How to Communicate Professional Achievements

Your words are your currency. And every sentence is a deposit or a withdrawal in your career. Most people think strategy drives success. But often, it’s the story you tell — about yourself, to yourself, and around others — that shapes what comes next. Let me show you what I mean. A senior leader I coached — we’ll call her Maya — was up for a major internal promotion. Brilliant. Qualified. Respected. But in every stakeholder meeting, she kept saying things like: → I’m just here to support. → This might be a dumb question. → I don’t want to overstep. One day, she overheard an executive say: She’s incredibly smart. But I’m not sure she sees it. And if she doesn’t, how can we? That’s when it hit me. Maya wasn’t lacking competence. She was leaking credibility through language. Because every word you speak teaches people how to value you. Your language shapes your perception before your résumé ever does. Here’s what I teach high-achieving leaders to watch for: 1. Cut the disclaimers Instead of: “This might be a silly idea” Try: “Here’s a bold idea I’ve been considering.” 2. Speak in headlines, not hedges Instead of: “I was kind of thinking” Try: “I recommend” or “My take is” 3. Claim your wins out loud Instead of: It was a team effort Try: “I led the rollout and collaborated across teams. A special thank you to…” 4. Swap apologizing for articulating Instead of: “Sorry for the delay” Try: “Thanks for your patience , here’s where we are” Note: Use judgment to decide when an apology is truly necessary 5. Reflect powerfully, not passively Instead of: “I hope this makes sense” Try: “Let me know how this clicks for you” Every word you speak builds your brand in real time. Not the logo kind. The leadership kind. Your voice in meetings. Your framing in emails. Your tone in tense moments. That’s your real résumé. And it updates every day. Your words can open doors. Or quietly close them. Speak like the role you’re growing into. Not the one you’re shrinking to fit. Because in leadership, language is leverage. What’s one phrase you’re letting go of this quarter? Tag a leader whose words elevate every room. Follow Loren Rosario - Maldonado, PCC for practical coaching that works in real life.

When introverts like us think about highlighting our accomplishments, we immediately conjure up certain individuals in our organization who brag incessantly. You know who I mean, the one who when you ask how they’re doing they say, “ Oh well the Chief Operating Officer stopped by my desk to get my input on their major project and over the weekend I went on the CEO’s private jet and then ran a marathon with the mayor…” When we hear that we think the person is annoying and self-serving. So there is a good reason that we don’t want to be seen as “that person”. But if we don't share our accomplishments and skills, we miss out. 💡You need to understand that most leaders walk around somewhere between mildly anxious and in full-on panic over where they are going to find the right resources to accomplish the latest mandate. The only way we’ll know, is if you tell us if you have the relevant experience. Look, even your strongest champions can’t keep total recall of your resume in their heads. It is your responsibility to keep us informed if you have skills that might be relevant. 📣It’s not bragging. It's leadership. Not to mention, it helps you get the recognition you deserve. So forget about the long-winded, cringy person who you are so desperately trying to not be like. Use this strategy to share your skills and accomplishments the right way: Be concise in your statement of your accomplishments. Be relevant to the topic at hand. All you have to do is state your relevant experience and ask if they want to hear more about it. Here’s an example: A few years ago, I was working with a non-profit on their strategy. One of their focus areas was increasing the number of volunteers. In the discussion I said, “I worked with another nonprofit on that very topic and we implemented a volunteer management program that achieved a 1000% increase in the number of volunteers and $60K+ in corporate grants in 12 months. Let me know if you want to talk more about what we did”. You will not be surprised to learn that they in fact did want to talk more about it. #innovation #entrepreneurship #engineering #leadership #management #womeninscience #diversityandinclusion 🎁P.S. If you are an advanced-degree scientist or engineer looking to increase your influence and earning potential, grab a copy of my FREE 20-page Leadership Blueprint. You can download it from the Feature Section of my profile.

