I recently had a conversation with a colleague whom I greatly respect and greatly appreciate. This conversation definitely was not what I expected, but nevertheless it really got me thinking about something that's been bothering me for a while.
The topic of discussion was basically about making sure others know what you are doing and know of your contributions. In other words, what are you doing to 'toot' your own horn and make sure there is no confusion about the value you are adding.
Now, here's the thing, I honestly don't see anything wrong with people knowing what you are doing and knowing about the value you are adding to the organization.
The tricky part is how you go about doing this...
For some, sharing everything about themselves and their contributions is quite easy because they relish the spotlight. For others, it can be quite difficult as they wish to remain behind the scenes and out of the spotlight.
Finally, there are those in the middle who don't mind the spotlight occasionally, but are equally interested in sharing the spotlight with others.
The part of this conversation that hit home the most was how to balance ensuring others know the value you are adding without having to walk around and toot your own horn all day long.
Is it not enough to assume that others know what you are doing and know your worth?
Is it not enough to work behind the scenes from time-to-time while allowing others to be in the spotlight?
Is it not enough to step aside occasionally and empower others to share the value they are adding?
Or, is every time you step aside and remove yourself from the spotlight a missed opportunity to share your worth with others?
Keeping me up at night...