Next Move, Best Move

Chapter 10Embracing Your Voice in the Workplace

Career Affirmation: My unique voice is valued and needed in the workplace.

Standing up for yourself in the workplace is an extremely important skill. We can determine your core values, talk about personal and professional branding, and get clear on so many elements of who you are, but if you can't stand up for who you are in the workplace, then none of that information will come to light. One of the important lessons I've learned over the past few years is the difference between sharing sentiments and the ability to execute.

In a conversation with a manager, I had expressed needing more time on an assignment that was just dropped on my desk. In a culture where everything is needed yesterday and not by the end of the week, it's easy to fall behind. In many of the recent roles I've held, I've been asked to develop the strategies that may be executed by my team or another team in the office. Most professionals responsible for building out strategies know they come together best when they have time to thoroughly explore the scenario's full scope and plan alternative solutions to ensure they're accounting for all of the variables.

As the day was coming to an end, I was asked to deliver something by the end of the same business day. The end of the day in this role could mean well after 9:00 p.m., but all the same, it needed to get done immediately. While I know I am generally able to put together something phenomenal on short notice ...