Strategies for Advocacy in the Workplace

Most leaders think advocating for the women on their team means giving good performance reviews and saying nice things in the hallway. It doesn't. (But keep doing those things too.) Real advocacy for women is specific, public, and strategic. It happens in the rooms they aren't in yet. It names names, credits ideas, and makes a business case. And it requires language most of us were never taught (I certainly wasn't) because most of us learned to lead by watching people who weren't doing it either. The result is that too many talented women stay invisible, under-rewarded, and under-promoted.. Their ideas get repeated by someone else and applauded. Their work gets presented by someone else and rewarded. And somewhere, a very mediocre guy is getting a fancy new title because his manager won't stop saying his name. You can change that. And it starts with what you say, out loud, in public, with specifics...and over and over again. Here are 10 phrases worth adding to your leadership vocabulary: 1. "Before we move on, I want to make sure we hear from [Name] on this. They've been leading this work." 2. "I want to call out [Name]'s contribution to this success. Without their [specific action], we wouldn't have achieved this." 3. "Let me amplify what [Name] just said, because it's a critical point..." 4. "I'm nominating [Name] for this high-visibility project because they have the skills and they're ready for the stretch." 5. "I want [Name] to present this to the executive team. They own this work and should get the credit." 6. "I'm putting [Name]'s name forward for [opportunity] because they've demonstrated [specific capability]." 7. "I'm concerned about the pattern I'm seeing in promotions. Let's look at our data by gender." 8. "I heard [Name] make that same point five minutes ago. Let's give them credit for the idea." 9. "[Name] needs [specific resource] to deliver on this strategic priority. Here's the ROI..." 10. "I'm advocating for additional budget for [Name] because their work directly impacts [business outcome]." Women have a visibility problem because they have an advocacy gap. Start closing it with your words, in the rooms that matter. Which of these do you use? Which one do you wish more leaders would say?

I stopped treating speaking up like classroom participation and started treating it like market share. Because women don’t get talked over because they’re quiet. They get talked over because people underestimate their authority. You can repeat yourself louder. You can explain your point three different ways. But if you don’t shift the power dynamic, you’ll stay invisible in plain sight. ✅ How to be heard in the workplace (the real playbook): 1️⃣ Anchor early. Speak in the first five minutes of a meeting. Silence = invisibility. 2️⃣ Own the frame. Don’t just share information - shape the discussion. Frame the issue before others can. 3️⃣ Claim credit. If you make a point and it’s repeated later, reclaim it: “To build on what I shared earlier…” 4️⃣ Use sponsor amplification. Line up allies before meetings. A sponsor repeating your point makes it harder to dismiss. 5️⃣ Ask the power question. Questions shift rooms. Instead of facts, ask: “What’s the trade-off we’re willing to make here?” That forces leaders to engage with you. 6️⃣ Cut the apology. Stop padding ideas with “just,” “maybe,” or “I think.” Drop the disclaimers. Speak clean. 7️⃣ Interrupt strategically. Don’t wait forever for space. Step in: “I want to build on that before we move on.” It’s firm but not hostile. 8️⃣ Control your posture. Authority isn’t only in words. Sit tall, hold eye contact, keep your tone even. People hear presence before content. 9️⃣ Bank your receipts. When you’ve been right on strategy, outcomes, or calls, make sure leaders know. Past credibility buys future airtime. 🔟 Engineer proximity. Side chats, pre-meeting briefs, offsites - the quieter rooms often shape the louder ones. Be in those spaces. We call it “speaking up.” The powerful call it “setting the agenda.” And if you think volume alone will make you heard, you’re already tuned out. P.S. Want the complete playbook? Join me and Jingjin Liu on Thursday. https://lnkd.in/gS2V-a9c Do you feel your voice is heard in the rooms that matter?

