Annual review with manager - dontou big yourself up or are you self-deprecating?

[MyrtleHannigan]

I have my review this week and I'm working on summarising my achievements and how I've tracked against my KPIs. By my reckoning, I've not done badly and I know where my development points are (not necessarily how to achieve them - that's a different conversation)

But I know that ibwill end up sitting with my manager explaining what I've done / achieved butbl how i know i can't take all the credit (work in proj management with a huge team). I'm awful at bigging myself up and always end up concentrating on what I couldve done better.

I don't want to self sabotage like this - is this common?

Excuse the glaring typos! Fat thumbed, not incompetent

People take you at your own valuation. Don't undersell yourself (says a chronic underseller).

I’m factual. I know my achievements, I’ve worked bloody hard to achieve them so yes, I do promote them.

I have imposter syndrome. For my last annual review, I confidently told it to fuck the fuck off.

Have confidence, have the conviction to shine a light on your achievements.
Try it.

oversell yourself but under promise results

I think it’s very common to self-sabotage or to feel awkward about telling people your achievements.

Look up the book Fuck Being Humble by Stefanie Sword-Williams - really helped me.

Especially as you get higher up, your manager won’t always see what you do day to day or see your outputs. So you absolutely have to tell them!

Write down all of your achievements before the meeting, but pretend you're writing about a good friend or colleague. You want tell your manager about how amazing 'your friend' is, so don't hold back. Then take your notes into the meeting and use them to talk about your achievements.

Sounds silly, but really works for me!

If you don’t know your own value, how will anyone else? Your appraisal is the opportunity to document your achievements and where you want to develop next. It’s ok to feel uncomfortable but don’t downplay your hard work. Everyone deserves recognition, get it down in writing.

I see avoiding self-deprecation as a feminist act.

but l how i know i can't take all the credit (work in proj management with a huge team)

This is the part I struggle with, as a team we are hugely successful - we won a couple of significant awards this year - it is pulling out exactly what I bring to the team I struggle to articulate sometimes.

Can you think about conflicts or risks you have stepped in and resolved / mitigated and can give as examples, or examples of leadership behaviours. Any recognition you have had from key stakeholders, especially on the WAY you work together with them to achieve those successes?

Speak about not just what you have achieved but how you achieved it.

Does you company have things like a list of leadership behaviours you can looks at and use those words in your review.

It’s definitely a thing self sabotaging- I saw this woman speak and it really made me assess how I spoke about myself https://www.fuckbeinghumble.com/ balancing achievements but not bragging

Some FANTASTIC advice given- thank you so much! I know i need to get into the habit of reframing. I'm dead confident elsewhere, don't know what happens to me at work!

Totally agree with this 👏