Self-promotion often feels necessary in the workplace, but no one likes people who constantly brag. Research from Wharton highlights the lessons we can learn from professional athletes, who often talk about the strength of their opponents or the value of their teammates alongside talking about their own performances.

It’s an approach referred to as “dual-promotion”, and is far more effective as a means of self-promotion than that commonly deployed by professionals today.

Striking the balance

“We run the risk of projecting competence but harming our warmth and likeability,” the researchers explain. “Here’s something we try to do all the time and we constantly struggle to get it right. It brought us to think about how can we do this better.”

The researchers conducted a number of experiments that allowed them to compare various strategies for boasting at work. They found that dual-promotion was comfortably the most effective. This is when we also compliment others alongside describing our own accomplishments.

Doing this was found to make us seem competent because we not only achieved things ourselves but also had the wisdom to evaluate others. It also demonstrated the confidence to give others the spotlight and illustrated our collaborative nature to talk in inclusive ways.

“No matter what your competitor does, you’re better off engaging in dual-promotion,” the researchers say. “In cooperative contexts and in competitive contexts, people derive great benefits from dual-promotion.”

Widespread impact

The benefits of dual promotion were evident in a wide range of disciplines, from job interviews to political campaigning. The effect was consistent across them all, with even politicians found to be more effective and rated more favorably when they didn’t engage in the kind of self-promotion that is so common among their number.

The researchers believe that dual-promotion should be especially important when we work remotely as we often lack the kind of informal, water-cooler conversations that can be so important in establishing bonds with our colleagues.

“We have to share knowledge. We’ve got to work together. Projects are more complicated,” the researchers explain. “I don’t think we need to collaborate less. We need to collaborate more.”

The researchers advise us to step back a bit from the greatness of our own accomplishments and pay more attention to the work those around us have put in to help us get there.