The truth about sucking up

Self-promotion is the antidote to being overlooked or underestimated at work. But, how do you benefit from self-promotion and maintain your integrity and authenticity?

Try these strategies to help you build your network, create relationships and gain visibility within your organization:

1. Involve senior people.

Ask seasoned or senior people for their insights and opinions. Once they’ve given input, you have a good reason to keep them informed.

2. Ask for help.

By asking for other people’s assistance, you naturally have to describe your work.

3. Learn to summarize.

People are too busy to notice all you do, much less make the connections or understand the implications. Find ways to summarize or package your work.

4. Use your routine.

Lunches, breaks and informal gatherings are the routine activities that help you make connections on a personal level. You don’t need to tout your work – think of it as relationship building.

5. Pass on the positive.

Good news and compliments are worth passing along. Forward those emails to your boss. Or, ask people if they would mind taking a moment to let your boss know.

6. Volunteer for visibility.

Volunteer for opportunities and responsibilities that put you in a position of visibility. By signing up you communicate a positive, confident image – and you get good experience.

More techniques to help you ethically self-promote will be shared during a free professional development event at University of the Rockies. Dr. Gina Hernez-Broome, co-author of “Selling Yourself Without Selling Out: A Leader’s Guide to Ethical Self-Promotion” and core faculty member at University of the Rockies, will present at 4:30 p.m. June 4.

For more information about this free learning opportunity, call 303-446-5850 or email denver.admissions@rockies.edu.