Internal selling and influence within your organization are often overlooked yet crucial aspects of career success. Influence is not something that is handed to you; it is earned over time. Throughout my career, I have learned that winning the internal crowd is essential before you can make an impact externally. To become influential in your organization and gain the support of senior leaders when it’s time to close a deal, consider these strategies: 1. Get People in the Boat With You Build a movement, not just a deal. Involve others early in the vision, including marketing, tech, leadership, and partners. Elevate those around you, and when success comes, it’s a collective win. 2. Win the Crowd Establish credibility with those who can fund and advocate for your initiatives. Add value before making requests. When colleagues see your commitment to the team, they will be more inclined to support you. 3. Speak Leadership’s Language Bring solutions, not just challenges, to your leaders. Demonstrate that you have considered options, implications, risks, and rewards. Executives want to trust your path and believe in your vision. 4. Stay Humble, Seek Guidance, Offer Credit Foster collaboration by asking questions and seeking feedback. This approach shows that you value others' perspectives and encourages them to support your efforts. 5. Create Value Before You Need It Invest in your internal stakeholders without expecting immediate returns. When you show that you are a reliable team player, they will be more likely to rally for you in tough times. 6. Be a Problem Eliminator Take initiative to solve issues, no matter how challenging the task. By proactively addressing obstacles, you build trust and loyalty among your colleagues. Ultimately, people are drawn to those who are consistent, dependable, and humble—individuals who show up every day and contribute to the team's success.

Speaking up in a toxic work environment isn’t easy. But with the right strategy, you can push for change while protecting your sanity and professionalism. Here’s how: 1. Identify the Core Issues Call out specific patterns, micromanagement, poor leadership, lack of accountability, not just vague frustration. 2. Speak Up at the Right Time Raise concerns in 1:1s, performance reviews, or team retros. Focus on impact: morale, turnover, or performance, not just complaints. 3. Document What You See Track toxic incidents with dates, people involved, and the outcomes. You’ll need facts if things escalate. 4. Offer Solutions, Not Just Problems Suggest ideas: leadership training, clearer communication norms, or conflict resolution processes. Show you're invested in fixing, not just venting. 5. Build Allies Find trusted coworkers who share your concerns. There’s strength (and credibility) in numbers. 6. Use Anonymous Feedback Tools Leverage surveys, suggestion boxes, or HR tools to surface issues that others might be afraid to say out loud. 7. Connect with Influential Voices Get buy-in from respected team members or leaders who can amplify your message. 8. Stay Professional Don’t take the bait. Avoid gossip or personal attacks ,stick to the facts and stay solution-focused. 9. Know Your Rights Understand internal policies and legal protections, especially if you fear retaliation. 10. Know When to Walk Away If nothing changes and the toxicity continues, protect your peace. Leaving a toxic workplace is not giving up , it’s growth. Final Word: Advocating for a better workplace takes guts, but you don’t have to go it alone. Be strategic. Be firm. And most importantly, protect your well-being. 💬 Have you ever had to challenge a toxic culture? What worked for you? ♻️ Repost to help others. ➕ Follow Ricardo Cuellar for more workplace tips.

Advocacy is Rare. But You Know Who's Fighting for Black Women in Budget Meetings? Nobody. Your manager saying "I'll advocate for you" in January doesn't matter when budgets locked in October. That's not advocacy. That's performance. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞: It's not performance review promises. It's Q3 documentation that survives VP scrutiny. It's not "I'll see what I can do." It's a forwardable memo with your value in budget language. It's not good intentions after the fact. It's positioning before the pool closes. Brad understood this. That's why he was golfing with the VP in September. Building relationships. Dropping numbers. Getting his name into conversations you didn't know were happening. Meanwhile, you were perfecting your self-assessment in January. For a budget that locked three months earlier. He wasn't working harder. He was working earlier. And he had someone in the room when it mattered. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡: Presence isn't advocacy. Promises aren't advocacy. "I believe in you" isn't advocacy. Advocacy is documentation that enters the budget conversation before it ends. Advocacy is a case your manager can forward upstream without rewriting it. Advocacy is evidence that survives finance scrutiny. Most Black women don't have that. Not because they don't deserve it. Because nobody taught them the calendar. 𝐒𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬. Become undeniable with boardroom-ready documentation. Not a self-assessment. Not a list of accomplishments. A reconciliation document that answers the only question Finance cares about: Why should more of the allocated budget move to you? Q3 isn't early. It's on time. Everything after is theater. Thank You; It's True™ #BlackWomensWealthLab #CompensationGovernance #InvoiceYourWorth

