Coming in at #3: Let Your Work Speak for Itself.
“No one likes a braggart: let your work speak for itself.”
Sound familiar?
Let’s cut to the chase: If your career advancement strategy is to keep your head down, work diligently, and wait for your boss and colleagues to notice your impact, maybe it’s time to rethink that plan.
No one wants to work with someone who takes credit for everything. Nor do we believe that true humility means staying in the shadows. We know that women (who still make 81 cents for every dollar men make) grow up learning to be nice, supportive, and to wait to be called on. It’s hard to push back against cultural norms.
Here’s a great way to broadcast your excellent work. It’s a two-step process we learned from coach Karen Dietz (weirdly, no relation to Charlotte) called The Chit Chat Formula.
This two-step helps you promote your work in the easiest of ways when you are meeting at the water cooler, chatting on Zoom, or catching up on a call.
When someone asks, “How you are doing?” or “What’s new?”
You respond…
[WHAT] “I’m great! I cleaned up all the contacts in our Big List. Everyone’s data is accurate and segmented. (Psst: that wasn’t made up – it really happened, and it was sent in an email along with other updates.)
[WHY] “Now we can accurately direct the right message to the right market at the right time. I am seriously pumped!”
Ideally this “chit-chat” starts a conversation and the opportunity for you to ask them the same question.
When you socialize your accomplishments in short, targeted snippets you speak for your work (not the other way around). It’s a low-key way to maintain visibility.
Two Caveats:
1. You can’t do this in every conversation. Be strategic. Engage in chit-chat daily with people up and down your organization. Every few conversations – or when you have something to share that you’re proud of – share your What and Why.
2. When it comes to updating your direct supervisor, speak assertively – no chit chat needed. Come through the front door.