Self-promote at work, but tastefully

Shameless self-promotion, humble bragging, tooting your own horn - these phrases leave a bad taste in the mouths of many people.  And while acknowledged as one of the most important elements of building visibility, self-promotion is accompanied by so many nuances that it can be a landmine to navigate. One of the most prevalent is the cultural connotations, which in this day and age of multicultural workplaces, is hard to avoid.

According to research done by Andy Molinsky, a specialist in International Management, in many cultures, even the ones that share a common language, American-style self-promotion is perceived as taboo. In many cultures including China, India and Korea, modesty, composure and self-control are more valued. This view resonates more with Kenya and by extension Africa. How many times growing up did we hear about the value of modesty, humility and the ills of bragging or being seen to overreach? Recall the famous Kiswahili proverb - chema chajiuza, kibaya chajitembeza (a good thing sells itself, a bad thing advertises)? Basically, what we are taught growing up is if you need to advertise or promote yourself, there must be something defective or wrong with you. So, how do you master self-promotion in a way that leaves you feeling empowered instead of like you just committed a professional faux-pas?