Why Being Perfect is Bad For Your Career
Erin is known for being extremely effective. As a manager at a Fortune 500 company, she’s known for putting out fires and having a massive output. She is a very good soldier, and she knows it.
Unfortunately, it’s also holding her back.
When people enter my program, the first thing I ask for is a temperature check. How well do you know your brand? Rate it from 1-5. Most of the time, I get 3s. People have some indicators, but it's nebulous, and they can't articulate them.
Not Erin. She was 5s across the board. She *knows* what she's known for–her skills and strengths have great feedback to back them up. She rightfully believes she's doing a terrific job. But still, she's not getting promoted.
On the same form, I ask students:
If this is what you’re known for, what *should* you be known for instead?
This gives people pause.
For Erin, it made her realize probably 50% of the things she was known for are not the things she needs to be known for if she’s going to progress toward her long-term career destination and goals.
Erin was great at fulfilling others’ expectations. And it’s bad for her career.
Sometimes this is exactly what holds us back from the promotion:
Why purposefully lose someone who gets sh*t done?
The shift: Position yourself as someone who is much more helpful to the organization and department when you fulfill your potential.
How It Starts
In our early career, we often pursue our interests in supportive roles. We're already efficient so we execute, perform and receive praise. But praise without reward isn’t enough. At a certain point, something starts to give.
You might rightfully ask:
“Why am I spending all this time away from family, friends, interests & hobbies to feel unfulfilled?”
The Shift
Here is part of the process I take clients through:
1. Separate what you’re good at and what you actually want to be known for.
The skills you want to emphasize or gain.
2. Get clear on what the shift looks like and tell yourself that new story.
Invest in those new skills: Get certified, take a class, try to be in a different project (even if it's a little voluntary role to flex that emergent part of you).
Delegate other tasks you were formerly praised for (this is hard but necessary), so you can create room for other skills to shine.
Create new opportunities to flex those new skills. Think: "I kick ass at excel, but I'd rather be known for my visionary public speaking. There's a monthly breakfast where people speak. I'll do a 5-minute thing there." Join Toastmasters, volunteer to toast at your sister's wedding... whatever that might be.
3. Go and tell others
Being in motion on this new path for yourself is helpful here. If you're already doing what you're doing, it's easier to build a case to bring people (your manager, a hiring person) along on the ride.
To be considered for a new kind of project or seen in a new light, it's an easier sell if it’s clear the train has left the station: “I'm developing these skills anyway–here's how they could contribute to our organization’s objectives”
If at work, use all that goodwill to your advantage. If people really value you, they want to see you happy. If they want you in their productivity cage, you may be being used, hon.
4. Over time, frame your new brand as the key to your stakeholder’s needs.
How do these new skills benefit your department or organization’s objectives?
How does this investment in yourself apply to the next level role you’re going for?
This and many more lessons in framing your value so it aligns with your brand and message are in our new Career Strategy GPS program:
A 9 month online course & group program that gets ambitious, high performing womxn hired, promoted and paid for their leadership and expertise without overwhelm or overwork.
Interested?
Fill out a 3 question application for Career GPS
If you’re a fit, you’ll receive an invitation to a FREE Private Training