Talk a big game at work – madamenoire.com
As corporate sisters, and as professional women in general, we tend to downplay our achievements and successes, and credit the team for the work we achieve. We had discussed months ago about silence being one of the biggest corporate sins for corporate sisters. As much as I don’t believe in endlessly bragging and boasting at work, I also think that one of the many reasons why women are undervalued at work is that many times, we fail to talk a big game in order to further our careers. While we may not be conditioned as women to speak out loud for ourselves, there are some things we can say and ways to say it that can help us further our careers:
- Toot your own horn, especially around men! According to a recent Catalyst report, women tend to think that “doing all the right things” at work are enough to get them the recognition they deserve. However, it’s been proven that those who advance in their careers and get the most promotions, mostly males, are also great at tooting their own horn. Additionally, it appears that women’s tendency to undervalue our own professional contributions is increased around male co-workers. according to a Personal and Psychology Bulletin. So, what are we to do as accomplished, competent corporate sisters? Keep a tally of your contributions at work, especially when working on group projects when your contribution can be more easily minimized. In meetings, speak out loud and praise yourself for your contributions, achievements and successes. I admit not being comfortable with tooting my own horn, and most times, not even being given the space and time to do so. In those cases, I have found that written communication can be just as effective, by summarizing your contributions and achievements in an email to your superior(s), while also (and if it makes you more comfortable), also outline the contributions of the rest of your team.
- Be more direct! When presenting your accomplishments and achievements, beating around the bush is not only ineffective, it also gives off the wrong impression. Be direct about your accomplishments and contributions and speak on your own behalf. And when speaking about yourself, be also specific enough to use concrete examples, numbers and figures to illustrate what you actually did.
- Last but not least, let others do the talking for you! Remember how you feel when a third party compliments you, and how convincing the praise of a third-party effectively is! Truth is, compliments from others give off a great impression! Yet here as well, for others to praise you, you have to give them something to praise you about. So do not hide your wonderful successes and achievements, and watch others do the talking for you!
Are you talking a big game to further your career?
The Corporate Sister.
