How To Be Your Own Best Advocate at Work

A client of mine—Jessie—was recently promoted into a big job. “Ginormous,” as she herself describes it. She’s excited and committed and all the things…but she’s anxious that she doesn’t have all of the tools and resources she needs to be effective.

“Have you asked for what you need to be successful?” I asked her.

She LOL’d. Literally.

“That would sound like an admission that I’m not ready for or capable of nailing this job,” she said.

I told her, “It’s time to talk self-advocacy.”

So we did. We covered the what, why, and how of self-advocacy in a few simple steps that I’d like to share with you today. Because maybe there’s something you want—a promotion, a spot at a conference, a leave of absence, a speaking opportunity—whatever it is, let’s talk about how you can be your own best advocate.

What is self-advocacy?

For me, self-advocacy is the simple act of knowing what you want or need, why you want or need it, and taking proactive steps in service of making it happen.

Why is self-advocacy important?

In short, because the world can’t read your mind and it doesn’t share your interior knowledge, feelings, instincts, or experiences.

When a new client calls and asks if I can design a custom program and deliver it next week, that client isn’t thoughtless or inconsiderate—they just don’t know what it takes to design a custom program. And I need to educate them—articulate a need for more time—through self-advocacy.

How do you self-advocate?

1. Know your what and why

Jessie was horrified by the prospect of asking for resources because she thought it would make her seem unqualified for the job.

But really it’s a question of basic math.

In her new role, Jessie was tasked with meeting some big objectives. And she simply didn’t have enough people, tools, or access to deliver.

By being clear and specific—“I need a communications person, a partnerships leader, access to XYZ platform, and a dashboard with ABC metrics to track our progress”—she was able to seem in control and command.

Further, by being able to articulate a clear why—“Without these resources, I won’t be able to produce the campaigns to achieve the 10% growth our leadership team is expecting”—she’s communicating that she’s not asking out of fear, but clarity on what’s required to get the job done.

So what’s something you’re hoping to make happen? Are you looking for...

Keep reading on Quick and Dirty Tips