We’ve previously published articles about using a brag sheet to amplify your narrative as well as how to make it a business case for your career. That same brag sheet can be beneficial far outside the walls of your current organization, specifically for your career and personal development. 🎯
In fact, investing time into creating and updating your brag sheet is also an investment in your career. As we transition into a new year, consider how you can leverage your brag sheet outside your day-to-day.
When your brag sheet helps you
It can be difficult to pause and take a breath most days, let alone dedicate time to developing a brag sheet. But looking at this project as not only a business case for today, but also an investment for tomorrow will help you find the motivation to prioritize it. 📅
Here are just a few of the avenues that directly orbit your day-to-day where you can leverage your brag sheet to help yourself:
- Performance evaluations: Brag sheets will not only expedite compiling a self-review, but will also ensure you don’t forget important projects, achievements, and accomplishments. You’ll use it to track your accomplishments on a regular basis — an easy reference when writing reviews, instead of relying on your memory or doing consuming meeting-specific research.
- Speaking engagements & thought leadership: When you engage in public speaking, write articles, or establish yourself as a thought leader in your field, a brag sheet acts as a personal knowledge base and can provide data & anecdotes needed to support your expertise.
- Networking & mentoring: Sharing a brag sheet with mentors or colleagues can help provide more targeted advice and guidance based on your strengths & gaps.
- Advancement: You may need to demonstrate your readiness to take on higher-level roles and a larger portfolio of business.
- Job Interviews and Career Advancement: A brag sheet can help you prepare for job interviews and present a strong case for your qualifications and accomplishments.
Building the brag muscle
Bragging doesn’t come naturally for many of us. On the surface, confidence is often seen as something you are either innately good or bad at. But bragging is a skill like any other negotiation tactic that should be practiced & perfected.
If you’re feeling stuck, start with the soft stuff. Soft skills & anecdotal feedback can be fast & easy to compile. Start looking for feedback you received about projects you led or create a list of your superpowers & where those have manifested. How are others already talking about you? What are the attributes you would like associated with you? What are you really good at?
Treating your brag sheet as a living document will help you build that skillset. Talking about your accomplishments regularly trains both you and your manager & advocates, so workout & stretch this muscle. Once it’s built, you’ll realize it’s a skill that does come naturally. 💪
Side effects include…
If you’re still not convinced of the incredible benefits a brag sheet provides, consider the additional impact it could have on your development overall. 🏆
- Improve confidence & motivate: A brag sheet can serve as a personal confidence booster. You can use it to look back at your accomplishments and be reminded of the scale of your skills and abilities.
- Act as a guide: Your top short-term & long-term goals will be a focal point of your brag sheet. This means it can be used as a north star guide — which helps us live in our values, make informed decisions, and prioritize accordingly.
- Combat imposter syndrome: A brag sheet is your repository of the incredible work you’ve done — tangible evidence of accomplishments, experiences, and positive feedback. Having this info readily available can help remind you of your competence & banish imposter syndrome.
- Objective self-assessment: Your perception of your abilities can be distorted. A brag sheet allows for an objective self-assessment. You can see your progress and realize that your contributions are significant and valid.
- Normalization of self-promotion: As mentioned above, a brag sheet encourages you to build the bragging muscle which encourages you to practice self-promotion in a structured and truthfully manner.
So brag sheets aren’t just tools for crafting a stellar review, they come with positive side effects too. These traits have been proven to be important in advancement, promotion, and negotiation. In these ways, your brag sheet can act as a tool for your own development. 🔧
The brag sheet investment
Your brag sheet will become an investment in your career, so make sure it’s always current. Constantly remind yourself that it is the business case for the here & now, as well as an investment for the future.
Brag sheets come with positive side effects too. They can improve confidence, offer motivation, act as a guide to your North Star, and disqualify imposter syndrome — all traits we know are important in advancement, promotion, and negotiation. Use it to spur your personal development & vision!
Source image: Library of Congress