Are you being too British?
From historical notions such as children should be seen and not heard and careless talk costs lives, us Brits have inherited a culture of modesty, and, some would argue, a fear of success. The net effect of this is that most of us have been brought up to believe that humility is good, that only show-offs talk about their achievements, and that bragging is bad. Is bragging bad? Probably, but theres nothing wrong in being confident about your achievements and being proud of your successes, especially in troubled economic times.How valuable are you?
1. Drop the stiff upper lip
How will anyone know what good, valuable work you are doing unless you tell them? Forget the script you were taught as a kid, you are doing them a favour by letting them know what youre up to, and what a good job youre doing. Youre helping them out, theyll know how to best utilise you in the future.
Are you visible and proactive?
2. Slow and steady rarely wins the race
Isnt that what Mother used to say? Those times they are a-changin. Visible and steady wins the race these days. How can your boss reward what he/she cant see? If they cant see all the great work youve done, whats the point in doing it?
Are you making yourself heard?
3. Think of yourself as a product
Think of yourself as a new product on the shelf, nobody will buy you if they don't know you're there. You need to let the right people know the value that you bring, and then do what it says on the tin to prove your worth.
Are you proving your worth?
4. Dont blow your own trumpet if you have patchy performance
You'll do more damage than good, style but no substance, fur coat and no knickers. You need to perform on the job to be taken seriously when you blow your own trumpet about it.
What makes you stand out?
5. Know what your unique differentiator is
What makes the way you do what you do different? Know what differentiates you in a unique way and be prepared to share it, so people know how to categorise your contribution.
Think of your unique style as a professional, what makes you a valuable contributor? Do you want to become known as the the ideas guy, the detail girl, the solid pair of hands?
Are you proud of your achievements?
6. Be clear about your achievements
Always have a couple of things ready to mention when people ask 'how are things going with you?'. Having a few of your key, recent achievements at the tip of your tongue is useful, you never know whos going to strike up a conversation with you in the elevator. Didnt the scouts & guides teach you to always be prepared?
Are you networking with the right people?
7. Target your audience, make sure you are letting the 'right' people know about your achievements
A scattergun approach isnt going to get you the Results youre looking for, make sure that you know who the key people are that have the power to influence your career, these people are your target. And dont forget the less obvious people too, you may be surprised at the power that the CEOs PA yields, her opinion counts more than you might think, so dont think that senior equals influential.
Are you clear on your goals?
8. Be clear about your outcome
Why are you blowing your trumpet? What do you want to achieve? What is your desired outcome? Think about what you are doing this for? Are you focused on earning more money, getting promoted, switching roles, taking on more responsibility? Be clear about what you want, that way, you can mould things to make sure you get it.