It doesn’t come naturally for women to tout their own laudable performance, when it comes to their professional lives. Women have the capacity to word other people’s achievements into a short novel, but when it comes to their own professional achievements, their vocabulary gets stunted.
According to a study by Harvard Business Review, there is a significant gender discrepancy in self-promotion across all settings examined. Compared to equally performing males, women have given less favourable evaluations of their own performance and prospective future abilities. It is also found that women’s inability to self-promote does not indicate low self-confidence. It stems from the notion that since women place a higher emphasis on people and relationships, they are hesitant to dwell on their achievements for fear of alienating less accomplished coworkers.
Sowmya Santhosh, Chief Human Resources Officer, CitiusTech (Healthcare IT company) added, “I firmly believe that embracing the art of healthy self-promotion is not only empowering but essential for women in the workplace. Modesty, while a virtue, should not hinder us from showcasing our skills and achievements. It is time we embrace our accomplishments, use ‘I’ confidently in our statements, and make ourselves visible in meetings and discussions. By doing so, we not only benefit ourselves but also contribute to the growth and development of our colleagues and the company as a whole. Let’s recognize the value we bring to the table and ensure that our hard work and talent are duly recognized and rewarded.”
“My work will speak for itself.”
This is one of the most common phases we hear at work. Yes, it should but your manager is not always around or would have the time to know about all your tasks and the work you pull off in a day. This mindset usually matches with talented individuals who are good at their work but steer clear of political games. Your hard work and efforts should be mattered, so, it is totally up to you to make place for new prospects for yourself while also making your work visible and acknowledged.
“I’m not very good at talking about my work.”
You are not alone in this department. It does not mean you have to go around trumpeting about your work and belittle it. To move past this roadblock, you can seek inspiration around you. Observe and take cues from colleagues who know how to tastefully self-promote, you don’t have to ditto their way but adapt some of their strategies and tailor-fit to your style and personality. Another way is how you can share relevant details about your results and accomplishments that can be helpful to others. In other words, it is simply to impart the formula you used to successfully overcome a problem or task at work to a colleague facing a similar issue as you.
Simple strategies to adapt to ace the art of self-promotion
Healthy self-promotion
There is a distinct difference between bragging blindly in self-interest and healthy self-promotion. Healthy self-promotion caters to one that is informational and emphasizes one’s value to the team and company. You work for a company and you have to showcase your knowledge, talents and skills to your manager that benefits and is in line with the company’s interests.
Pay close attention to your compliments
Instead of brushing off compliments as being ‘not a big deal,’ practice accepting them. Make a note of the quality you are being praised for while graciously accepting the remark. Make it a habit to solicit your manger’s comments from time to time. Make sure to follow up with your manager after receiving advise from them and let them know how you implemented it. This will not only help you in building better relations with your manager, but it will also help you do better work all at once.
Use ‘I’ in your statements
A classic personal example to emphasize this: During a meeting, my male colleague and me were asked to present our ideas for a pitch on which we both had worked together. My colleague started his presentation saying, ‘I had this idea…’ and when I had to add to the discussion, my sentence began with, ‘We came up with this idea while…’ My (male) manager immediately called out my colleague casually, saying how women always present their work as a team and men single out and stress on the word ‘I’ more than required. Moral of the story: there is nothing wrong in using the word ‘I’ more in your statements or discussions so, your manager is aware where and what did you contribute to the project’s success. This can further help your managers to hone your skills and capabilities that will be fruitful for both you and the company.
Get out of your invisibility cloak
Make yourself visible at work, literally. Voice your opinions or ideas when involved in important meetings or discussions. Your body language and tonality matter when presenting yourself out there, hesitancy to speak or non-participation can project a wrong message, as being disinterested or incapable. It has been noted that women are more likely to support changes in working conditions, such as flexible work schedules to manage children and work from home. However, they falter when it comes to discussing their professional accomplishments or while asking for a raise.
Women have a natural instinct to be able to nurture. They have a propensity to nurture children, but it also extends to their colleagues. According to a number of studies, women significantly contribute to the professional development and growth of others. It is time women accept and talk about the impact they make at work and showcase their contributions. The art of self-promotion is a delicate tool at our disposal and we should make effective use of it to increase our visibility and get what we rightfully deserve.