Why You Must Self-Promote In The Workplace

To self-promote means to communicate your value to an organization - the results you consistently deliver and your ability to navigate difficult processes.

Showing that you can overcome obstacles and develop creative solutions are perfect to self-promote to the organization. Also, sharing your accomplishments like landing a new client, reaching a milestone on time, and managing to bring a project in under budget are all noteworthy.

It’s important to sing your praises and set yourself apart from others. Leaders stand out in a crowd of sameness. You must position yourself as the stand-out performer and strategically communicate your value.

If you are struggling to self-promote, let me help you understand why it’s important to self-promote at every opportunity in the workplace.

Visibility creates access and opportunity

Heard the phrase “power in proximity?” Visibility positions you with those of influence that possess access to what you truly desire.

You increase your chances for consideration of new projects or career-advancing opportunities coming through the pipeline not communicated broadly to your peers yet.

Leaders on the front line

A leader working from the back of the line screams oxymoron. It means she fails to lead by example. Show your capability to your followers and share how what you bring to the table offers significance to the bottom line.

Refuse to remain low key. Followers need a champion - someone to support and believe in while screaming your praises. Give them something to showcase.

Invisibility perceived as apathy

There’s a perception of apathy attached to those hidden. These women professionals are often never chosen to lead. Management sees it as an unwillingness to fight or stand up for a cause or an inability to sell the ideas of the organization or support a special initiative promoting change.

Perception is reality in corporate. There may be other reasons why you refuse to self-promote but if never voiced it will be interpreted as indifference and incompetence.

Competition is always present whether you acknowledge it or not

In corporate, competition is always a factor particularly in an environment with high achievers. I experience that on a daily basis as an engineering leader. If you don’t compete, please don’t expect to win.

Your competition is up at night strategizing on how to move her career forward just like you. It would be naïve to dismiss that fact. Maybe your mentality is there is no competition, but in this case, the only way to prove it is to be the one on the front line self-promoting.

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