During COVID-19, office communication can be tough. Although we’ve established effective ways of communicating virtually, like Zoom calls and Slack chats, things can still be lost in translation. Given that we’re in unprecedented and unstable times, the stakes are extremely high around job stability and growth, and now is the time to advocate for yourself and your career. It’s important to be as explicit about how your work stands out, what you’re best at and how you add value to your organization. Your colleagues, and especially the manager, can acknowledge and celebrate your work accomplishments until you do.
‘Brag Better’ author Meredith Fineman explains that all of us have the ability to be more vocal about your career accomplishments, but it’s important to be clearer and louder about your work than ever before. According to Fineman, there are three pillars to “Brag Better,” which are loud, proud, and strategic. Exercising repetition, consistency, and a commitment to continually share your work can go a long way for your career growth.
When you’re able to assess which accomplishments you would like to speak about, it becomes easier to speak about them with pride and a factual statement. It’s less anxiety-provoking and intimidating to share your work when you think of it as stating your coworkers’ facts. Additionally, it’s also crucial to be strategic before sharing out your accomplishments. What do you want to accomplish by sharing? Is it more visibility within your organization, positioning yourself as a thought leader on your team, or raising the extra projects and initiatives you’re executing?
Although vocalizing your accomplishments may not be the easiest, it’s vital for your career growth. Here are our tips to help you nail the delivery, tone, and strategy for sharing your hard and amazing work with your organization’s members.
Speak with your boss to gain advice on how to share your wins with your team and organizations.
During your 1:1 with your manager, ask them how they feel you should communicate your wins remotely and digitally? Would it be helpful for them to see your career accomplishments within a roundup email each week or in a quick Slack message? During this tumultuous time, aim to be consistent and produce strong work for your organization and yourself. If you’re preparing yourself to start a new job remotely, you can begin anywhere, as it’s never too early or too late to showcase your accomplishments and stand out from the pack.
Share your struggle.
Most likely, you’ve experienced some obstacles along the way of completing your project, so whenever you share your success, you should also disclose the hard work and team collaboration that went into completing it.
Be a team player.
Recognize publicly and often how other circumstances and people have helped you realize the success you have. Every accomplishment involves some kind of cooperative effort and teamwork. Make sure to highlight how you didn’t get where you are alone.
Get an advocate to share your wins.
If you’re not comfortable sharing your wins, find an ally in your corner who’s willing to toot your horn for you, so you feel comfortable accepting recognition and compliments with gratitude and humility.
Keep it brief.
There’s no need to detail every single one of your accomplishments. Let them unfold over time—and only when they’re actually relevant.
Lastly, always remember that modesty and relevancy are your friend and collaboration and teamwork is key when it comes to sharing your work accomplishments.