[EVENT RECAP] #IamRemarkable Workshop

December 12, 2022

THANK YOU FOR JOINING OUR EVENT

On a rainy Saturday morning, we hosted a #IamRemarkable workshop for IPWS members. The 90-minute workshop facilitated by Maria Pastorelli, Training Facilitator & Executive Coach provided participants a better understanding of self-promotion in their personal and professional life.#IamRemarkable is a Google initiative empowering women and other underrepresented groups to celebrate their achievements in the workplace and beyond.We are honored to have Maria guide members to explore why self-promotion can be a challenge and its significance to career advancement and visibility.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

💡It’s not bragging if it’s based on facts.

Self-promotion is essential to your career development. Being visible and vocal creates both personal and professional opportunities. Without self-advocating your achievements, people may not know your capabilities. So we need to learn how to acknowledge and communicate, without interpreting it as bragging.

💡 Reprogramming social norms

Generally, gender and culture are key factors preventing self-promotion. Being raised as quiet, nice girls could hold us back from celebrating our remarkable selves. It is important to continuously train our competence to self-promote as a muscle to override social programming.

💡 Language matters

Language is a tool for inclusion or exclusion. Just by working hard is not enough and accomplishments do not speak for themselves. It’s about knowing and using storytelling skills to turn facts into engaging narratives. Also, communicating in a second language can affect confidence and competence levels – you usually don’t sound as smart in a second language, even though you are. 💡 Internalising #IamRemarkable Writing down and verbalizing why you are remarkable cognitively helps us to recognize successes. It creates a ripple effect by changing our self-perception – such as boosting confidence or just feeling good about what we have achieved. And this is a muscle to be trained and stretched by continuous practice.

💡 Advocacy is important

Creating the space and supporting others to self-advocate is crucial. Examples include attributing ideas correctly, acknowledging accomplishments and asking probing questions. In this way, we foster and normalize self-promotion – and generate a domino effect.

Workshop Facilitator SPOTLIGHT

Maria Pastorelli

Training Facilitator & Executive Coach, helps teams and organization in China, Europe and APAC to improve their collaboration and leadership skills across cultures. Since 2011. she has trained and coached hundreds of professionals from 20+ countries to develop the skills needed to work effectively in global environments.

Q: What are three things you would tell your younger self?

A: I would tell my younger self to focus less on what others think and discover more what is important for me, that I am capable of doing things beyond her wildest dreams and that learning to be comfortable with yourself is one of the most important things you can do early on.

Q: What woman inspires you the most?

A: I have 2: One is Jacintha Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand. Her strength is her leveraging her own leadership style based on kindness and not aggressiveness. The second is my mother, that inspires me every day with her courage, determination and always supported me to get where I am today.

Favourite Quotes:

Venue Partner

With thanks to our event partner – Australian Chamber of Commerce.The Australian Chamber of Commerce Shanghai (AustCham Shanghai) is the peak body for Australian business in China. As a membership-based organization, AustCham Shanghai represents more than 350 businesses and individuals providing support, education, advocacy and business services.