Like many of you, I learned that discussing my accomplishments was improper. I was taught to prefer modesty. I was taught to keep a low profile in regard to my own achievements, no matter how big they were. I was taught not to make waves or make myself stand out in any way. I was taught that if the work project was successful, I could not claim the credit, and I needed to give it to them. I was taught when people praised me to downplay it as fast and as convincing as I could. Because if I did not do all that, I would be seen as rude. Does this sound familiar? If it does, let me share how I unlearned. I saw people rewarded in the system who proudly spoke about their accomplishments. I saw that talking about accomplishments wasn’t considered rude but rather expected. Your work is not going to speak for you, no matter how hard you work. YOU need to speak about your work and your accomplishments. So, crank it up! I share the framework in The Law of Accomplishment chapter in my book UNLIMITED. Which step resonates with you? Framework 1.    List your accomplishments. 2.    Write your accomplishments narrative with data and proof points. 3.    Outline a list of settings (meetings, social media, networking circles) where you will be talking about them. 4.    Practice your accomplishment narrative. 5.    Tell it. 6.    Repeat. This is exactly what we discussed on the 99 Humans podcast with Jeff Lakusta. It is one of my favorite recordings; the conversation is simply amazing. Thank you to Nadia ✨ Carta for the invite. Give it a listen, and let me know what you think. https://lnkd.in/eP2E3-Ak

Do you hate the idea of selling yourself? Most people do. I won’t try to convince you to love it, but I want to help you to embrace it — because there are times in life when you need to be self-promotional. A job interview is the perfect example. Most people struggle to sell themselves in job interviews because it feels uncomfortable — they’re not used to talking about their achievements out loud. Others struggle because they are humble by nature or struggle with imposter syndrome. These feelings can sabotage the best attempts to convince the hiring manager that you’re the perfect fit. While I have no magic, instant solution, the actions that brought the best results to my coaching clients are: 1) Own your strengths Spend some time outlining at least 5 of your top strengths. For each one, write a few bullet points describing HOW you exhibit that strength. In most interviews, you’ll get some questions about your strengths (”Why should we hire you?” and “What makes you a good fit for the role?” are also strengths questions in disguise). Don’t force yourself to wing it when talking about your strengths. You’re likely to shy away from giving yourself enough credit. If you prepare, you’ll be much more likely to speak confidently and persuasively about what sets you apart. 2) Own your accomplishments Prepare your interview stories about your biggest professional wins. If you struggle to think of great examples, try doing a Success Inventory, where you “log” your wins, shoutouts, and nice feedback in one place. It helps with confidence and can spark ideas for new additions to your resume/LinkedIn profile. If you’re subscribed to my newsletter, look for this subject line in your inbox: Trick to talk about your achievements [TEMPLATE] in case you haven’t started filling yours in already. If you’re not subscribed but want the template, send me a message or comment “template,” and I will happily forward it to you via email. 3) Practice To truly get better at “selling yourself,” you have to practice out loud. Feel awkward and stumble during practice, not in a real interview. Practice will allow you to refine and adjust so you can be more self-promotional but still sound like YOU. By implementing these tips, over time, you’ll start feeling less and less dread when it comes to self-promotion. You don’t have to love this skill in order to use it to your advantage when you need it. If you’ve tried most of these and still struggle, send me a message. I’d love to help. : )

Are you someone who struggles to shout about what you've achieved? Have you ever been interviewed and been called out for using "we" instead of "I" in your examples, leaving the interviewer unsure of the role you actually played? I’ve been following Stefanie Sword-Williams FRSA (she/her) on her social channels for some time, have attended her engaging Zoom workshops, and am a big fan of her book, F*ck Being Humble. Stef and I recently chatted about the importance of getting comfortable with talking confidently about our achievements if we want to progress our careers in a fast-paced, ever-changing backdrop. Last week I had the pleasure of hosting a breakfast with Stef in NYC for a small group of fabulous professional women that I’ve met since moving to the city. Now I just want to clarify that I 100% understand the importance of humility in business success. There’s a big difference between someone congratulating you on an excellent piece of work and you responding with “I know, I’m f-ing amazing” vs saying “Thank you so much for acknowledging the work. I’m extremely passionate about the topic and put a lot of time and thought into it, and so I’m really pleased you noticed it too.” The latter example allows you to advocate for yourself without brushing off the compliment, yet offers a dose of humility without downplaying your achievements. Finding ways to unapologetically share our achievements is particularly relevant to women, who naturally find it harder to self-advocate, often for fear of sounding arrogant. My key takeaways from our time with Stef were: 👎 It’s time to ditch being generic. If your LinkedIn profile or the personal statement on your Resume say that you are strategic, hard-working, passionate, enthusiastic, or motivated… you can join the generic club. How do the people you work with really describe you? How does the way you show up help the company you work for? What unique benefits do you bring to a company? 📣 Your work won’t always speak for itself. Back yourself by getting comfortable with sharing work you’re proud of on your social channels, offering to speak on panels, and presenting at events. Showcasing your work, knowledge, and the value it brings, will in turn offer to others an insight into who you are as a leader.   ❤️ Give>Give>Give>Self-Promote. Remembering back to the piece about balancing self-advocacy with humility, intentionally build and nurture your relationships on the basis of what you can give rather than what you want to get. Give people your time, knowledge, and network. Once you’re known for being a giver, it’s so much easier to self-advocate, as the foundation of your relationships is based on what you give. Humble has a place. Just don't let it hold you back. 👇 I'd love to hear any thoughts or tips you may have in the comments below. And be sure to give Stefanie Sword-Williams FRSA (she/her) a follow!

