Page 159 - Free Yourself From

142 It’s Not a Glass Ceiling, It’s a Sticky Floor

Many women I talk to assume that meeting their goals and getting
the results their boss wants will get them the credit they deserve. But
don’t assume people know anything about you that they don’t hear
about from you. This is true even if you are brilliant or you’ve achieved
some major accomplishments. Why? People are moving at such a fast
pace that they don’t have any more time than you do to proactively
look into other people’s pasts and their accomplishments. Even if the
person hired you and has read your resume (and talked it over with
you), it doesn’t mean all your abilities and experiences remain top of
mind to them. When something you’ve done previously—even a few
months ago—becomes relevant, it’s important and up to you to remind
others about it.
It’s easy to think that no one wants to hear you talk about your-
self (and yes, there are people who do it way too much), but I find
that people are curious beings and want to hear about the accom-
plishments, stories, and unique qualities of others. Moreover, it’s
always better to take opportunities to let people know what you care
about, what you are good at, and how your strengths and experi-
ence can help them along the way, than to let them make uninformed
assumptions about you.
Kathleen Matthews, a senior executive at Marriott International,
says, “If you want credit for what you do, you need to let others
know about it.” Kathleen says you can’t work in a cave as a leader.
You need to communicate what you learn, whom you know, and
what value you can bring to others. She also says that opportunities
to do that don’t always just fall in your lap. You need to proactively
seek out opportunities to be seen and heard and make your abilities
known. Above all, she says, don’t underplay you—false modesty has
no place in the executive suite.
Consider this: I gave a talk in Washington, D.C., to a round-
table of 20 up-and-coming women. No one knew each other and so
I asked them to introduce themselves and to share one thing they