A Woman’s Guide to Self-Advocacy and Visibility in the Workplace

Unfortunately, it seems we have a problem which requires the writing of this “guide.” A problem with women.

In the past couple of months, I’ve had the privilege of coaching fifteen mid- to senior-level women leaders at one organization, and conducting focus groups with another eighteen women across various levels at another organization. While the focus groups were focused explicitly on what it means to be a woman in the workplace, the coaching was not. But, both surfaced similar themes and similar challenges.

I was struck by the number of times women discussed being passed over for promotions, dealing with rudeness from direct reports who don’t respect their authority, and experiencing a profound sense of imposter syndrome that holds them back from speaking up. 

And, these women aren’t alone. A 2024 study by McKinsey found that for every 100 men promoted to manager, just 81 women are promoted. This is referred to as the “broken rung,” which prevents women from climbing the corporate ladder. And the numbers are even worse for women of colour.

So, how do we fix that broken rung? Or, at least patch it? Well, aside from exploding the patriarchy (a topic for another time!), some things we can focus on are self-advocacy and visibility

How to Advocate for Yourself and Make Your Greatness More Visible 

If no one senior knows, it didn’t happen. Find ways to tell your manager, or other leaders within your organization, about the great work you are doing. I know it feels like bragging or selling yourself, but it doesn’t have to. Share your wins in ways that feel more natural to you. For instance, it’s not “here’s a list of my accomplishments and why I’m great,” it’s answering “how are you?” with “I’m doing great – I am so excited about the deal I just closed; it was a real challenge but I think we’ll make a tremendous impact with this client and I can’t wait to get started.” 

Make sure the first item on every one-on-one agenda is a chance for you to share the progress you’re making, the wins you’ve had, and the ways you’ve delivered results. 

Your ideas are as valid as anyone else’s. The number of times I had to say this in coaching calls recently was staggering. Imposter syndrome is a real thing, but you can overcome it. Some changes start at mindset and then show up in behaviour. For imposter syndrome, I’d recommend starting with behaviour. What would you say and do if you didn’t have imposter syndrome? Force yourself to choose one behaviour you will fake-til-you-make and do it once a week for four weeks. That small change will likely shift your mindset, because when you speak up weekly in your all-team meeting and everyone listens and responds thoughtfully, you may realize that the quality of your ideas was never the problem at all. 

Share your thoughts in group meetings – set a goal, tell a work friend, and hold yourself accountable to speaking up more regularly.

You don’t have to accept what you don’t deserve. If you are experiencing rudeness or disrespect from colleagues or direct reports, this is terrible and I’m sorry. But you don’t have to silently accept this behaviour or choose escalation as your first response (unless it’s harassment, in which case escalate immediately). For many women I’ve worked with, calling out subtle rudeness and disrespect feels risky or hard. Again, choose a way that is less stressful for you. Instead of saying “Excuse me?! How dare you say that to me?!,” say “What did you mean by that?” 

Be sure to address disrespectful behaviour either in the moment or soon after the fact, to subtly assert your authority and your boundaries. If you let it slide, they’ll think it’s fine and keep on keeping on. 

Plot the course, don’t just ride the current. When it comes to your career, it’s important not to be passive. So many high-performing, hard-working women wait for someone to offer them a promotion and accept what’s given to them, whether they deserve more or not. But, don’t you want to be more than being a passenger in your career journey? This isn’t about being pushy or “ungrateful,” but about communicating your career goals and asking what it would take to get there. The key is to make it about the organization and what you can do for it – rather than about you and your needs or desires.

Ask about next steps in your career and communicate your vision for how you want to contribute.

Want to learn more about how we support women – and all leaders and team members – through development and coaching? Check out our leadership and team development services for more information.