It's a fine line between being confident about your strengths and being perceived as arrogant. So, what's the right way to make your employers aware of your many strengths, without rubbing colleagues up the wrong way?
1. Don't skip performance reviews
Appraisals or performance reviews can be a painful experience. However, this is the one time in your corporate life when you can freely talk about what you think you are good at. Don't waste this opportunity...
2. Work with a mentor
Choose your mentor carefully! In this case, I suggest that you choose a well-connected senior member of your company to act as your mentor. A hard-hitting mentor will often open doors for you, act as your personal advocate and fight private battles for you. How great would it feel to have a senior member of your firm openly talking about your strengths to others?
3. Ask regularly for feedback on performance
Get into the habit of regularly asking for feedback on your performance with your team members, boss, boss's boss, stakeholders, suppliers and key customers. Not, only will you quickly identify if any of your behaviours need to change, but the important people in your career will be regularly thinking about your strengths. Feedback need not be a full and lengthy 360 degree exercise, but can be as simple as a one-off question, such as 'how do you think I managed that meeting with our supplier?'
4. Review your own performance regularly and know what you are good at
It's your career at stake. Therefore, whether or not your firm has a formal timetable of performance reviews, you should monthly or at the end of a project, review how well you think you are doing - and where you have opportunities for improvement.
You can only highlight your strengths to others, if you know (and truly believe) what you are good at. By reviewing your performance regularly and asking for feedback from others, you will be very clear about your personal strengths. If people keep on telling you that you are a great communicator, start to believe it too.
5. Define your personal brand
If a member of the board bumped into you in the lift, you need to be able to give them a 50 word summary of the value you personally bring to the company. Could you do this now? According to Peter Montoya, publisher of 'Personal Branding', "A personal brand is a promise of performance that creates expectations in its audience. Done well, it clearly communicates the values, personality, and abilities of the person behind it." Or simply, how would you answer the question, 'why I should be picked to join your team?'
6. Opt for high profile assignments and assignments that play to your real strengths
You are ideally aiming for a situation where your actions speak louder than your words. High profile assignments get your name - and your perceived skill set - on the radar of senior management. What better way to get your employers to take notice of what you can really do?
High profile assignments are great for getting you noticed. One word of warning, make sure the assignment you choose plays to your real strengths. Crashing and burning in the full view of senior management is not what you want!
7. Ask for what you want
Don't wait to be noticed. Ideally, people within your organisation need to be clear of your career aims. Don't be shy about your ambitions. Succession planning in organisations happens behind closed doors. You need to make sure the people involved in succession planning, don't need to second guess your career intentions. If a vacancy looks likely to happen, ask for an opportunity to be considered for the role.
8. Work on a visible development plan
Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. If you are only talking about your strengths all the time, you can come across as arrogant. Be open about your development needs - but be clear about how you are working on them. Employers can always forgive development needs if they can see a clear intent to work on them.
9. Build up a relationship with your boss's boss
All too often people build up a relationship with their boss, but ignore their boss's boss. Your strengths need to be known and clear to your boss's boss. The best way to do this, is to make sure you are visible to them, and you plan in time when you have grab a coffee and have a chat.
The Efficiency Coach specializes in working with professional services firms - helping both the firm and the individuals achieve more for their time, effort and money. Why not have take a look at our website - http://www.theefficiencycoach.co.uk, or read our blog for more ideas and inspiration on how to achieve more - http://www.theefficiencycoach.co.uk/blog.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Heather_Townsend
Co-host, Career Success Radio Show
A leading authority on career success; 15-year executive coaching veteran
Contact: [email protected], 239-285-5575
This will make me busy all day, or maybe even longer. Thanks for the information.
Posted by: Resume Services | August 10, 2010 at 06:37 AM