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Back in the office: what to do to make it as inclusive as possible
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You’ve probably heard the phrase, “You have to know how to sell yourself.” If this idea makes many people cringe, that’s normal, because it’s not obvious to everyone! Yet it’s crucial to develop self-advocacy skills as an employee, and to encourage this within your team. Whether you’re in the early stages of your career or a seasoned leader, self-advocacy is a powerful tool for progressing in your work and getting noticed for what you’re worth.
In fact, this is the subject of URelles’ new training course: self-advocacy at work, which could also be called “taking charge of one’s career to achieve greater inclusion”; the aim is to provide the tools needed to develop this crucial skill.
What is self-advocacy?
Often referred to as self-promotion or personal branding, self-advocacy is the ability to showcase your skills, achievements and qualities in an honest and strategic way. Caution! It’s not about bragging, but rather about sharing what you accomplish with clarity and confidence so that people around you notice and value you for your professional skills.
Self-advocacy also means recognizing one’s needs as an employee and being able to express oneself, defend one’s interests and make oneself heard.
This can take a variety of forms:
- Ask for help, advice or clarification on how to perform a task
- Negotiating a pay rise
- Discussing schedule adjustments
- Share an idea or feedback that you feel can contribute to a project or general improvement
Why is self-advocacy essential for employees?
“A good 37% of the Canadian workforce feel they have to work harder than their colleagues to prove themselves. Unfortunately, women are almost twice as likely as men to express this impression (46% of women vs. 27% of men).”
As an employee of an organization, self-advocacy is a fundamental skill, whatever your level or position.
Firstly, it enhances your visibility. In a competitive business environment, getting noticed is crucial. If you don’t share your successes and skills, no one will know how valuable you are to your team. By developing your self-advocacy skills, you give yourself the opportunity to ensure that your efforts don’t go unnoticed.
Secondly, self-advocacy helps you accelerate your career progression. When you highlight your achievements, you attract the attention of your managers, which can open doors to promotions, more interesting projects or increased responsibilities. Without self-advocacy, there’s a risk that your achievements will remain in the shadows, which can slow down your career progression.
“More than a third of Canadians (36%) have been denied the same opportunities as their colleagues.”
What’s more, learning to promote yourself helps boost your self-esteem. By taking the time to recognize your successes and share them with your colleagues, you cultivate a self-confidence that is invaluable to your career. This confidence is an essential lever for maintaining your motivation and commitment at work.
Finally, self-advocacy plays a key role in workplace equity. In environments where some people are more comfortable than others in making their voices heard, it’s easy to find oneself undervalued. Self-advocacy reduces this bias and ensures that all contributions are recognized equally, which is particularly important in an inclusive approach.
“39% of employees who reported discrimination at work said they did not get the promotion or pay rise they thought they deserved. This number rises to 42% among women, and 46% among workers aged 65 and over.”
As an employer, why should you train your employees in self-advocacy?
For employers, encouraging self-advocacy within teams is a way of fostering a culture of recognition. Indeed, when employees are able to promote themselves constructively, they are more visible and their contributions are better understood. This creates an environment where every team member can feel valued, not only for their achievements, but also for their needs and aspirations.
Self-advocacy also helps optimize overall company performance.
By giving your teams the tools they need to express themselves assertively and respectfully, you help them identify and communicate their needs, defend their ideas and showcase their talents in the right way. When your employees know how to share their skills and express their needs, it improves collaboration and communication within the team. A team that feels free to share its expectations, ask for resources and highlight its successes is generally more committed and productive.
Training your employees in self-advocacy also means recognizing that everyone is different when it comes to self-advocacy. Some people naturally express themselves with ease, while others may feel uncomfortable or have barriers to putting themselves forward. Offering self-advocacy training levels the playing field and ensures that professional recognition is not reserved for those who have already mastered the art of making themselves visible. The aim is not to turn the workplace into a competition to see who can sell themselves best, but to ensure that every employee has the tools to be seen and heard fairly.
Finally, self-advocacy is a lever for developing leaders within your organization. By encouraging your employees to speak up and be heard, you help them take the initiative and position themselves as agents of change. This creates a culture of leadership and innovation, essential to the company’s growth.
Conclusion
Self-advocacy is much more than simply highlighting one’s achievements: it’s a skill that includes recognizing one’s needs and being able to express oneself and be heard. Whether you’re an employee or an employer, it’s essential to develop this skill in order to progress and ensure an inclusive and equitable working environment.
With our new training course on self-advocacy at work, we give you the tools to master this skill and apply it to your everyday life. Would you like to find out more about this training course? Contact us to discuss!
Photo from Polina Tankilevitch from Pexels
