Career Communiqué Blog

Corporate success: 5 must-do career management strategies for women (and men)

Posted on 08. Dec, 2009 by Annemarie Cross in Career Advancement, Career Advice

This week on Career Success Radio, I interviewed Kate Southam from CareerOne.com.au on must-do strategies that enable women to succeed in the corporate sector.

The strategies Kate shared on the show were very good, so I thought I’d summarise while adding a few of my own tips. These are relevant across both genders, so if you have a tendency to be timid and shy away from self promotion, here are 5 must-do strategies to help you stand out and succeed within the corporate sector.
1. Be clear on your authentic personal brand and continue to be ‘on brand’ in everything you do.

Often, your qualifications, experience, skills and the projects you have worked on may be similar to your colleagues’; however, what can differentiate you from your peers is your personal brand.

So what’s a ‘personal brand’? It’s your reputation – the perception that others have of you, which can either be positive or negative. So how are you perceived by others in your workplace?

* What are you naturally gifted at, that your colleagues often struggle with?
* When looking at your achievements and successes, what strengths and talents can you portray?
* If people were to describe you in six words – would those six words reflect how you would describe yourself?

Why should you take the time to clarify your personal brand? Because once you are totally clear on what makes you unique, special and perhaps a little ‘quirky’ it’s authentic to you. No matter how many times others may try, people cannot copy you because it’s distinctive to ‘you’ and what will enable you to stand out confidently within the workplace.

2. Be aware of the successes and achievements you have delivered and how they have impacted the company rather than focusing on your tasks and accountabilities.

When marketing and pitching yourself for a pay rise and/or promotion – think benefits (the successes you have delivered for the organisation) rather than features (your tasks and functions), because results the company has experienced through your direct involvement will distinguish you from your colleagues in a far more powerful way.

Many of your colleagues are probably working on similar tasks as you. However, what will certainly differentiate you is by ‘how’ you performed these tasks and the measurable results, successes and achievements the company experienced.

* What issues have you overcome that supported the company in increasing productivity and efficiency? By how much?
* Have you streamlined existing processes? How has this improved performance?

3. Establish clear career goals to support ongoing development and exposure within the organisation.

During our interview, Kate mentioned that many women were quick to volunteer their time, however without too much thought as to whether the project would continue to support them in their professional growth. Men however, tended to volunteer for projects that would enable them to boost their profiles.

* Will the project allow you to develop new skills and experience to help you transition to a more senior-level role?
* Will you be working with influential people in the company with whom you would normally not associate, thus getting you known across the organisation?

4. Sharpen your communication skills and get to the point.

When contributing information to a discussion, some women tend to share the entire history leading up to the point they want to make. Rather than presenting your colleagues with an entire episode of ‘War and Peace’ (which could cause them to get distracted and lose interest in what you’re saying), get straight onto the facts. Be precise, brief and factual and share additional information only if asked.

5. Practice your negotiation skills..

Both men and women can be apprehensive when it comes to negotiating their salary or request for promotion – I know, as I’ve coached literally hundreds of clients across both genders in this area.

Studies have shown that your mannerisms and your voice are the two most important elements of communication, so be mindful of your body language, your tone of voice, speed, volume and pitch as you present your case as to why you should be considered for a pay rise and/or promotion.

Remember, prepare your case in advance and ensure you can provide measurable achievements/successes and reasons, and practice your communication skills so that you can deliver your presentation with confidence to ensure your request will be given the consideration it deserves.

If you want to listen to my interview with Kate Southam click here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/careercommunique/2009/11/29/must-do-strategies-to-enable-women-to-succeed-in-the-corporate-sector

Till next fortnight…

Annemarie

Tags: Career Advancement, Career Advice, personal branding