Recently my blog was named “One of the Best Blogs for Women in Business 2017” by Market Inspector.
“Great news! Woo-hoo! Yay me!” – right?
Nope.
My first reaction upon hearing this news was not of joy but of disbelief. “Who, me?”
Surely, they have mistaken me for another blogger, I thought. My little ol’ blog? A winner? Are you serious?
The skeptic in me was convinced this was a scam of some sort and it would only be a matter of time before the organization would ask for money in order to receive this dubious honor.
After all, this wasn’t my first rodeo. I had received news of something great before, only to have it fall through. Not to mention this particular email was from a UK-based company. What could I possibly offer them?
A quick email later and there were no jokes, scams, or fees; this was real. My blog really did receive the honor and I could tell others about it.
How were the blogs selected? Who knows and who cares? I’m a winner! Look everyone, I got a trophy! LOL
But seriously.
When I thought about my reaction to hearing the news, it wasn’t what some professionals and certainly not what my male colleagues would have done when receiving good news in the corporate world.
I’m going to make a broad generalization – something I usually don’t like to do: Why do we women, when receiving praise or awards, tend to bow our heads and give it the old, “Aw, shucks, it was nothing” routine?
Or worse, question why we are receiving the honor?
Or wonder if it was a mistake?
Men, when receiving praise for a job well-done or honors bestowed, typically don’t ask questions. They stand taller. Prouder. They say, “Thank you” and shout the news from the rooftop.
As professional women, we need to own our accomplishments. Wear the honors and praise bestowed upon us as if they were badges on a uniform. We certainly should not diminish the accolades by denying them with a cursory, “Well, it was nothing.”
It was SOMETHING.
In addition to accepting accolades, we women in must also learn to toot our own horn. If we don’t tell others about our accomplishments, especially at the office, how will anyone else find out?
As women, we tend to rely on managers or performance reviews to somehow do this job for us. Osmosis only works in science; not when it comes to personal achievements. Maybe we’re afraid to sound like a show-off, or maybe we’ve been taught that good work will speak for itself.
Newsflash: we’re not showing off. And who best to tell our story but us? Besides, if we don’t, no one will.
Let others know about your accomplishments. A performance review should not be the first time your manager hears about your stellar work. And it needs to circulate higher than your direct manager; find ways to get your message to key individuals throughout the organization. Tricky, yes, although it can be done.
One of the best ways to make sure your accomplishments get noticed at work is through continuous communication.
Regular updates about the status of your project to key stakeholders not only keeps everyone in the loop, it also allows you to “boast” of your success at the completion of the project without looking as if you’re suddenly calling attention to yourself.
Is it difficult to self-promote? It can be, since it doesn’t always come naturally and it does take some finesse to execute well. Yet the results can mean the difference between recognition and a promotion or career stagnation.