3 Self-promotion Ideas

I’ve previously mentioned that hard work does not solely guarantee success. So, what else do you need to do to guarantee success? One answer that many people would agree on is self-promotion — making sure that important people know who you are and that you’re a top performer.

This is easier said than done.  Self-promoting with finesse, without coming across as boastful or self-centered, is tricky.  Here’s one example, from a reader, of what didn’t work:

“Years ago I was cornered in the hallway by my firm’s president, who said, “I have to talk to you. Why are you the only engineer who gets letters of recommendation from clients?” He was a little put off that I was so successful at getting so many letters. I replied, “When my clients tell me I did a good job, I ask them to send you a letter since I know you’d be happy to hear from satisfied clients?” He wasn’t happy at all, because he feared employees asking for raises more than he enjoyed happy clients.

Are you surprised that this didn’t work?  From my own experience, I’ve found that subtle self-promotion works better than direct self-promotion. ‘Subtle’ means allowing my manager to reach the conclusion that I’m a top performer without telling her so myself.  Here are three ideas that i realized would subtly help self-promote myself:

• Proactively updating my boss with regular frequency regarding my progress.  In my update, I would state what I finished, what I’m working on, what issues I’m dealing with, and what I would need his/her help on. This reduced the need for my manager to figure out how to manage me, allowed me to tell her what I’ve accomplished, and it pre-warned her of upcoming issues that I might need help with. This is also a trait of a top performer.
• Help others with their boss’s perception of them. I would do this only if I truly believed in them. If I worked with someone cross-functionally for a while and she has been a valuable asset, I’d take opportunities to tell her boss about her value, either in passing or just sending a nice email about her great performance. I usually did this without being asked by the person. Good karma usually gets paid back.
• Initiate problem solving ideas. Let’s say you and your manager just met with her boss on a project.  Her boss pointed out an issue that he’s concerned about.  Before your boss directs you on how to solve this new issue, work ahead of her. Put in some time to come up with structured ideas and send your manager an email to initiate the process of solving this issue. In the email, you can present options, get her feedback, and let her know what you’ll do next. Any manager would love that from his or her team member.

Self-promotion is a critical soft skill for achieving the right recognition and success at work.  Invest time to develop your subtle self-promotion skills.  It will be worth it in the long run.

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Thanks and best wishes in being recognized for how truly awesome you are at your work!  I am always in your corner.

-Lei