Taking an approach that focuses on what you want people to remember you by (either when you retire, leave the organization, change departments, complete a project or end a meeting), is a great way to enhance your personal brand.<\/p>\n
Ask yourself the following questions:<\/p>\n
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- What are the 3 things I want people to say about me?<\/li>\n
- What are the things that I\u2019m passionate about?<\/li>\n
- What positive things, that you accomplished, do you want people to remember?<\/li>\n
- What are the things you wouldn\u2019t want people to say about you?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Sometimes taking the reverse approach, what you want to avoid happening, can help clarify what you want to achieve.\u00a0 As much as I often struggle to be on time, I certainly don\u2019t want tardiness to be a part of my personal brand since I value and desire that others perceive me as professional, courteous and respectful.\u00a0 Therefore, if I\u2019m chronically late, my brand will be misaligned with my intentions and I will have to double my efforts to change that perception.<\/p>\n
Thinking about your current brand, is there a way you can improve upon it?<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re known as a great leader, can you enhance that to be a strong people leader? Or a more caring leader? Or a more accessible leader?\u00a0 List the adjectives you would like people to associate with you and then align your actions and behaviours to demonstrate those qualities. \u00a0For example, your brand might include:<\/p>\n
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- A great people leader<\/li>\n
- A game changer in the organization<\/li>\n
- A champion for work-life balance<\/li>\n
- Committed to helping people grow and develop<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Keep it short and simple. Your brand should help guide all of your actions and be used as the benchmark for evaluating your success.<\/p>\n
Using Corporate Brands As a Guide<\/strong><\/p>\n
There are hundreds of corporate brands that we identify with.\u00a0 Often they are consumer brands of products we enjoy, value and purchase.\u00a0 According to Forbes, the top 5 world\u2019s most valuable brands are:<\/p>\n
![\"five-most-valuable-brands\"](\"https:\/\/www.ngenperformance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/five-most-valuable-brands.jpg\")
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Click here<\/a> to see the complete list of 25 best brands in the world.<\/p>\n
Strong brands all possess 5 qualities:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Visual identity<\/em> \u2013 physical representation of the brand<\/li>\n
- The promise<\/em> \u2013 what customers will experience every time<\/li>\n
- Personality<\/em> \u2013 how customers would describe the brand<\/li>\n
- The story<\/em> \u2013 history & summary of products and service<\/li>\n
- The positioning<\/em> \u2013 what it does & for whom \u2013 the value statement<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
As you set your goals for 2016, consider how you can emulate the characteristics of the corporate brands you most value by focusing on the same 5 qualities.<\/p>\n
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- How does you personal appearance support or impair your personal brand?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
What image do you want to project?<\/p>\n
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- What promises to you make to clients, colleagues and direct reports?\u00a0 Do you execute flawlessly on those promises?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- Is your personality aligned with what you want your personal brand to stand for? If you are introverted and quiet by nature don\u2019t strive to have a personal brand that will set you up for failure.\u00a0 Leverage your strengths and be aware of how you may be perceived by others.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- \n
- What is your story? Can you effectively communicate it? Does the story of your career, your accomplishments and your goals inspire others to want to work with or collaborate with you?\u00a0 Your story should engage others and influence behaviours the same way a strong corporate brand does.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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- What is your unique selling proposition? What can you offer and deliver that adds value to your leader, your team, your clients or the organization?\u00a0 Be clear on how you add value and imbed that into your personal branding statement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
A New Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n
Next time someone asks you to introduce yourself, avoid mentioning your tenure, title, position and authority. Instead, communicate your personal brand statement that will be a blend of your accomplishments, your skills, your passions and your goals.\u00a0 Then ensure you act in accordance with this brand in every transaction.<\/p>\n
The benefits of introductions that focus on personal brands rather than hierarchy and tenure are that you will be able to engage younger employees right away and ensure a more collaborative tone.\u00a0 All employees have a personal brand, even if they aren\u2019t aware of it yet.\u00a0 By encouraging others to introduce themselves in this way, Gen Ys can focus on their values, passions, interests and achievements. Their lack of corporate experience, or title, is not important.\u00a0 The goal is to share something about ourselves that is meaningful and resonates with others.\u00a0 This encourages communication, greater insights into our colleagues, and improved collaboration by finding common ground.<\/p>\n
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A few weeks ago I spoke with a client and they raised an interesting point about how leaders in their organization introduce and describe themselves.\u00a0 The typical response when asked \u201ctell us about yourself\u201d is something like this: \u201cI have … Continue reading
- What is your unique selling proposition? What can you offer and deliver that adds value to your leader, your team, your clients or the organization?\u00a0 Be clear on how you add value and imbed that into your personal branding statement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- What is your story? Can you effectively communicate it? Does the story of your career, your accomplishments and your goals inspire others to want to work with or collaborate with you?\u00a0 Your story should engage others and influence behaviours the same way a strong corporate brand does.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- Is your personality aligned with what you want your personal brand to stand for? If you are introverted and quiet by nature don\u2019t strive to have a personal brand that will set you up for failure.\u00a0 Leverage your strengths and be aware of how you may be perceived by others.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- What promises to you make to clients, colleagues and direct reports?\u00a0 Do you execute flawlessly on those promises?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- The promise<\/em> \u2013 what customers will experience every time<\/li>\n
- Visual identity<\/em> \u2013 physical representation of the brand<\/li>\n
![\"five-most-valuable-brands\"](\"https:\/\/www.ngenperformance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/microsoft.jpg\")
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