Put Your Challenge in Front of People

<p>On this episode of Creating Disney Magic, I answer a listener question that may seem unique, but it is more common than you may think. </p> <p>A listener told me she is 28 and people think she is a teenager. It creates a challenge at work because people think she is young and therefore inexperienced. </p> <p>Although you may not have this problem of looking like a teenager, you do have something in common with this listener. </p> <p>You have a challenge that gets in the way. You hope people don't notice, but they probably will. </p> <p>Maybe you try to get around it by not talking about it. </p> <p>Hiding your challenge is not the right approach. </p> <p>For this podcast listener, people treat her differently because they think she is young. It's not uncommon for people to discriminate against someone for being too young. </p> <p>Or too old. </p> <p>People shouldn't focus on age. Young or old. What matters is experience and knowledge. </p> <p>But sometimes it is to your advantage to bring it up right from the start. </p> <p>Call out your challenge from the beginning. Deal with it as soon as you can. </p> <p>When I was younger, I thought people would question my ability because I did not have a college degree. So I brought it out front in the beginning. It allowed me to draw attention to my experience and the positions I held during my career. </p> <p>If you don't address what people may already be thinking, you may not get the opportunity you are after. </p> <p>Bringing out the issue upfront will also show people you are not afraid to have a difficult conversation. </p> <p>Use the situation to help create a personal story of perseverance and overcoming a challenge. </p>