Success in your career is dependent on a variety of factors. It’s not simply a matter of garnering expert knowledge, working hard, and building your experience. There are other more qualitative factors at play that can be the difference between career advancement and career stagnation. One of these critical factors is perception.
In my interview for a USA Today article by Anita Bruzzese, author of 45 Things You Do That Drive Your Boss Crazy … and How to Avoid Them, I discuss the importance of perception and how promoting yourself is key to getting promoted. Read my interview in Bruzzese’s article, “Perceptions of Your Work May Linger Longer than Actions.”
As you read this article, you’ll learn not only why it’s important how others perceive you in the workplace, but also how to improve that perception.
The difference between sharing and bragging.
I discuss the difference between sharing your contributions to your company and being an arrogant blowhard. Although people often worry that talking about their efforts will come across as bragging, when done correctly, you’ll enhance the perception your boss has of you while helping your company in the process.
Common barriers to self-promotion.
As an executive coach, my clients have expressed four common life experiences that negatively affect their ability to promote themselves in the workplace. Bruzzese’s article states the following four: your cultural upbringing, the region where you were raised, your gender, and the company you keep. These facets can all affect how you are perceived and your proficiency at changing those perceptions for the better. With my suggestions, you can overcome these challenges and begin to promote yourself to get promoted, since it is often a matter of perception.
Read my new book, Getting Ahead, for practical advice to help you improve your perceptions, increase your visibility, and exert influence to work your way up the career ladder more quickly than you could have imagined.
