Throwback Thursday: Braggadocious

It’s #ThrowbackThursday! The Editors’ Weekly archives are a treasure trove of valuable advice and insight. In this series we highlight some of our favourite gems from the past.

You’re a great editor! You know this, but how do you make sure that the decision-makers know it too? Whether it’s landing a new client or talking to your supervisor about a raise, you need evidence of your editorial value. Aaron Dalton proposed a solution in his January 2023 article for The Editors’ Weekly: “Brag docs”: An Aide-mémoire.

In his original article, Aaron suggests keeping a private record of your significant work accomplishments, including major projects that you helped succeed, things you have learned, challenges you have conquered, connections that you have nurtured and more. The article includes tips on how to start and maintain your “brag doc,” as well as a list of questions to prompt your memory. 

An update from the author 

In reflecting on his article now, Aaron gave the following update:

Revisiting this article, I’d want to add tracking any recognitions you received. Where I work, we have a “points” program where you can send points to colleagues. I annually export my recognitions sent and received in my brag docs folder. And I’ll add that, for best results, you’ll want to make this a somewhat routine process. I got sidetracked and just didn’t get to it for six months, and it was certainly harder to get the concrete level of detail I would have liked. But the docs remain a useful resource for leader conversations and the occasional pick-me-up when needed.

Be sure to check out the original post here.

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Previous post from Aaron Dalton: Literacy in Canada: What You Need to Know

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