When it comes to establishing your credibility, you have to talk about yourself. This is difficult, especially for those who subscribe to the theory that you let your work speak for itself. In an ideal world, everyone would automatically be able to figure out how great you are because your work speaks volumes while you are so humble and unassuming. But that is not the reality. Here’s a reality check for you: you have to work to get your good work noticed. It takes effort to build sway.
Just doing good work isn’t sufficient. People have to KNOW about it! Sometimes, your company or department size can deceive you in this regard. Maybe you work for a small company and there are less than 100 employees. Or maybe your entire team is comprised of 10 people or less. In these instances, the important people (like managers, or senior leaders) may very well know everyone’s contribution on a daily basis. But even in this situation, you must talk about yourself.
No one wants all swag with no substance. But there’s a way for you to talk about yourself, a kind of credit taking, that gives you something very important. It gives you sway. The kind of talking about yourself that boosts your credibility. I’m going to show you how.
There’s definitely an art to conveying your accomplishments in a way that brings you the recognition that you deserve. There is a way that you can communicate your achievements. You can be bold and get the credit you deserve. It’s going to take a smidgen of brag and swag to build sway! And as you know, sway = INFLUENCE.
Your body of work over your career has accumulated sufficient evidence to not only demonstrate value but also to build equity. Relational equity. Equity with your boss, your team, your company, your competitors and most importantly, your customers. If this doesn’t exist, then you can forget being assertive. You are at best trying to establish swagger with nothing to back it up. You’re all flash without substance.
Six Ways To Build Sway:
- Track your performance
- Talk about your results
- Share credit for teamwork
- Grab credit for your ideas
- Receive compliments
- Deal with criticism
If you practice these things, you will be well on your way to establishing influence in your team and in your organization.
Great Quotes From This Episode
“Good work that gets noticed gets rewarded.” – Pamela Jett
“It seems noble to toil in obscurity, but you have to find a way to communicate your positive contributions.” – Mark Slemons
“If you want to be discovered based on individual merits alone, you are going to be waiting a long time.” – Pamela Jett
Resources mentioned in this episode:
LTL 040: Brag, Swag, or Sway: Why You Must Talk About Yourself – Part One
Pamela Jett’s audio presentation Mind Your Own Business
Thanks for Listening!
I’m interested in hearing from you. Reach out and:
- Leave a note in the comment section below.
- Email a question to mark@markslemons.com.
- Share this show on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.
Subscribe to the show using your favorite platform: iTunes | Stitcher | Android | RSS
Finally, I would appreciate your honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
Now, go lead like someone you would want to follow!
Leave a Reply