WOW Word-Of-the-Week #462: Self-Promotion
June 13, 2013 by Susan Clarke
How comfortable are you talking about your accomplishments to your supervisors? Have co-workers been promoted when you felt you were more deserving? How good are you at framing your achievements in an entertaining narrative way?
This week’s WOW is a follow up to last week’s Wall Street Journal article by Denis Nishi titled, ‘Soft Skills’ Can Help You Get Ahead and includes 3 tips he believes can play a big role in determining whether you get promoted, hired or even fired.
1. Compile two lists to use as an action guide. One should itemize what you do well and the second should list improvements others would like to see in you. Gabriela Cora, an executive coach in Miami says, “You have to be open for that feedback and willing to work on those points. And don’t just ask people you’re friendly with. Ask a couple of people you’re always competing against or people that you butt heads with.”
2. Learn to control your emotions, and you should see a quick improvement in your working relationships. Uncover what your emotional triggers are so you can 
predict and head off any potentially rash or embarrassing responses to peers or bosses. Emotional outbursts aren’t viewed favorably in most workplaces, which is why you should just excuse yourself from meetings or work if you feel emotionally overwhelmed.
3. Know your limits. This can not only preserve your health and sanity, it can keep you from exceeding your limits and making mistakes that can hurt your career. If you can only handle five of seven tasks, for instance, that’s something you need to talk to your boss about, says Ms. Klaus, who had a client who got saddled with two jobs and ended up hospitalized because of stress.
“Most people are uncomfortable with self-promotion, but hard work doesn’t always get noticed without a little help. There are plenty of mediocre employees who get promoted because they’re good at letting the bosses know how good they are at their jobs. You simply want to let other people know who you are and what you’ve accomplished in a very gracious and artfully skillful way,” says Ms. Klaus.
This week’s focus is on self-promotion. What are your great accomplishments? How many people know about them? How would it feel to let others know who you are and what you’ve accomplished in a gracious and artfully skillful way? Who do you know that could help you with that?