I spent too many years thinking my boss was responsible for my career. Or the company. Or a magical fairy godmother. I thought it was everyone else’s job to advocate for me. To push me. To help me advance and grow. And I completely missed the fact that it was me. It was always ME. Our job is to be the biggest advocate for our careers. We are in the driver’s seat. And we can’t take a back seat and expect someone else to do the driving. Here are ten ways to start advocating for your career not tomorrow, TODAY: 1️⃣ Take a seat at front of the table, not at the back of the room. Be visible. Log onto that Zoom early, make sure people know you are there. Don’t shrink to the corner of the screen or room. 2️⃣ Raise your hand 🙋🏾♀️ Ask that question. Show you’re engaged and thoughtful and there to contribute. I always ask a question early on in the meeting to build my confidence to contribute more later. 3️⃣ Ask to be put on that assignment Make sure you are working on assignments that are priorities for the company. Especially in this market. 4️⃣ Coach your peers on their work You don’t have to have direct reports to have influence. Guide peers who ask for your help: position yourself for the next level by acting like you are at the next level. 5️⃣ Build a career development plan If your boss won’t help you do this, ask a colleague to be a sounding boarding or a friend outside of work. Understand what your goals are this year and what you want your next two roles to be. 6️⃣ Focus on one new skill you want to build What’s one new skill you want to learn that can help with your career growth? Pick it and commit to it. Block 30 minutes on your calendar daily to work on it. Make this time non negotiable. 7️⃣ Take credit for your work Even if they won’t let you in that meeting, share what you are working on with others. Whether that’s it in 1:1 conversations or in team meetings, make sure you let others know the impact you are making. 8️⃣ Get meaningful feedback If your boss keeps saying you’re killing it or avoids giving your feedback, ask others. Show up with what you think your strengths are and areas of opportunity to get their reactions. 9️⃣ Keep a track of your wins Start a Google doc or grab a notebook, and down all of your wins and the end of every month. This makes it easier to do your self evaluation during performance review time and update your resume. 🔟 Always have your resume ready Whether you are looking for internal or external, always have your resume ready. And make sure it’s not saved on your work lap, especially in this market where layoffs are happening every day. How do you advocate for yourself at work? #leadership #culture #inclusion #MitaMallick

Loud Quitting? Hmmmmm … Ah, “loud quitting”—the latest workplace trend brought to you by the same demographic that preaches “grit” and “loyalty” to the rest of us. A privileged, middle-aged white guy recently told employees on TikTok to go out in a blaze of glory if their workplace is toxic. Easy to say when you’ve got financial security, old boy network connections, and, an exit strategy that doesn’t involve scrambling for rent money. However! The sentiments this dude has at the heart of his message are bang on. 1. Managers must pay better attention to the workplace culture first every human (not just people similar to them.) 2. Speaking up about workplace toxicity is important. But for many, especially women, culturally diverse professionals, and those in lower-paid roles, “loud quitting” isn’t a power move—it’s career suicide. If you want to push back against toxic workplaces, or let’s face it, toxic managers, here’s some alternative ideas: 🔹 Strategic Quitting: Plan your exit, secure your next move, and then if you think it’s safe (& worthwhile) make your position clear to a trusted manager in an exit interview or similar. 🔹 Whisper Networks: Women have these marvellous networks where we “whisper” key intel to help each other make informed career decisions and avoid dickheads! 🔹 Fix the System, Not Just the Symptoms: If you’re in leadership, address the root causes of toxicity rather than advising people to set their careers on fire. 🔹 Document Everything: If you’re experiencing a toxic environment, keep records. It may help with legal protection or future references. 🔹 Public or Private Advocacy? If you can afford to be loud, do it. If not, there are other ways to challenge bad behavior—strategic mentoring, allyship, and finding your support crew. (I can help with that, check out the Lead to Soar Network!) Quitting loud or quitting smart—the choice must be yours, not dictated by those who’ll never have to face the real consequences. As one wise person said to me: “Michelle, never burn a bridge unless you’re absolutely sure you never have to cross it again. Then you can napalm the motherf*cker!” What do you think? Have you ever loud quit? Would you? #Leadership #WorkplaceCulture #StrategicQuitting

