Whether you’re a recent graduate or an experienced professional, self-advocacy in the workplace is essential. Discover how to be a self-advocate at work.
Do you ever feel stuck in your career and unable to advocate for yourself at work? Self-advocacy is essential to professional development and can be the key to unlocking greater success. Speaking for yourself is essential, especially regarding receiving bonuses and promotions. Keep reading this article to learn how to self-advocate at work.
Practice Positive Affirmations
Practicing positive affirmations in the workplace is an important tool for self-advocacy. Affirmations can help to boost confidence, reduce stress, and increase motivation. By practicing positive affirmations, we can learn to believe in ourselves and our capabilities instead of doubting them. This can lead to improved mental clarity, increased productivity, and better relationships with colleagues.
Additionally, positive affirmations help us avoid fueling self-doubt. We all make mistakes, and it’s better to learn from errors and move on than dread them. This can help us approach difficult situations with more resilience and courage, allowing us to advocate better for ourselves in the workplace.
Draw Attention to Your Strengths
Knowing your strengths in the workplace can be a great way to become a better self-advocate. When you focus on and point out what you are doing right, it puts you in a stronger position to make sure that your employer notices your contribution.
Pointing out your wins boosts your confidence as you take more pride in your work. It also helps your employer recognize the value you bring to the company. If you work from home, this is especially important since your boss doesn’t physically see your hard work. In fact, pointing out your strengths is one of the best ways to get promoted working remotely.
Pro Tip
When talking with your supervisor, communicate goals and set deadlines. Keep track of these wins and bring them up the next time you talk to your boss to prove your hard work.
Trust Your Instincts
Another way to be a self-advocate at work is by trusting yourself when you feel sure of the right solution. Our instincts are deeply rooted cognitive processes that help us make decisions, assess situations, and ultimately decide how we should act. You become a better self-advocate by trusting and following your instincts in the workplace. When we trust our judgment, we are more likely to take ownership of our actions, which will help build self-confidence and respect from peers.
Furthermore, listening to our instincts can lead to higher productivity and job satisfaction. Taking risks based on our gut feelings can open up new opportunities that may not have been visible if we had chosen otherwise.
Ask for Help
Requesting assistance on projects or tasks allows you to receive guidance from a more experienced professional, which can save time and prevent costly mistakes. Likewise, asking for help demonstrates that you can acknowledge your limitations and be honest about them. In turn, this indicates to your manager that you’re open-minded and ready to receive feedback to better yourself and succeed as a team member. By gaining knowledge through the assistance of another professional, you can become a better problem-solver in the future. While self-advocacy can be challenging, it’s always beneficial and proves you’re worth it.
