Are you downplaying your skills at work? Here’s how to stop.
We’ve all questioned our capabilities and doubted our skills at some point or another. But, if you’re constantly questioning your value and downplaying your skills at work, you could be standing in your own way and impeding the fulfillment, growth, and impact you desire in your career.
Here’s how to stop downplaying your skills at work:
Separate your feelings from facts
It might be tempting to downplay your skills or think less of yourself because of your surroundings, especially if you're at a new job, at a company you don't love, or in a thankless work environment. But, you have to separate your feelings from the facts of the matter.
For example, a recent client who accepted a job at a company she doesn’t particularly love found herself doubting the experience she’s gained and the impact she’s been able to make simply because she’s not working in her ideal environment. But, once she was able to separate her feelings from her impact, she realized that she’s made quite a difference as a leader on her team and has gained tons of insights that she can take with her as she advances her career.
Track your track record
You might find yourself brushing off your accomplishments if they didn’t require too much work, if they were a collaborative effort or if they’ve become normal occurrences. For instance, if you’re a business partnerships manager who’s naturally great at bringing in new partnerships for your company, you might begin to overlook the value of your efforts and downplay your contributions.
But, instead, you should acknowledge that you have a track record of excellence. Then, keep a record of the ways you’ve made an impact. One quick way to do this is by creating a folder in your inbox where you can save emails that speak to your results. This way, whenever you start to lose confidence or doubt yourself, you can return to the receipts of your hard work and accomplishments.
Don’t wait for permission to celebrate
If you’re in a work environment where you don’t feel valued or if you tend to hop to the next goal as soon as you cross off the last thing on your list, you might not think twice about celebrating yourself. But, not doing so could be adding to the imposter syndrome, comparison, and doubt you feel about your skills, work, and experience. If you never take a step back to celebrate how far you’ve come, you’ll always think you’re not far enough, good enough, or capable enough, which can translate to downplaying your skills at work.
So, instead of waiting for someone else to validate your efforts and results, give yourself permission to celebrate your achievements, no matter how big or small. It could be as simple as spending a few extra dollars on a nice lunch after a huge presentation you spent weeks preparing or as big as treating yourself to a weekend getaway. But, the key is to celebrate yourself even if others don’t. At the very least, those little celebrations will act as memories to help you recall the ways your skills have made a difference at work.
Connect with allies and sponsors, not just mentors
If mentors are essential to career growth, allies and sponsors are essential to career confidence. Mentors are great at helping you skip over trial and error with their tested advice. Allies are great at strategizing with you and supporting you, and sponsors are great at speaking highly of you in rooms you may not enter. Having these relationships in your corner can help you get out of your own way and combat self-doubt. Whether they currently work at your company or not, their vote of confidence in you and your capabilities can make a world of difference, so be intentional about finding and authentically building these types of relationships.
While you may have a habit of downplaying yourself or thinking less of your value and skills at work, the good news is that you can break that habit by taking small steps toward acknowledging, tracking, and celebrating your skills, results, and accomplishments.
Adunola Adeshola coaches high-achievers on how to take their careers to the next level. She is the author of the guide How to Go From Zero Interviews to Dream Job Offers.
