Wait and People Will Notice Our Work Is a Lie — Speak Up to Reclaim Our Work
We own the credit of our work!
I am sick of tired of people assuming ownership of my work.
It is my work, to begin with.
And it is not that I allowed the credit to go to someone else. It will, if I choose to,
- Stay quiet,
- Have someone else do the pitch,
- Have the audience associate that person’s pitch with my work.
When that happens — Prepared by Aldric at the bottom right of the final slide no longer matters.
No one reads that.
People will only remember the person on stage.
I Remember Feeling Indignant
You name it. I harbored it.
I was…
- Disgruntled,
- Indignance,
- Resentful,
- Incensed,
- Irritated,
- Furious,
- Peeved,
… and then some.
It was like the fruit seller at the market getting a compliment for the crunchy apple from the buyer. The fruit seller grinned. I sulked.
I was the wallpaper farmer eating sour grapes.
It can be as simple as that. As petty as that. As disappointing as that.
7 years into my corporate career, I decided enough was enough.
I needed to break out of my Type B cocoon.
Annoyance is Energy — Use It to Overcome Cold Turkey Fear
I remember my first presentation on stage.
Standing in front of an audience. Behind that wooden lectern. Before the giant screen.
I was spooked. Trust me. As prepared as I was, I went ___.
It took me a while to finally figure out my visual anchor. Avoiding direct eye contact was that small step in the right direction. Clearing my throat was the next.
“Good morning, gentlemen and ladies. Welcome to my presentation. Tonight, I will be speaking on the topic of…”
Okay, look. I am glad I got the words out, even though the sequence is a little… off.
So were my tenses.
Oh, the expression also.
The Dale Carnegie course instructor had a hard time holding his laughter in. I could tell that he was exploding inside.
But the funny thing is.
Things got way better as I got past the introduction.
It turns out that Albert Einstein was right when he wrote E = MC2. Energy is motion, and motion creates energy.
Psychological positivity feeds on itself. With time, the virtuous cycle spirals forward without me noticing.
Find a Message You Believe and Talk About It
There are things you believe in. Say it.
Because when you do, you say it with affection and conviction.
One of my coursemates in the DC course believed in speaking up for those working from home. Shirley would present her core ideas week after week.
- “Working from home does not equate to delinquency. We deliver.”
- “Is there a difference between attending meetings virtually or face-to-face?”
- “Why waste time commuting? It’s silly.”
Shirley is one hell of an effective speaker when she is provoked.
Of course, no coursemates pricked her with a porcupine. She captured her emotions from work, bottled them in, and let them out during her stage time.
Watching her speak taught me one thing.
Do not shy away from benign conflict. Engage. Be heard.
Because the truth is, we have ideas worthy of spreading.
Geez, I sound like Chris Anderson from Ted Talks.
Reclaim Your Airtime in the Office
Start from meetings.
Pick the most boring ones to work on your craft.
- Status updates.
- Project milestone progress.
- Weekly department catch-ups.
Here’s why.
You have all the upside and literally zero downside.
No one gives a shoot during these boring update meetings. Many people hate their jobs. They loathe their bosses, too.
I bet they cannot wait to leave the meeting room.
So, take a chill pill.
Get comfortable updating the progress of your work. Start small. Make yourself heard.
Aim for 5 minutes. Next week, 6.
People will notice your change. I guarantee.
And you will be able to express your ideas with clarity. That will build a solid foundation for verbal defense as required (Working late at night again? Why?).
Let Your Voice Style Your Work
Words can be copied.
Voice cannot. Style cannot.
Our personalities emerge when we speak. Respectful? Gracious? Disagreeable?
Our audience remembers that.
“Oh, I remember that guy presenting the proof-of-concept. He sounds very calm and composed. He knows what he is talking about. The sales guy seems unprepared.”
Guess who the prospect will be having a conversation with during the Q&A?
No prizes for the correct answer…
If It (Still) Sounds Daunting, Go Social Media Style.
Starting the ball rolling is never easy.
If you need a nudge — Here’s one.
Get yourself comfortable by responding. Do what social media gurus have always preached.
- Instead of posting content, engage and comment.
- Instead of initiating a conversation, respond to them.
It works by building your speak-up self-confidence, one step at a time.
In Parting
“It’s sell or be sold, buddy.”
Sounds familiar. You bet. Grant Cardone said it.
You might think it is not too bad to be sold. I don’t have to do the selling! I hate that!
My personal experience tells me… that is a bad idea.
Because you never know how others will sell you down the river for their own interests. Avoid that.
Instead, reclaim ownership of your work. Speak up.
Let people associate your work with you.
That way, your work, and you, will shine.
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