by Rachel Verlik, MS, PCC, CDTLF
As part of my coaching practice and continual growth, I reflect on the types of conversations I may be having across clients in my one-on-one coaching sessions. At times, I see trends that may help guide me to deepen my knowledge and skills to best serve my clients. While this is not always the case, I often see similar patterns that emerge.
One conversation that is arising lately is on finding one’s leadership voice and advocating for oneself and team accomplishments. Why is this challenging? Many reasons can make this difficult: real and perceived power dynamics, DEIB concerns, learned behavior in childhood, and a fear of appearing boastful, to name a few.
Yet why is highlighting your and your team’s accomplishments important? People need to know what you’re capable of. They need to KNOW you are a pro at what you do, that you desire additional responsibilities, growth, or resources to support the organization and your own career development. We often (inadvertently) make the mistake that people can read our minds and just “know” all that we are capable of. Hint: they can’t.
Interested in stretching this year to advocate more for yourself, your team, and your portfolio? Here are some tips and exercises to help you try on behaviors in small experimental ways:
- Provide a weekly report up and out highlighting the accomplishments of you and the team for the week, as well as what’s upcoming.
- With a trusted colleague or friend, try ways to share your wins as well as your requests in a way that feels authentic to you.
- Have one go-to sentence or idea that you have at the ready to bring into conversations.
- Ask a trusted mentor or boss for their ideas to increase advocacy and visibility for you and your team. They may have ideas that will best work for your style and within the organizational context.
While this is not an overnight shift, we often find these small experiments lead to big changes over time. Share with us what you find in that process!
Elevate your Leadership Potential
To learn more about finding your leadership voice and executive coaching, reach out to Rachel for a consultation.