AFSUG | COLLABORATION FORUM | #IAmRemarkable Workshop | 28 June 2024
Embracing Self-Promotion: A Path to Personal and Professional Growth
Presenter : Dimakatso Monyela | Customer Success Partner for Intelligent Spend & Business Network | SAP & Co-lead SAP Business Women’s Network Africa
Many of us struggle with discussing and celebrating our achievements, often due to cultural and gender norms.
This challenge can hinder our personal and professional growth.
The #IAmRemarkable Workshop, held on 28 June 2024, aimed to address this issue by emphasising the importance of self-promotion and providing practical tools to master this essential skill.
What is #IAmRemarkable?
#IAmRemarkable is a global movement that empowers everyone, including underrepresented groups, to celebrate their achievements in the workplace and beyond.
This initiative challenges the social perception surrounding self-promotion, advocating that it is not bragging if it is based on fact.
Why Recognizing and Sharing Your Achievements is Crucial.
Accomplishments Need a Voice:
Merely achieving isn’t enough; sharing these accomplishments is key to professional growth and personal well-being.
Only 1 in 2 employees feel their managers acknowledge their efforts, which highlights the necessity of self-promotion.
Boosting Self-Confidence:
Celebrating achievements enhances self-confidence and motivates us to achieve more.
Overcoming Identity-Based Stereotypes:
Stereotypes related to race, gender, age, ability, neurodiversity, and other identity-based factors can shape our perceptions of competence and ability.
These implicit biases often go unnoticed but significantly impact our behaviour and judgments.
Language and Bias:
Language plays a crucial role in inclusion and exclusion.
The dominant language and accent in your personal and professional settings can reinforce certain norms, affecting how achievements are perceived and communicated.
Bias can cause you to miss or question the achievements around you and can make you less likely to speak up or more hesitant to share your successes.
The Power of Inclusivity:
Creating an inclusive environment improves psychological safety in relationships and teams, fostering more creative solutions and better product development.
Here are four exercises to help embrace and promote self-promotion:
- Track Your Achievements: Keep a weekly log of your accomplishments.
- Remarkable Wednesday: Gather a group of friends or colleagues to share an achievement out loud every Wednesday.
- Practice & Act: Review and refine your #IAmRemarkable statements to make them more authentic and powerful.
- Set a Stretch Goal: Identify people with whom you wouldn’t typically share your achievements and make plans to communicate your successes to them.
Becoming an Advocate:
- Attribute Ideas Correctly: Ensure proper credit is given where it’s due.
- Acknowledge Accomplishments: Recognise and celebrate achievements openly.
- Seek to Understand: Engage in efforts to understand others’ perspectives.
- Examine Your Biases: Regularly reflect on and address your own biases.
Closing Remarks
Spread the word about what makes you remarkable by using #IAmRemarkable in all your social media posts.
Stay connected with your cohort for ongoing support and practice.
Celebrate your success and be an advocate for recognising and sharing achievements. Link: Celebrate your success : https://www.rmrkblty.org/iamremarkable
