I am an example of the self-deprecating type, having bought into Confucius’s view that “Humility is the solid foundation of all virtues”. As a result, I tend to play down any positive change I bring about, or I attribute it to someone else or just say that I was lucky.
Letting the work speak for itself
In my one-to-one meetings with my boss, I avoid outlining my accomplishments and instead discuss challenges that I have experienced and the lessons I have learned. I’ll mention the good work that others have done and how they impressed me. And I’ll also keep quiet about my career goals, irrespective of how desperate I might feel about achieving them.
Until now, I have expected my boss to somehow find out about my contributions and the value I offer and to assign me roles that align with my unspoken (or at most, meekly hinted at) career goals. I now accept that this strategy is in no one’s interest – not my employer’s, not my colleagues’, not my boss’s and certainly not mine.
A better strategy
Communicate your successes
In life, perception matters – for all intents and purposes, perception is reality. Today is Saturday and my wife was out with friends for most of the day. Meanwhile, I spent the day vacuuming the carpets and cleaning the windows of our house. Did I describe to my wife how I had been an amazing husband today? Of course! If I had kept it quiet, she may not have noticed and would have assumed that I had been lazing around reading books or writing; instead, I informed her of these actions and in so doing I earned valuable (and, by the way, much-needed) brownie points.
It’s no different in the workplace. When you make a tangible positive impact on the outcome of a project, solve a difficult problem or carry out other stellar work, your boss (and potentially other leaders) needs to be aware of this valuable work. When you are part of a team that achieves a major milestone, ensure that you are clear on your specific contributions; otherwise, it might be assumed that your contributions were much less than they actually were.
In life in general, it’s your responsibility to manage the perceptions that others have about you – including those above you in the food chain at work.
If you don’t manage these perceptions, who will? Don’t solely rely on your colleagues telling others about that great piece of work you managed or the great idea you had that saved the project. This is especially true if you have made a habit of going above and beyond – it ends up being taken for granted and becomes the expectation.
Too shy to speak about your accomplishments?
I warm to people who are humble. I can’t stand those who brag or show off – and I assume that most of what they say is untrue. With the fear of being perceived in a similar way, I have found it hard to speak about my accomplishments. Luckily there are stepping stones that allow us to become more comfortable with communicating our successes and ultimately speaking about them.
Each week my colleague used to email our boss a summary of his week’s achievements and he used to copy me in. His email was always factual and sometimes humorous. I actually enjoyed reading these emails and they never read as boastful. I think he was doing our boss a favour too – during appraisal season, a catalogue of emails can remind your boss of the contributions you have made – especially if your boss rarely works with you directly.
Whether you write your boss a weekly email or discuss your accomplishments in one-to-ones, a regular cadence of the positive differences you have made can also put you in the frame for newly emerging opportunities because it is likely that your successes are indicative of your strengths.
You can label this as politics if you want. But if your fantastic work is invisible – can you really expect to be recognised, celebrated and treated in the way that you deserve? At the very least, your boss needs to have an acute insight into your accomplishments and the way in which you achieved them.
Put yourself in the spotlight
Do the senior leaders in your organisation know you exist? Does the leader two levels above your boss even know who you are? Do they know your strengths, the initiatives you are leading and how important you are to the organisation?
Doing a great job is a necessary condition for career advancement, but most likely it’s not going to be enough.
Just performing well, or even outstandingly well, in your role may not be something that gets noticed by the big wigs. You need to contribute beyond your role towards something that aligns with your organisation’s goals or mission. Start an initiative, organise an event or do something that is beyond what is expected of someone in your position that allows you to network and become known to others. Taking strides towards becoming an intrapreneur, for example, has the potential to elevate your visibility to starry heights.
N.B. Never take on an initiative at the expense of your ability to perform well in your main role. If your workload does not allow you time to start an initiative of your own, consider whether some of your work can either be delegated to someone or automated. If you are able to release time from your main job – perhaps by delegating to someone more junior, but without sacrificing the outcomes, then a valuable side benefit has been accomplished.
It isn’t selfish!
You might still be thinking that this self-promotion stuff is selfish or an exercise in ego-inflation. But your talents (reflected in your achievements) are God-given gifts that could benefit millions.
Don’t deprive the world of your talent
Imagine if Michelangelo had not shown his work to others. Or Lionel Messi and Roger Federer only secretly played their sports in their back garden. Or that your favourite singer restricted their singing to shower-time when nobody else was around. Isn’t the world a more amazing place because they shared their work with others? And be honest, you don’t perceive every famous person as arrogant, do you?
Don’t deprive your employer of your talent
In a world of perfect information, being visible would not matter – the leaders in your organisation would know everything about your accomplishments, passions and ambitions, strengths and potential. And in a perfect world with perfect information, your leaders would make rational choices to ensure that your responsibilities exploited your strengths and aspirations. Doing so would optimise the value that you are able to offer the organisation, it would avoid the Peter principle from occurring and it would likely mean that you would love doing your job every day.
But perfect information isn’t available to your bosses, or to anyone else for that matter and we are all subject to perception rather than fact. It is in your interest, your leaders’ interest and the organisation’s interest to know not just about your achievements, but also your superpowers and aspirations.
Success may lead to promotion or fame. If you want this, but you also want to like yourself and be respected by others, I have the following advice:
Be like the bamboo:
the higher you grow,
the deeper you bow
Ancient Chinese proverb
This article was inspired by some of my colleagues who fall into the category of unsung heroes.