I know it’s not easy to talk about yourself.

You’re a hard worker and you’re really good at what you do. You were raised to be thoughtful of others and be a team player. But now it’s starting to eat at you more.

You’re missing out on some great opportunities.

You’re feeling stuck in your job. I wouldn’t want you to continue this way for another 10 years and feel like you’re still in the same place. So, I wanted to share a few things that have been really helpful for me to get myself in front of more opportunities.

The reality is – you’ll have to learn how to talk about yourself.

Luckily, you don’t have to feel weird about it.

You don’t have to feel like you’re being arrogant, or bragging, or pompous. There’s a natural way to do it.

BUT FIRST

Before that, I want to be clear – you have to spend some time brainstorming at least 1 or 2 stories where you directly did something or led a team or a project that had a great outcome. I know you have experiences like that – just choose something that really illustrates what makes you, you.

Ok, now that you’ve got that, here are 3 ways to talk about yourself without being arrogant:

1. Reframe your accomplishments as “lessons learned”

This is one of the best pieces of advice I’ve heard; instead of just talking about yourself, share that story about what you did and then immediately transition it into what you learned from that experience.

Then you don’t have to feel like you’re bragging, and you get a chance to tell them exactly what skills you’re good at. 

2. Find a good sponsor and/or mentor

When I moved into overseeing the new leadership and organizational development department, it wasn’t because I saw the opening and applied.

Actually, the VP of HR had seen me work and literally dragged me into her boss’s office to tell me to apply for the job. She was adamant that I was the only person for the role. I’m forever grateful to her because:

I personally would never walk into someone’s office by myself and tell them I deserve a job

That moment literally changed the direction of my life

If you’re more introverted than me, talking about yourself is harder anyway. But this is something that works for everyone – finding a champion, a sponsor, a mentor. Someone who will speak your name in rooms that you aren’t in.

3. Always tell your story

I know that AI is pretty good at writing things. Truthfully, I use it to help write first drafts of lots of different things (but never my newsletters to you, I promise!).

But a fundamental truth for all humans is we all need connection and relationships.

And the only way to do that is to share your truth authentically. People will respond to that, I promise. There’s so much fake stuff out there. Stories are always the way to connect to others.

Your story is amazing and there are plenty of others who would love to be in your position. As someone wise told me, if you know how to do something, it’s your responsibility to share what you know with others.

Trust me, I know it’s not easy.

It’s a lesson that took me way too long to learn and I wish I knew this earlier.

You got this.

Cheers,

Chris

PS –

If you’re in charge of strategic planning and wondering whether your organization is ready to implement, take a free, 5-minute quiz to evaluate your nonprofit’s strategy implementation plan. >>>>> Did I mention it’s free?

If you’re looking for strategies to be better at coaching your employees >>>>> Check out this link to a free 1-hour course on effective performance coaching.

If you’re interested in more ways to manage difficult conversations, I also have a podcast, The Art and Science of Difficult Conversations. Available wherever you get your podcasts and on Youtube