The Case for Self-Promotion - Building Gender Balanced Business

Since my book Beyond the Boys’ Club: Strategies for Achieving Career Success as a Woman in a Male Dominated Field has been published, I’ve been heartened by the level of interest and even enthusiasm from both women and men who are interested in what strategies it takes to succeed as a woman working primarily with men.

Like the women interviewed, most readers can recall the moment they realised they had to draw attention to their wins – rather than continue to wait, most often in vain, for others to reward their silent hard work.

“…it’s been my experience as an executive coach that men are quicker to recognise that savvy relationship building, high profile risk-taking, claiming credit and presenting your own ideas are some of the quickest ways to the top.”

One male interviewee recalled with clarity the moment in his career when he began to recognise he got much more kudos for being the person who presented the slide show and then took the client out for lunch, than as the person who painstakingly worked on the PowerPoint presentation until late into the night before.

It’s been my experience as an executive coach that men are quicker to recognise that savvy relationship building, high profile risk-taking, claiming credit and presenting your own ideas are some of the quickest ways to the top.

Self-Promotion is the Norm

Rebecca George OBE is a partner at Deloitte who explained in the book: “Keeping your head down and doing a good job won’t get you noticed on its own. Women in these fields need to realise that men spend at least ten percent of their time promoting their work. This doesn’t necessarily sound like a great deal, but it is half a day a week – much more than most women are putting into it. They don’t want to brown-nose.”

If you work in these fields, you have to understand that this is the modus operandi – and that if it is the norm for the men you are competing against, you need to get comfortable with a bit more self-promotion.

The men will not credit you with diligently working at your desk, but rather interpret your reticence to draw attention to your wins as a sign you’re not ambitious. What was your “a-ha moment” when you realised you needed to do your ten percent?

Suzanne Doyle-Morris, PhD is an author, academic, entrepreneur, international speaker and accredited executive coach specialising in strategic career development and leadership coaching for high-potential executive women. As a native of Washington DC who has lived and worked in four countries, Suzanne’s niche expertise has an international perspective, relevant for today’s flat-world marketplace.

Email: Suzanne@doylemorris.com
Tel: +44 (0)1638 742 298
Web links: BEYOND THE BOYS’ CLUB and DOYLEMORRIS