It never fails! There is always someone in the office who wants to talk only about what he has done. If it’s not about him, it’s usually about his kids, a vacation they recently took, or the electric car he purchased over the weekend.
It’s always something, right?
We You should talk about the good things that happen to you. The point of this article is not to discourage you from sharing good news. However, you must avoid the endless focus on yourself. When you do, others often become envious. In some cases, people really don’t care that you are experiencing positive events in your life.
Here are three reasons you should temper your enthusiasm and avoid talking about yourself:
#1: Your boasting can alienate others.
If you are doing well, others will know. There is no need to speak endlessly about the MBA you just earned, or the promotion given to you during the last round of performance evaluations. Your accomplishments are important to you, but other people in your office are more concerned about where they fall in the pecking order.
Your management team should know about your accomplishments. Put together a brief email detailing your recent success, and send to your manager. Of course, you must add to your resume. You can now move on to the next goal on your list.
#2: Others can sabotage your career.
While a few of your close friends might be happy to hear that good things are happening for you, others will look for ways to put you down. Those who are doing nothing to improve their careers will assume the spoiler role.
Here are a few comments you might hear:
- “I can’t believe she is working on her MBA. She should spend more time taking care of her kids. I hear her husband is basically the mother and father to the kids.”
- “He took that promotion to Shanghai mostly because no one else wanted to go. He’s in for a rude awakening with that position. I’m sure that culture shock will bring him back to the States with his tail between his legs. He’s stupid!”
“From what I’m told, her raise is only 5%! I received a 3% increase, and I never work on the weekends. I’m glad she’s doing all the hard work. Think of it … she earned only 2% more than me. I’ve got this system figured out!”
#3: Leadership focuses on the success of others.
While your accomplishments are important, and should not be ignored, you must spend most of your attention helping others succeed. Once you reach a new plateau, some positive-minded people will come to you for guidance. Take the time to show them how they can reach important milestones in their career. If they do not come to you at first, look for opportunities to share your information. When you help others succeed, you become a difference-maker, and these actions will lead to big opportunities.
We all desire to share our accomplishments. That is natural. However, let’s be careful with our approach. Instead of telling others how much better you are, you should consider a servant leadership role. In essence, you use your position and knowledge to help others realize their goals. This strategy will bring more value to your organization, and will undeniably provide you with a higher level of self-fulfillment.