4 Success Stories You Need to Tell About Yourself

Brief 

“Success statements” are good ways to demonstrate your business-focused contributions to senior leadership while showing off your communication, critical thinking and team leadership, writes executive coach Joel Garfinkle. “Remember that self-promotion is key in getting ahead, even when you have the best track record and great advocates speaking for you,” Garfinkle writes.

Insight

The process of creating success statements is to craft short pitches that accurately and positively portray the value you bring to your organization. These statements effectively highlight your skill set to those above you.

In my presentation “Reputations are Built on Perception,” I discuss the process of creating your success statement and the importance of both practicing and continually refining what you need to say. You need to be ready when the opportunity arises.

Start documenting your success statements today! Create a file on your computer, cloud or even your phone if it will help you get to it regularly. You can download a blank copy of this accomplishment template.

Here are tips on how to take your success statements to the next level.

Demonstrate an ability to get results

You may need to prepare a few success statements to use, depending on your audience. Think about the senior leadership you might have an opportunity to talk to, and what sort of results they would consider the most compelling.

Create your statements to match their interests.

• Do they focus on the bottom line? Talk about revenue lines or margins you’ve increased, or operational costs you and your team have helped to reduce.
• Are they tuned in to the workforce at your organization? Highlight your people management skills, team dynamic, improved interdepartmental relations, or increased employee retention.
• Know a certain process is a pain point for one executive? Mention the ways you’ve worked toward streamlining or reducing havoc in that area of the business.