Linda Johnson (Conquer Self-Doubt)
Linda is a certified executive coach, management trainer and diversity trainer with additional certifications as a master business coach and organisational development coach. As an...
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Why Is Telling Your Story Important?
Tell your story, you have a story. It may have been a difficult one, and sometimes because we had to go through difficulty to get where we are, we invalidate the fact that we are where we are. Tell your story. Write it down. Other people need to hear it, but especially you need to hear yourself tell it. You belong here. You've earned it. You did it. Sit in that and enjoy it.
How Can External Validation Help?
Ask for endorsements or recommendations from your colleagues, from your mentors, from your supervisors, so you can have external and additional validation. If it sounds like I'm asking you to build a whole new LinkedIn profile, I kind of am, but it's for you. It's for to prove to yourself that you belong here, archive and reread those thank you notes and thank you emails. You might even have them hanging around your office somewhere. Take a look at them, bring them all together. This is all part of your treasure trove of evidence.
How can keeping a portfolio of your milestones help?
I'm going to recommend that you set up a treasure box, so for your treasure box, you're going to be gathering accomplishment, evidence. You're going to create a dedicated space and time to compile various tangible proofs from your achievements, like certificates that you have earned, awards, positive feedback. Even those emails where people said, good job, thank you so much. Wow, you came just in time. Keep a journal where you write down the successful project that you have led or you've participated in or you've completed. Write down the milestones you've achieved and even write down the compliments that you've received. We tend to brush those off, and for those who might have a lower sense of your achievements and your ability, you are ignoring these things. I'm saying to write them down. Use screenshots or take photos of your work in action presentations that you have completed. Projects. Put all of this together in a kind of portfolio.