Can you #inpsireinclusion if you are invisible at work? The theme for International Women's Month is Inspire Inclusion and since Friday LinkedIn has been flooded with posts from women, IWD events, conferences etc. But what happens at the end of March? While there are structural and institutional dynamics that prevent the inclusion of women in the corporate arena, there are also personal choices we make as women that ultimately, though perhaps unintentionally, lead to our exclusion. Here are a few and what we can do about it going forward 1. Eliminate the vicious cycle of self doubt, impostor syndrome and invisibility- the more we doubt our expertise, feel unworthy or ‘lucky’ to be in the positions we hold, the less likely we are to show up, powerfully. As women we are constantly in the ‘prove our worth’, space with our heads buried in work. But buried things dont get seen and are automatically excluded. Instead let us own the spaces we are in and show up for ourselves and other women who need to see us to know it is possible. 2. Understand networking isn't a dirty word- I’ve yet to find a successful female leader who doesn't have a powerful network of strategic sponsors, mentors, allies and a high level board of advisors. It doesn't happen overnight but we all need people to succeed. Having the right people around you who are aware of the phenomenal work you do is key for inclusion. 3. Amplify the voices of other women- We must strategically amplify the voices of women at all levels. From meetings, kitchen cabinet conversations right to the Boardroom and not only in March. Give women you know the kudos they deserve. Amplify her ideas in meetings, put her forward for speaking engagements, dont count her out because she has a young family. Notice and publicly reward deserving women, especially those who find it difficult to self advocate. 4. Build your self advocacy muscle- No one can talk about the work you do like you. Why? You have a unique combination of skills, experience and expertise. Even if a specific topic has been discussed multiple times, you can still add a level of nuance to the conversation. We must advocate for ourselves, tell people about the opportunities we need, throw our hat in the ring and not be afraid to share what we know in the spaces that matter. This is how we can build inclusion for ourselves and others. 5. Show up as female leaders- As women we underestimate the role we play as signposts for younger women. When I was at a career crossroads, I found women, both near and far, who helped me navigate my own career decisions. I am eternally grateful that they were visible and authentic with their stories of life and career. If the theme #inspireinclusion will have any lasting impact beyond March 31st, you and I will need to continue to show up and include ourselves while also creating spaces for the women that come after us. What other ways can we continue to #inspireinclusion beyond 2024 #IWD2024

