This month we are focusing on the essential career success skill of self-promotion.  To help you effectively develop this skill, it is important to take a look at why so many women avoid it altogether.

As an Executive Coach for Women I have coached hundreds of professional women to achieve their goals.  I have worked with women in all regions of the country and from a wide variety of professional backgrounds.  I have observed that one of the most common roadblocks to success for women is self-promotion.  Most women are reluctant to engage in self-promotion and their careers suffer for it. 

Why do women shy away from talking about their achievements?  Here is what women say about why they avoid self-promotion:

 - “It’s not polite to brag.”
 - “Promoting myself is distasteful.” 
 - “People won’t like me if I talk about myself all the time.”

I believe as women we are way too hard on ourselves when we downplay our achievements.  Allow yourself the luxury of being proud of all you’ve accomplished.  Share your accomplishments with others in a tactful way, when the timing is right.  Modesty of course is good.  However, modesty to an extreme is detrimental.

The real reasons women avoid self-promotion stem from fear.  Theses fears include:

 - Fear of not being liked
 - Fear of rejection
 - Fear of failure
 - Fear of not being perceived as the “good girl”

Keep your fears in check and commit to promoting yourself on a regular basis.  Your long-term career success and fulfillment depend on it!

Until next week…
Maret

This entry was posted by Maret McCoy on August 13th, 2007 under Career with keywords .

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