Self Advocacy

It Should Be Me

I have said this to myself at different points in my career. You may have done the same. A colleague gets a promotion that would have been a perfect fit for you. A co-worker returns from a conference that you wanted to attend. Your manager tells you about a new professional development program that you were not included in. The reactions can include anger, despondency, disappointment and lead to withdrawal and disengagement.

I know from personal experience. My approach had been to keep my head down, do good work, and assume I would be recognized and rewarded appropriately. I was only partly wrong. Hard work, competence, quality, and effort were all necessary. I was wrong that those traits alone would get me what I wanted. Honestly, there were probably times when “what I wanted” was unclear. Maybe a case of keeping up with the Joneses or chasing someone else’s definition of success. I had not understood the need for self-advocacy.

There is a distinction between self-advocacy and self-promotion. In my mind, advocacy is standing up, asking for what you want, and making the case. Promotion often feels like drawing attention to those activities that one is expected to do. Asking for praise and recognition for the ordinary and routine. Once we can accept that self-advocacy is an element of getting what we want and have earned, the question is how we can do that authentically.

1:1 Conversations are Helpful

No matter the level you have achieved, 1:1 conversations are one way to self-advocate. These conversations are about your development, aspirations, goals, and career. Don’t muddle performance or project discussions with your 1:1. Your manager is not a mind reader. If you don’t voice your needs, interests, and desires then there is a good chance they don’t know. I can’t think of a more disappointing explanation from a manager beginning with “had I known…”.

Be Clear For Yourself

Make sure you really understand what you are advocating for and why. Are you asking because someone else was given what you wanted? Do you have all the information? Have you considered the impact of getting what you are advocating for?

 Make Your Case

The concept of “if you don’t ask, you don’t get” often holds true. If you are going to ask, prepare to make and defend your case. Here are the things I have done. This is what I’m asking for. It will benefit me and the organization in the following ways. I will be able to do the following in the future. I have not met many managers who will not try to accommodate a team member who makes a compelling case.

For most of us, some advocacy will be needed to get want we want and feel we deserve. Use your relationships, self-reflection, and communication skills to put you on the path to securing that next role, assignment, or opportunity.

How are you advocating for yourself that others could benefit from?

Michael Riegel MRiegel@AECBusinessStrategies.com

516-238-0859