In the wake of the recent executive orders targeting DEIA initiatives within federal organizations and beyond, it’s clear that the current administration is setting the stage for broader attacks on inclusion efforts. From the establishment of a “hotline” for reporting DEI language to the appointment of DEI critics to key leadership roles, these actions are not just a government matter—they are a signal of what’s to come for private businesses. As I’ve said before, it’s going to get worse before it gets better. However, instead of retreating, we must act now. The playbook being deployed isn’t new, and it’s more important than ever to double down on creating cultures of belonging and environments where all voices are valued and heard. Here are six actionable steps leaders can take to safeguard and strengthen their commitment to building inclusive workplaces: 1. Embed DEI Into Core Business Strategy Treat DEI as integral to your business strategy, not a separate initiative. Align DEI initiatives with organizational objectives, and tie them to measurable outcomes like employee retention, innovation, and customer satisfaction. Pro Tip - Ensure Merit, Excellence & Intelligence (MEI) is highlighted. 2. Invest in Psychological Safety Ensure your workplace fosters open communication where employees feel safe to express themselves without fear of retaliation. This foundation of trust enables innovation and builds stronger, more cohesive teams. 3. Be Transparent and Data-Driven Use metrics to assess the current state of your culture and workforce. Share findings transparently with employees and leadership. Pairing data with storytelling humanizes the numbers and helps make the business case for DEI. 4. Strengthen Leadership Equip leaders with the cultural competency and tools they need to champion inclusion authentically. Empower them to drive change at every level of the organization, making them visible advocates for a culture of belonging. 5. Collaborate Across Sectors Join forces with advocacy groups, industry leaders, and community organizations to share resources, amplify impact, and stand united in advancing inclusion. This collective approach can strengthen resilience against external pressures. 6. Listen, Learn, and Adapt Create regular opportunities to listen to employees and communities impacted by your decisions. Use their feedback to refine and adapt your DEI strategies to remain relevant and effective. While the current climate might be challenging, this is also an opportunity to reaffirm your commitment to creating workplaces where everyone feels valued and supported. Proactive leadership in the face of adversity not only protects your organization but also positions it for success as workforce and market demographics continue to evolve. Rise to meet the challenge, stay the course, and collaborate to create a workplace where belonging thrives. Together, we can ensure our workplaces are resilient and inclusive moving forward.

Making Your Work Visible: The Art of Advocacy Without Arrogance In today’s competitive workplace, visibility isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s a necessity. Hard work alone doesn’t guarantee recognition. Without actively showcasing your contributions, you risk being overlooked for opportunities, promotions, or even the credit you deserve. But how do you make your work visible without coming across as boastful or self-serving? The answer lies in strategic, thoughtful self-advocacy. Highlight Outcomes, Not Yourself Focus on the impact of your work rather than just your role in it. For example, instead of saying, “I led this project,” emphasize the results: “Our project streamlined operations and reduced costs by 20%.” This shifts the focus to value creation, which resonates with stakeholders and makes your work stand out without sounding self-centred. Speak Early in Meetings Those prone to overthinking can often hold back during discussions. Challenge yourself to be one of the first to contribute. Speaking early ensures your ideas are heard before the conversation moves on and establishes your presence. It’s not about dominating the room but signalling your engagement and readiness to contribute. Leverage Asynchronous Communication For those who prefer time to reflect, asynchronous communication is a powerful tool. A well-crafted follow-up email after a meeting or a quarterly update on your achievements ensures your contributions are recognized. It’s an effective way to highlight your efforts while allowing you to articulate your thoughts thoughtfully and confidently. Express Gratitude Acknowledging others’ roles in your success can make advocacy collaborative rather than self-serving. Phrases like, “I’m grateful for the team’s support on this project, which allowed me to use my skills to achieve XYZ,” balance humility with recognition, making your contributions more impactful and fostering goodwill. Avoid Self-Deprecation Downplaying your ideas with phrases like “This might not work” or “I’m not an expert” can diminish your credibility. Instead, use assertive language, such as “One approach we could consider is…” or “Based on my understanding, this might work well.” Framing your contributions positively encourages others to take them seriously. Build a Network of Advocates Visibility isn’t solely about self-promotion. Cultivate relationships with colleagues and leaders who can vouch for your skills and contributions. When others highlight your value, it amplifies your impact while maintaining authenticity. Mutual advocacy within a team ensures recognition feels genuine and collaborative. Visibility is not about playing politics; it’s about ensuring your contributions matter to the organization and are seen by those who can help propel your career forward. Advocacy done well allows your work to shine while staying authentic to who you are and the values you uphold. #nyraleadershipconsulting