Have you ever struggled with promoting yourself and your career without feeling like you're coming off as too self-promotional? You're not alone. As a mentor and coach, I get this question all the time, and it's a tricky balance. The good news is, self-promotion done right can open doors and propel your career forward. Here's my take on it: 1️⃣ Identify Your Unique Skills: What are your superpowers? Your strengths? Highlight these and build relationships with those who will value them the most. 2️⃣ Show Tangible Value: It’s not just about saying you’re good at something—demonstrate it! Use a career walking deck to showcase your experiences, results, and key wins. 📊 3️⃣ Build Relationships: Leverage your network, find mentors, and engage with sponsors. Your goal is to become the obvious choice for your next role by demonstrating relevant experiences and abilities. 4️⃣ Be Humble and Realistic: Acknowledge the challenges you might face in a new role. Show that you’re ready to tackle them with the right support and training. 🚀 5️⃣ Tell Stories: Instead of bragging, share stories about your successes, challenges, and lessons learned. Authenticity and clarity in communication are key. 🗣️ 6️⃣ Seek Feedback: Actively solicit feedback from those who will give you honest, constructive criticism. This helps you grow and improve continuously. 🔄 Remember: Self-promotion done right is about clarity and communication. It’s about showing your value in a humble and authentic way. Would love to hear your thoughts on effective self-promotion strategies! 💡 #CareerGrowth #SelfPromotion #ProfessionalDevelopment #Networking #Mentorship #Leadership #PersonalBrand #SuccessTips #LinkedInCommunity

Working from home isn't what's stopping you from getting a promotion. It's the fact you aren't turning your daily tasks into outcomes and communicating those effectively to your boss and their boss. I am mentoring a couple of folks right now who are trying to become managers. And, they're learning that to be a manager (even if it's not people management), you have to be able to communicate the impact of your work. 1. Know what matters to the business, but more importantly, your boss: I love a monthly report that shows the impact (pipeline or revenue) of my team's work that I can just put into a mgmt deck and my CMO appreciates the same. Less work and clear impact. If you need help refining that deck, ask for it. 2. How you do your job matters less than you think: It's easy to vet in the hiring process if someone can DO a job, that's not why I hire folks. I hire them to get the results. Don't tell me HOW you did the job (your list of daily accomplishments) tell me how your work moved the business forward. 3. More words are not better: Using more words to communicate in verbal or written form doesn't instill confidence in your capabilities. It makes it harder to understand and makes your manager more likely to follow up and dig in. Be concise in your communications, get to the point, focus on goal attainment, and be ready to answer questions. Don't word vomit! #management #promotions #marketing #pmm #contentmarketing #digitalmarketing

Reality Check Thursday is here!🚨 Let's challenge a common myth that often holds us back: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴. Growing up, I was taught to be humble and let my work speak for itself. While humility is a virtue, I soon learned that staying silent about my achievements wasn't serving me or my career. I missed out on opportunities because I was afraid of being perceived as boastful. It was a hard lesson, but it taught me the importance of advocating for myself. We often face this dilemma, especially as women of color. We worry that asserting our accomplishments might come across as bragging, but the truth is, recognizing and communicating our successes is essential for career growth. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝘆𝗼𝘂: 💎Advocate for Yourself: Ensure your hard work is recognized and rewarded. 💎Inspire Others: Your story can motivate and empower others to speak up. 💎Drive Change: Highlighting your achievements can pave the way for more equitable recognition and opportunities. So, let’s break the silence. As we end this week, I challenge you to share one professional achievement that you're proud of. It could be a successful project, a problem you solved, or a milestone you reached. Let's celebrate our wins together! Drop your achievements in the comments and let's support each other in owning our value. 🌟 I can't wait to celebrate with you! Don't be shy, let's see it! #SpeakUp #OwnYourValue