ATD Blog
Tue Jun 24 2014
Have you ever met someone at a party or networking event and noticed that they had such a magnetic personality that you found yourself drawn to them? Perhaps you thought about them the next day as you were driving to work. Now imagine that this person is you.
Being able to communicate your most authentic self—your personal brand—is an essential element of career advancement. Knowing who you are and what you offer the world is one half of the equation. The other half is that others see the same thing.
The term personal branding first appeared in a 1997 Fast Company article by Tom Peters, in which he wrote:
“Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand call You.”
I prefer a more current definition by internet sensation ZeFrank, who defines personal brand as an “emotional aftertaste.” ZeFrank explains:
“Think about your grandmother. Feel it? …That feeling is your grandma's brand.”
Effective and enduring personal brands do the important job of differentiating you from the rest of the pack. A brand can help you stand out in your area of expertise, among job candidates, or amidst twenty pairs of flip flops. Your brand is a fusion of your personal values, your skills, your passion, and your purpose.
Here is the tough love: you can only experience the benefits of a strong personal brand if you are willing to put in the work. That work includes honest reflection, self-assessment, strengths-finding, and a commitment to manifest the results in your everyday interactions with others.
Having studied personal branding for several years as an executive coach, I can offer the following tips to ensure your success:
Operate on all cylinders. Bring your head, heart and gut with you wherever you go. They each serve an important role in how you are perceived by others. You think, feel and react more effectively when you are fully present. You let people know that you want to be right there, talking to them. Distracted listening and hesitant body language signal to others that you are not to be taken seriously.
Don’t be boring. Yes, small talk is challenging, but it doesn’t have to be dull. Find ways to engage others through asking questions, and knowing what’s going on in the world that day.
Treat each interaction with authenticity. Just because you have 30 business cards with you does not mean you have to leave the networking event with 0. It is much more valuable to read the individual you are trying to connect with and make a smart decision about how far to take the conversation.
Strike a balance. The average person can pick up on your internal state of mind. If you are operating on two cylinders, or you have blinders on, people can sense this and decide you are not worth their time or attention. Effective personal brands require an alignment between your internal state and your outward expression. The balancing act required to project magnetic personal presence takes your full attention. In short, it takes energy to fully express yourself.
Here is a mini-coaching session on cultivating your personal brand.
What three words best describe what you want others to observe about you?
Now let’s move onto a branding Mad Lib. Put those words in the three spaces below, and then complete the rest of the sentence. What do you want to achieve by demonstrating your personal brand?
I want to be known for being \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_, and \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ in order to \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_.
Think of a time when you are sure your personal brand came across to others. What were the circumstances? What did you do? What did you say? Were there any other elements that made you successful in that moment? Capture those elements and set an intention to make more of those interactions happen during your work week.
Finally, it’s important to monitor when you have missed an opportunity to make a strong, positive impression on others. This will help you stay “in the moment” on the average Tuesday afternoon when perhaps your mind has wandered to your grocery list or you have been distracted by the latest cat-playing-the-piano video on youtube. One of my clients who took this advice to heart when he missed a rare opportunity to chat with the CEO of his company. The CEO had just come out of the building and was headed to her car. Because my client had his head down and was reading email, he looked up too late and only saw the CEO when she was getting in his car. These moments happen all the time. The question is, how many is too many to miss?
Building your personal brand can advance your career, enhance your personal life, and help you attract the right people in your life. What better reasons to get started on yours today?
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