Get loud!
If I had a pound for every time I’d had a conversation with someone wanting advice about their career progression, it’s very possible I could retire tomorrow. For most of us, there’s an intrinsic desire that sees us continuously strive to improve ourselves year after year. Not necessarily promotions (although I could definitely retire early on those alone!) but roles that are more fulfilling, purposeful or rewarding. It’s natural. And it’s healthy for businesses and individuals alike to foster a culture of internal opportunities for personal growth. So why then do we find it so difficult to find the words to express this?
Take Tanya (all names are anonymised across my blog for obvious reasons). Tanya has worked in her role for a number of years. She’s seen promotions over the years, but a role has just come up that could see her step up into a senior leadership position. I know Tanya pretty well – and she’s got so much knowledge. Every time she’s been promoted, she’s been hugely successful. I ask her if she’s going to apply for the new role. She says no. I’m baffled. Does she want the role? Yes – she feels it’s the perfect time for her and she’s already got ideas for what she wants to do. So why not apply?
“Because if they really wanted me in the role, they’d ask for me to apply”.
Now my own journey to L&D began with coaching, so it’s my natural go-to. After some probing questions we established that she’s not had much crossover with the hiring team. She’s not sure they know much about her. And even more crucially, she’s not voiced any desire for this role to anyone since it’s been announced. With me she’s spoken about her ambitions. But with the people that matter… a fear of coming across as having an ego lead to conversations that diluted the message that really mattered.
Let’s unpick that…
1. She didn’t build a profile with the people that could help path her way to the role she wanted.
2. She kept her desire for the role to herself.
3. When conversations did come up, the fear of looking big-headed meant she didn’t voice what she wanted when it really mattered.
And Tanya is not alone. I hear this time and time again. I hear it from people at the start of their career, through to people in senior roles. And even though studies suggest that men are more likely to go for promotions, I hear it from men too. I also hear it when there’s no promotion to go for, but someone who just wants a healthy conversation about their progress.
My take? We need to get loud!
Tanya was waiting for the opportunity to come to her, despite having access to the hiring team to forge a conversation. If she’d been even more pro-active, she might have identified those who would be instrumental in her career growth and made sure they knew who she was! This doesn’t need to feel like a calculated plan, instead it’s better to think about it as good stakeholder management. And in remote settings I think it’s even more important than ever. The serendipity of sparking a chat whilst making a cup of coffee isn’t as easy to replicate when you work apart, so find reasons to connect and stay in touch. My own career path changed due to the starting ‘spark’ of an email I sent randomly one day, but that’s another story…
But getting loud can’t just come from nowhere. It’s hard to speak up without knowing, and perhaps more crucially believing, what you’re saying. So, if you’re wanting to get loud but struggling… here’s 3 things you can do right now:
1) Use the “Dante because” method. I’ve explained this in one of my other posts, but it’s such a simple tool that really delivers a confidence boost whilst remaining true to your genuine strengths.
You finish the sentence “I am good at my job because…”
And one you’ve explained one reason why you’re good at your job, you answer it again with a 2nd. Then a 3rd… and you don’t stop until you have nine reasons listed in front of you, even though this might take some thinking time, keep going until you reach nine.
Yes, NINE. Nine reasons. Nine ways to advocate for yourself and your abilities. Nine strengths that you know to be true because you were the one that identified them. This is so much stronger than feedback for this reason, and you should keep these nine reasons fresh in your mind. You’ve done the hard work thinking about them with the pressure off, so when opportunities arise to be loud about them – well make sure they’re front of mind!
2) But even with nine strengths identified, everyone has more to develop. It’s the beauty of self-development; you’re never really done. But gaining awareness of what you need to build on is the first step to being able to be loud about a development plan.
A coaching pizza is a great tool here. Start by drawing a circle then dividing it up into 8 (pizza-style). Around the outside edge list 8 qualities or skills you would need to be successful in your next career step. Then rank yourself out of 10 in each of them. Using the pizza, imagine 0/10 is at the very centre, and 10/10 is the outer edge, and start to shade out your pizza slices. Some of them will be pretty full, and others might be quite small.
But the key step is to look at the whole pizza. Not just the area that is smallest, but the whole pizza as a whole, to get a real sense of how you feel about your development needs. I’d say most people have a gut feel for which slice to focus on, but as this is a pizza that’s probably a pun too far.
But choose one slice that you really want to be just 1 point bigger. That way you can take a bitesize (not even sorry) step forward. One point at a time is do-able. It’s in your control. But you need to give some thought about what would work best. Maybe it’s upskilling through some training. Or gaining knowledge through shadowing on a project. Whatever it is, make it your key focus, and find the right people to talk about it with. Tell them you’re interested. Show them you’re keen. Be pro-active about being loud about your development with them.
3) So, you have your strengths and you have your development needs ready to be loud about. Is that all you need?
Well for some people, yes. But for most people being loud about ourselves makes us feel a bit… well… ‘icky’. Even with increased belief in our abilities and a clear development plan we still don’t speak out as much as we should do. So, we need to rely on the oldest method there is.
Support from an actual human.
How very non-AI of me eh? A real-life person? But think about it. As humans we’re all hardwired to need communities. It dates back to when we lived in caves and everyone had a role to play in survival. You might not need a workmate to literally survive, but out neural networks certainly still benefit from having someone who we can be open (& vulnerable) with, whilst simultaneously knowing they will support and encourage us. It’s an emotional exchange that can’t be done as well alone or with technology.
So, find a buddy. Someone you feel you can trust and listen to how loud they will be about cheerleading you forward. Chances are, you’ll also reciprocate for them (& likely be surprised how much easier it is to be louder about other people than it is yourself!)
Three steps that can give you back a feeling of control and fuel the volume being dialled up on your development. I can’t make any promises it will lead to a promotion, but being loud is as much about your internal progression as it is external. It’s the voice you need to hear as much as others do. And I think that’s essential for everyone to invest in throughout their career.
