One Mindset Shift Women Need to Succeed

Do me a small favor, grab a sheet of paper...

Got it? Now answer this question: How comfortable are you with sharing your value?

Think about it; now write down your answer (using a grade A-F) on your sheet of paper.

How do you compare?

So, what grade did you give yourself?

The vast majority of women I speak with (65% or so) give themselves a solid C. A few fall in the B-zone (10%). More than I would like are failing; 20% give themselves a D or F. And the rest, a small portion of women, feel comfortable but not always sure that they're going about it the right way.

Cocky is a bad word (double standards be damned)

Why do most women feel very uncomfortable with sharing their value?

Because it feels like bragging, and you've been taught from the time you were in diapers to be humble, to use 'we' instead of 'me', to make others shine while you stand in their shadows, to believe in yourself while keeping it to yourself.

So when someone like me tells you that you need to clearly, confidently, and compellingly let others know what you bring to the table and the impact you can make with those skills, you squirm. This goes against everything you've been taught.

(Interesting fact - I'm often told, "In my culture girls and women are taught to be humble." I've heard this from women raised in European and African countries, from American women as well as women from all over Asia and Latin America. This is a universal teaching social rule, it's not just you, it's all of us).

FACT?- If you don't own + share your value, no one will know you belong at the top!

I know you don't want to hear this, but if you want a promotion, if you deserve that raise, if you're adamant that you WILL be hired by that company you love to do a job that makes you feel like a million bucks (and earns you a high six-figure salary), then you're going to have to promote yourself.

Bosses, clients, and teammates appreciate your contributions, but they've come to expect a stellar performance from you. No one is really keeping track of your work or your results.

Except for you...?you know what it takes day in and day out to produce those results. You know what kind of impact you make for your team and your clients. You know what it takes to be this good, and so it's your responsibility to share that with every person who relies on your hard work to succeed.

It is your responsibility to educate others about your value. And, it's your job to let them know how you want your skill positioned.

It's not bragging...

Coaching isn't just about learning skills and holding people accountable. A big part of successfully coaching someone to the top is mindset transformation, which is where being a psychologist comes in very handy.

One of the biggest mindset shifts I help women make is owning their value without embarrassment or guilt, so you can effortlessly speak to your value without feeling gross or full of yourself.

Here's the secret, when you take the time to explain to others what you bring to the table, how you excel at it, and what you can do with that skill set, you are actually helping them. Articulating your value provides ESSENTIAL and very important information. Thanks to you, they'll finally know exactly where to go to get the help and support they so desperately seek and need.

REPEAT AFTER ME --> It's not bragging, it's helping.

You're not full of yourself, you're speaking factually about the service you can provide. You're educating people, not making yourself feel good; there's a context to your sharing.

You DON'T need to like talking about yourself. You will have to learn how and where to do it well if you want to be seen, recognized, valued, hired, promoted, and paid very well for your skill.

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Your turn to practice:

Got big ambitions? Great! Here's what you're going to do?today.

1. Think of one skill you bring to the table - make it something you love and are good (if not excellent) at.
2. Come up with 2-3 ways you've used that skill in the last year to create real impact or success for your company or your team.
3. Read this article and use one of those opportunities to share your value.
4. Go to the comment for this article and let me know which skill you're choosing, where, and when you're going to share it; I'll help keep you accountable.

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Take it from our Noteworthy women who regularly share with our community their successes:

• "Last week on my new company all hands I was asked to introduce myself. Using my value articulation I formed an outline to guide me and the President?told me it was the best intro on the call so far and that it showed self-awareness. He said I was off to a great start." Jen, Renewal Energies
• "The last two weeks I have interviewed for two director-level positions and both went very well.?Many thanks to?@Alessandra Wall?for so much helpful coaching on how to communicate one's value. Now I have to make a decision where to go!" Jess, BioTech
• "Finally starting a new position in my organization!??Big THANKS to?@alessandra?for all her help in getting me to understand and articulate my?value! Took me so long to get there but finally did it" Nilufar, Public Heatlh
• "[Our] session this week on value/skill identification was timely, had my performance review yesterday and was rated as exceptional! More importantly felt a bit more empowered to have an honest conversation about not only what I bring, but more importantly what I'm looking for and what I haven't been getting in my current role." Kendall, BioTech

Remember, it's not bragging, it's helpful! Your teams and clients need what you bring to the table, they just don't know you're the one who can deliver that impact for them.

Here's to you and your next big win!

About Dr. Alessandra Wall & Noteworthy

I have a big problem to solve. Every day thousands of incredibly smart, driven, hardworking, and accomplished women are feeling unseen, undervalued, and underpaid. They're falling out of love with their work and contemplating leaving their jobs when there's so much left for them to achieve.

At Noteworthy we're committed to helping women in leadership show up more powerfully and own their value so they can be successful and change the world.

Personally, I want to see so many women in positions of leadership that it's no longer noteworthy.

To achieve this vision we work directly with?women leaders in STEM and finance?to help them articulate, plan, and build careers that are wildly successful and deeply satisfying. We also realize that some serious change is needed at the systems level, so?we collaborate with companies and forward-thinking leaders who genuinely care to retain, support, elevate, and attract amazing professional women in STEM and finance.

• Connect with me on LinkedIn?here
• Choose the support that works for you?here
• Would love to guest on your podcast, email me [email protected]