Do you struggle with self promotion?

Does it feel icky to share what you’re up to?

That you shouldn’t have to be political to get ahead?

That it should be enough to do good work and be rewarded for it?

It’s not just you.

I coach a lot around visibility, and voice, and how to show up and share what you’re up to without feeling icky - both within an organisation, or online.

When people bring this topic it can feel as though there are only two choices.

Self promote and shout the loudest. Be ‘political’. Be all talk.
Stay quiet and wait to be noticed. Don’t be ‘political’. Be all action.

It can feel as though they’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Especially if they are a woman, and already treading a fine line between being capable and likeable.

But what if they aren’t the only options?

What if there was a different way? A way that felt easy, aligned and not icky?

Three things that can help:

Realising that the world of work is different from the world of education.

At school we simply had to do good work to get the grade. In work we need to do good work and make it visible, rather than waiting for the gold star.
Taking the spotlight off us, and putting it on the work.

It can be easier to champion others rather than ourselves, and more useful too, so that we unhook our self worth from our output. Share the work, the impact, the team contributions, the learning.
Connecting our approach to our values.

Coaching a leader recently, they realised they could show up and share in an authentic way through their values of transparency, nurturing and empowerment. It completely reframed the experience for them.

Showing up and sharing what you’re up to isn’t just good for you.

It helps others know who you are, and what you’re doing, and learn from it.

Are your contributions visible?

What have you been up to that would be useful for others to know about?

And how can you share it in a way that feels true to you?

Wishing you all a week of showing up and sharing,