Tory Johnson: Don't 'Just/But' Yourself Out of a Promotion
Oct. 24, 2005 -- -- Do you ever talk yourself out of doing things you know you should do? Does fear of failure or worry about embarrassment prevent you from tackling important goals?
I constantly witness women sabotaging their careers with such behavior and it winds up costing them the positions, pay and promotions they deserve. In conversations, they often qualify their accomplishments, with two naughty little words: "just" and "but."
Take a look at the all-too-common "just" scenario.
For anyone who expects to get ahead, it's essential not to sabotage your success by diminishing your role. People will often see you in the light in which you present yourself. When you appear to lack confidence in yourself, you're treated as someone who's not confident.
It's equally important to be willing to celebrate your successes. When it comes time to look for a new job or pursue a promotion or raise, your past performance is likely to be the best possible indicator of your potential for future success. In other words, what kind of performer were you? What kind of track record do you have?
People who shy away from touting their prior accomplishments and sharing their track record of success will not earn the same money or seniority as those who do so with confidence and ease.
By the same token, you can't use the fear of failure as a crutch to get out of taking chances to advance your career. Some common "but" examples:
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