If you don’t tell them, who will?

career communication Aug 10, 2020

In the May 2017 issue of Essence magazine, there is a great article on ten bad habits to avoid to keep you from “stunting your career growth or earning potential.” As a career woman, I found these to be highly relevant and appropriate to share with you. Tip #1 is especially important for women. Over my 20+ years of working in Corporate America, women tend to have an especially hard time with tooting our own horn. Here is tip #1 from the Essence article.

“It’s okay to talk about your accomplishments- just as long as you have the right intention. Before speaking up, ask yourself if you want to make people aware of what you’re doing or elicit jealousy, suggests Annette Y. Harris, a personal brand and executive presence coach and certified image consultant at ShowUp! in the Washington, D.C., area.

 “It’s good to know your value and be willing to articulate that,” says Harris. “If you don’t publicly acknowledge your results and impact on the organization, you risk being overlooked, because supervisors and decision makers won’t know what you’ve accomplished.”

 Furthermore, refrain from downplaying praise or congratulatory sentiments. “Don’t say, ‘It’s no big deal,’ when given a compliment,” urges Harris. “Offer a confident and collected thank-you or risk changing the perception that you’re self-assured.” (Gina Roberts-Grey, May 2017 Essence)

 What do you think about tip #1? Please leave your comments below.

 #tootyourownhorn #Essencemagazine #CommunicationSkillsforWomen #ShowUp #faithtoconquerfear