Leading Effectively e-Newsletter - November 2009

The Right Way to Get Noticed
(Hint: It's not about sucking up)

Tonya prided herself on being humble. But, when Tonya's boss expressed some concern that her group was not as productive as it could be, she saw the downside of her humble nature.

"Many of the best, most talented individuals avoid self-promoting," says CCL's Cindy McLaughlin, co-author of The Truth About Sucking Up: How Authentic Self-Promotion Benefits You and Your Organization. "They are uncomfortable with it or feel like any kind of self-promotion is bragging or sucking up."

Self-promotion doesn't need to be viewed in a negative light, according to McLaughlin and her co-authors Gina Hernez-Broome and Stephanie Trovas. Interestingly, when self-promotional behaviors are done well — matching style with substance — they are usually interpreted as something else: effective communication, managing up, networking, information-sharing or relationship-building.

To toot your horn in a way that is authentic, honest and good for both your career and your organization, consider these points:

• Self-promotion does not have to be painful or over-the-top. Ignore the braggarts and suck-ups. People who promote well understand the importance of publicizing the work done by themselves and their groups, but there are many ways to do it: speaking up in meetings, being clear about successes, improving communication with your boss and peers, volunteering for visible roles. Don't be obnoxious, but don't be overlooked, either.
• Effective self-promotion isn't about being someone you're not. In fact, your efforts will be more accurate and better received if you are genuine, substantive and (yes) imperfect. Authenticity is an important skill to foster a healthy and collaborative workplace. Without it, credibility is strained and trust is hard to come by.
• Understand yourself. Get clear on your strengths and why they matter. If you try to self-promote and are off the mark, then you come across as either pathetic or having delusions of grandeur.
• Don't expect others to notice your work without your efforts. Doing a job and doing it well doesn't ensure that others will appreciate and value it. Self-promotion is needed in some way to connect the dots between what you do and why it matters. The decision-makers in the organization won't always make those connections by themselves.
• Don't inflate yourself at others' expense. What might seem like a win at the time will cause damage to your reputation and limit your ability to work well with others. Plus, it's just not nice.
• Promote what you deliver. Back up your claims with real accomplishments, skills, experience or knowledge that deserve recognition and acknowledgment. If you tout yourself as detail-oriented, then crunch the numbers, plan the minutiae and uncover the mistake. Unmatched people skills? Put them to use resolving conflict, coaching others and building a great group.

Humble Tonya knew her group's contributions were more substantial than the boss realized. While the group's performance indicators were good, Tonya and her group were not being credited for all the work they were doing. Concerned about her future and her department, Tonya took a new approach.

She began to look for opportunities to talk about the group's accomplishments, in a way that felt genuine and reasonable. She added herself to the staff meeting agenda and made sure she spoke up early in the meeting. She started with a group accomplishment and a group challenge or critical issue. The information she shared was the truth; she just hadn't really shared it publicly before.

After a few weeks, Tonya's boss expressed how proud he was of her for increasing her group's productivity. While the group may or may not have increased productivity, she had increased her promotion of the group and herself so that, going forward, they were accurately assessed by the organization.