Lift Yourself Up by Lifting Up Someone Else by Marc LeVine

“I’m not the smartest fellow in the world, but I sure can pick smart colleagues.” — Franklin D. Roosevelt

One of the most discussed topics among business professionals is how to properly get credit for success. It’s a touchy subject, because there’s a fine line between making others aware of our accomplishments and coming across as bragging about/to them.

The foundational questions are: who needs to know about our success; when; how often; and using which words?? These are often tricky questions to answer because there are necessary interpersonal calculations involved.? For example: the answer to who should know is simply our direct supervisor. This individual is the one held most accountable for our work and jointly responsible for our results.

Our performance appraisals come from our direct supervisors. They need to know everything about our work – including whatever they may have missed while busy doing their own work.? Co-workers? They likely already know a great deal about our efforts because they see them, daily.? Praising you is optional, so flaunting our accomplishments in their faces often comes off as tacky self-promotion.? Better that we praise them for their accomplishments and wait to see if they will return that praise. But only if we truly have earned it! Giving underserved praise is seen as being patronized by the one offering it. Avoid issuing empty praise. Instead, tie praise to the reason(s) it is deserved.

Dual promotion is a strategy of self-promotion that involves complimenting someone else while highlighting your own achievements. It can help us create a positive impression on others without appearing self-centered or arrogant. For example, we could say something like “I’m proud of the project we completed last week. My colleague John did an amazing job leading the team and I contributed by designing the user interface.” This way, we are showing our competence and our warmth at the same time.

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According to a group of recent studies, dual promotion can boost perceptions of warmth without harming perceptions of competence. It can also increase the likelihood of being hired, promoted, or chosen as a partner. Dual promotion is different from ingratiation, which is when we praise someone to their face or in their presence, it can make us seem more likable but less competent.

Dual promotion is not very common in practice, but it can be a useful tool for managing your impression and building your reputation. It can also benefit the person you are praising, as well as the relationship between you and them. However, it is important to be sincere and authentic when using dual promotion, and not to overdo it or use it in inappropriate situations. Otherwise, it may backfire and make you seem insincere, manipulative, or insecure.

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The Author

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Marc LeVine is a graduate of Syracuse (NY) University with a degree in Industrial Psychology, Marc is currently Talent Acquisitions Manager at Thermo Systems. He is the recipient of the Excellence in Talent Acquisitions Award from HR Awards in 2021.

Marc's prior employment includes senior Human Resources and Staffing Industry management roles with Edgewood Properties in Piscataway, NJ, Brickforce Staffing in Edison, NJ, InfoPro Inc. in Woodbridge NJ and Plainsboro, NJ and Harvard Industries in Farmingdale, NJ, a former Fortune 500 company. He also served as Director of Human Resources for New Jersey Press, the parent company of the Asbury Park Press, Home News and Tribune and WKXW-NJ101.5. Earlier in his career, Marc served as Director of Career Services and Placement at Union Technical Institute in Eatontown and Neptune, NJ. In addition, Marc owned and operated Integrity Consulting Associates, a New Jersey based Human Resources and Social Media Marketing firm for 11 years. Marc also served as Council President in his hometown of Freehold Borough, NJ