Inclusion 101: Advocating for Yourself in the Workplace BONUS

This is a bonus article in our “Conquer Your Career” series; a series designed to empower, uplift, and encourage you to build the career YOU want and in order to do that, you NEED to advocate for yourself. That advocacy includes vocalizing your need for safe spaces, respect, inclusion, and representation.?

This time, we’re talking about advocating for yourself in the workplace. If you haven’t read Part 1 of this article, take a moment to read it before diving into this one.?

?It may not feel natural to approach a supervisor, colleague, or HR Officer and request your needs. This is why it is important to first work on your mindset when it comes to advocacy. Understanding your thoughts, beliefs, and fears around the topic is what will help you move forward.?

To begin, you can start by asking yourself the following.?

? What is advocacy to me?

? Why is it important?

? How do I want to advocate?

? What risks am I willing to take?

? Am I uncomfortable with advocating for myself? If so, why?

?After answering these questions, you should realize that you are learning even more about yourself in the process (yay for reflection!)

?Now the best part of this process is beginning to understand your “why” behind advocating for yourself. Knowing your why gives you the courage and confidence to stand behind what you are asking for. Start by asking yourself.??

? What is the end goal or intended outcome?

? What difference will this make in my life?

?Being clear on your purpose of advocacy will allow you to smoothly transition into the how, what, and when at the workplace. Also, a great confidence boost is reminding yourself of your positive attributes, your impact, and what makes you unforgettable and irreplaceable. Write these down if you need to.?

?Now that you have your why, purpose, and confidence boost, it’s time to get into what you can advocate for at work.?

Advocating for respect?

Advocating for respect is a tricky one because you want to make sure that you’re treated with respect, but a lot of people think they’ll be fired if they speak out too much. They don’t want to bring too much attention to themselves or the situation, so they suffer in silence. It’s easier said than done, but if someone is being disrespectful, it’s best to ask them to stop right there at the moment. It’s going to be uncomfortable, but people need to be held accountable for their actions. When you don’t speak up, the person continues their toxic patterns. Next, you should document it and then file a report with HR. Make sure you document the incident in detail and keep a copy of the report for your records.?

?It doesn’t matter if your HR department is a HOT mess and doesn’t do anything, you need to document it with them. Even if they don’t have a reporting system; email them and keep a copy of the email for your records.?

Advocating for representation?

Representation in the workplace is essential for an organization to truly thrive. Why? Your voice, opinion, outlook, and experience deserve… actually, scratch that, NEED to be heard. Historically company leaders have lifted the voices of those who look and act like them. This means marginalized groups have had their voices repressed. So, how can you advocate for representation in your workplace? By bringing awareness through starting conversations.?

?Reach out to a leader you trust (try to follow the chain of command if possible) and ask about becoming a part of committees throughout your organization. Try to select groups and teams that make impactful decisions (i.e. policies and programs that impact operations or the community). Do not be shy to take on leadership roles, for example, volunteer to be a facilitator so that you can guide conversations and make room for everyone in the room to speak up. Once you’re comfortable in your new role(s), ask others who normally go unheard to join as well. The more voices you can help lift up (including your own) the easier it will become to create impactful change and make representation the norm in your workplace and others.?

Only accept the best!?

As you can see, there are many ways to advocate for yourself in the workplace. While each situation may present its own unique challenges, it is always important to remember your end goal. What else is important? Knowing and believing that you are worthy of advocacy. You deserve safe spaces, respect, and inclusion at work. Under no circumstances should you ever accept less.

We’d love to hear about your experiences with advocacy. Have you done it? Thinking about it? Let us know in the comment section below.?

Chelsea Jay is a Nationally Certified Resume Writer (NCRW), Online Branding Expert (NCOPE), and podcast host of “Chelsea’s Career Corner.” She also holds certifications in career and life coaching.?

Chelsea is known throughout the career development industry for her bold, unapologetic, and straight shooter methods when it comes to tackling the job search, building professional brands, and climbing the ladder quickly (with less stress). She helps professionals across the globe rebuild their confidence, improve their mindsets, develop (and execute!) goals and most importantly, building a career with purpose.

Portia Obeng is a social media strategist with nearly 10 years of experience in social media strategy and content management. She started before Snaps were chatted, Instagram had stories, and Tiks were toked; and her current specialties are Instagram and LinkedIn.

?She works to help people and organizations understand how they can use social media, not let social media use them. She encourages them to step away from continuous mindless scrolling and figure out how to use social media to enhance their work, lives, and personal brands.?

?Portia loves being Ghanaian, spicy food, dancing, live music, listening to podcasts, experiencing new countries, and reading a good book (preferably on a beautiful beach in Ghana).

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