Being good at what you do is not enough. You need to self-promote

For the more introvert, quieter, low key employees it's hard to pluck up the courage to get out there and shout about the outstanding work you do. But it's necessary.

Especially in big organizations. It's never enough for the few people directly involved with you to know and appreciate your work. It needs to go beyond, upwards and horizontally.

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Self-promotion should be a central pillar of your development plan. Not the formal company one but the plan that you have for yourself.

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Your aim? Get more exposure, be top-of-mind for at least 2 - 3 key people and to find at least 1 sponsor.

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Your name needs to pop up in casual and official meetings when promotions are being discussed…you know...the ones that happen behind closed doors at upper management level.  Being part of others' succession plans also requires that you are top-of-mind for those key influential people.

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You also need a sponsor. What is a sponsor? My definition of a sponsor is not only someone who will put forward your name when it comes to promotional discussions (i.e. someone who will vouch for you) but someone who will go out of his/her way to help you get more exposure and open a few doors for you. In other words someone who not only believes in you and but also dedicates the time for your development cause. This should not be your manager (although of course you need your manager's support)! A sponsor is ideally someone beyond your direct line of reporting so that their mention of your name carries weight, unbiased validation and thus easier acceptance .

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I don't need to explain any further about WHY you need to focus on self-promotion. Let's talk about the HOW. Now…If you haven't already done any self-promoting, it probably means you don't feel comfortable with the idea or your feel 'it's not really my thing'. Well, I'm sorry but you’re going to have to push yourself a bit to make it your thing.

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Promoting your work doesn't have to be done glamourously, arrogantly or in a show-offy kind of way. It can be humble but at the same time impressive and impactful.

 

Making a project known, communicating success etc is typically done via email (especially in times of remote work). Think again before you write a black and white text-only email to convey your story. Dress to impress. Make your email stand out, make it visually impactful. You are just 'another email' so your when you draft your email, make sure it will stand out, make sure it's visually attractive - I open the email, I am visually intrigued, I read on. And beware! You only have max 2 mouse scrolls down to tell your story. Make sure your story is clear & concise. Don't go overboard with a lengthy description. No-one cares about the nitty gritty details. Keep it to an absolute need-to-know basis.

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Beyond email, think about finding the right people to talk to about your project. Be a part of other people's/departments' meetings. If you've identified in your mind a couple of key 'sponsors' to whom presenting your work/project makes sense, ask for 15 minutes of their time. But you have to ensure that what you present connects to what they do.

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Don't be another 'useless information of the day'. Make your success relevant for them. Be their 'aha' moment!

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You will need to tell a story not describe a project. Your story needs to be accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation that kicks ass (your Excels for that matter too). Everything about your self-promotion needs to be top-notch quality - zero compromise here.

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And when we finally get to go back to the office, this will be your chance for face2face interactions. Take advantage of a brief corridor or elevator encounter to say 'Hey, you know what? I just completed a project that I think you might be interested in…let me catch you later to tell you how it might work for your Customer X". Make it relevant for them. That will catch their attention!

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Two words of caution:

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FIRST: When self-promoting you need to push but not be pushy.

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You need to find the right balance in style and 'amount' of self-promotional communication (frequency is very important…you definitely don't want to overdo it). Make sure you don't come out as cocky or arrogant. Think about whether you're coming across too much as a one (wo)man show. Never is success the work of only 1 person. Be sure to thank your key contributors and promote the team effort. And don't worry.. it will be you they remember as the one communicating the success and the driver of the project.

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SECOND: Think carefully about what you choose to promote.

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Are you sure you want to promote your 'everyday work' i.e. what is expected of you as part of your role? If I am a marketing manager and if part of my job is to launch campaigns and bring successful results, then is this something I really should be promoting? However, if I executed a marketing campaign that entailed a completely new, out-of-the-box approach, something not tested before, using new channels, targeting new audiences AND brought impressive results then yes! You've got a winner. This is definitely something worth promoting because there is a lesson to be learnt from testing new grounds.

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Enough already.

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Now off you go.

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Go self-promote!