Are you unsure of when to toot your own horn? Dan and Alison answer your questions with the help of Meredith Fineman, a communication coach and the author of Brag Better: Master the Art of Fearless Self-Promotion. They talk through what to do when your boss takes credit for your accomplishments, your employer doesn’t value what you bring to the table, or your braggart colleague is getting all the growth opportunities.
From Alison and Dan’s reading list:
HBR: What to Do When Your Boss Won’t Advocate for You by Nicholas Pearce — “We all need champions who are willing to advocate for us when we cannot speak for ourselves. And when your boss doesn’t do it, it can be downright challenging. But it doesn’t have to stop your progress and career advancement. You could be just one project, one committee, or one conversation away from getting noticed for who you are, what you do, and your potential to achieve even more.”
Book: Brag Better: Master the Art of Fearless Self-Promotion by Meredith Fineman — “If you have done the work, but you don’t know how to talk about and tout it—you’re part of The Qualified Quiet. The Qualified Quiet occupy the opposite end of the spectrum from those who brag loudly without focus or adherence to truth. They have experience, but they don’t know how to talk about it. They want more than they are currently getting, but they’re afraid to say so.”
HBR: A New Prescription for Power by Elizabeth Long Lingo and Kathleen L. McGinn — “Beyond your personal attributes and the situational factors in your organization, your power is also enabled and constrained by your interactions with others. The relationships and coalitions you forge can be a major source of support, advice, information, and resources; those you overlook or ignore can loom as potential points of resistance.”
HBR: The Toot-Your-Own-Horn Gender Bias by Whitney Johnson — “Point to your accomplishments — you’re self-promoting. Don’t point — get fired. It’s a conundrum. Historically, our society has encouraged women to be the support behind achieving men. Unfortunately, as women have moved into the professional ranks, we are hard-pressed to change this paradigm. Further, when women follow the lead of successful men, we do so with limited success.”