiveness.
Anti-braggart. You see self-promotion as boastful and obnoxious and will go to extremes not to be perceived that way. Overly modest, you often deflect praise and are quick to take blame.
Your challenge: Ensure that your skills and your work are viewed and valued accurately by others; stop downplaying your contributions.
New mindset: There's a difference between bragging and authentic self-promotion.
Selective marketer. You know the value of self-promotion and have had some positive experiences as a result of touting your work, your group, and your talent. Even so, you are unsure of how to consistently or strategically market yourself without overdoing it.
Your challenge: Integrate self-promotion into your routine work and communication so that it is appropriate, useful, and consistent.
New mindset: Self-promotion is an ongoing leadership task, not an occasional activity.
The first rule of getting yourself noticed may seem like a no-brainer: There have to be people around! Second, you need to provide them with something worthy of their attention. With that in mind, the tips in this chapter are divided into two categories: first, gathering your audience; and, second, putting on a show.
GATHER YOUR AUDIENCE.
Connecting with others addresses strategies and tactics that help you build your network, create relationships, and gain visibility in the organization. Developing yourself focuses on skills and behaviors that are useful in your efforts to promote yourself.
CROSS-POLLINATE. Sometimes the best ideas come from unexpected sources. Allow more people to be part of your team, initiative, or problem-solving process. You can draw on their information, expertise, and experience.
EXTEND AN INVITATION. Invite people from other areas of the business to sit in on a meeting to give a fresh perspective. An “outsider” may have useful ideas and information to share, or may simply stimulate good discussion. You may also discover common concerns and find ways to work together or share resources.
“IT'S NOT BRAGGING IF YOU CAN BACK IT UP.”
— MUHAMMAD ALI
INVOLVE SENIOR PEOPLE. To get noticed and implemented, many good concepts need a person with formal authority or a high degree of influence. Ask seasoned or senior people for their insights and opinions. Once they've given their input, you have a good reason to keep them informed.
ASK FOR HELP. One of the simplest and often overlooked ways of making useful connections is to ask for help. By asking for other people's assistance, you naturally have to describe your work. They may not have known of your involvement in a project, and this gives you a sincere way to talk about your work.
CONNECT WITH A NEED. Consider your audience and find ways to connect with their needs. Listen to people's concerns and suggestions. What are you doing that affects them or benefits them? Do you have a shared need? Promoting yourself can be a win-win when you understand others' points of view.
PUT ON A SHOW
In addition to connecting to others, practice ethical self-promotion by engaging in these practices at the right time and the right place. The following actions lend themselves to making yourself more visible to the organization.
FIND THE FORUM. Take opportunities in public forums (group or staff meetings) to diplomatically report on accomplishments, achievements, milestones, and successes you are genuinely proud of.
STEP INTO THE SPOTLIGHT. Take on challenging work assignments or high-visibility projects. If the project is highly visible, you have a better chance of getting noticed. To make your projects visible to management, ask for opportunities to present what you've done to specific groups that can benefit.
CHOOSE—AND USE—YOUR EVENTS. You don't need to attend every employee function, and you certainly don't need to talk to everyone every time. Identify one or two people you would like to meet or speak with. An easy approach is to attend corporate social events that you are genuinely interested in. For example, if your corporation holds a charity event, you may enjoy the chance to give to your community. But you'll also benefit from the interaction with people outside your immediate work group.
COME UP WITH YOUR OWN EVENT. Host a speaker and invite people from other departments to attend. Propose an award for an important achievement, manage the process, and be the one to present the honors. Set up a lunch group with one or two other people, with the rule that each person must bring someone else for the group to get to know.
“DISCIPLINING YOURSELF TO DO WHAT YOU KNOW IS RIGHT AND IMPORTANT, ALTHOUGH DIFFICULT, IS THE HIGH ROAD TO PRIDE, SELF-ESTEEM, AND PERSONAL SATISFACTION.”
— MARGARET THATCHER
Self-promotion can definitely be done in the moment, but it often involves some planned effort. Take a moment to identify a particular challenge or opportunity that's looming ahead of you, where some strategic efforts at self-promotion will help influence the outcomes you're seeking. Then fill out the following chart:
KEY TAKEAWAYS in SELLING YOURSELF (WITHOUT SELLING OUT!)
- REFRAME LIMITING BELIEFS ABOUT SELF-PROMOTION.
- STRIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN BRAGGING AND BEING OVERLY MODEST.
- PROMOTE IN AN AUTHENTIC MANNER
- PROMOTE FOR THE GOOD OF YOURSELF AND OTHERS.
- GATHER YOUR AUDIENCE.
- PICK THE RIGHT TIME AND PLACE FOR PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES.
- ENGAGE IN PLANNED, PROACTIVE PROMOTIOŃAL EFFORTS.