Blog
When is it OK to brag?
by Amy Riley
May 11, 2011
A friend told me the other day that she does not feel comfortable bragging and that she doesn’t think it’s appropriate to brag. Huh. That caused me pause. I wanted to argue, yet I wasn’t completely sure about the point I wanted to make. So, I thought some more about it…
As a coach I feel like I spend a good deal of time encouraging coaching clients to acknowledge what they’re doing well, to identify and own their strengths, to determine how to work in their “sweet spot” and shine…to in essence, brag. And, overall, I feel like many people – perhaps especially women – could benefit from a little more practice tooting their own horns.
Yet, my friend’s statement had me thinking… There are admittedly times and places when you might not want to brag: when the person you’re with is struggling in the area, when the focus and purpose of the gathering is unrelated, etc. So…When is it OK to brag?
Here are some of my thoughts.
I think it’s OK to brag…
- Inside your own head….always. Build yourself up as much and as often as possible!
- With your friends who love you and respect you. Give yourself the lovely opportunity to be acknowledged and celebrated.
- When you want the people with you to brag too! A little brag session can provide an energy pick-up for everyone.
- With your work team. It can be really powerful to have team members share their strengths and recent successes with each other.
What do you think? Do you think it’s OK to brag? And, if so, when is it OK to brag?