Tell your story.
Marketers have a concept called “share of voice”, where you want your product to be represented in the discourse in a similar or greater proportion to the share of the market it holds.
A similar principle applies at work. If you are not telling the story of what you and your team are doing, somebody else is. And generally that somebody is more political and power-oriented than you are.
If you don’t speak, they are setting the discourse through which teams will be evaluated, one where they will likely look better. So tell your story and ensure that you have an appropriate share of voice within your organization.
You might say “It shouldn’t be this way. My work should speak for itself.” But most organizations don’t work that way, because the leaders are busy and don’t have time to figure out everything that is happening. Make their lives easier by telling the story for them, rather than expecting them to put in the effort to understand why your work matters. Just tell them.
How have you advocated for yourself in this way?
#power #communication #leadership