Dear Young Professional,
Building your brand is a dynamic process. It’s not like you arrive one day and then take a rest and go on vacation. It’s always evolving. You constantly need to stay engaged.
I have had several YPs who have expressed the desire to move up and get ahead in the work place. Many times, this is tied to an income level they want to achieve or that they want to be challenged more to build skills.
However, desire is not enough to make those moves. You must be willing to show you have the drive and commitment to be viewed as deserving of consideration.
That’s where you can learn a lot about from the process and failures of dieting. Crazy fad diets (eat only cabbage or watermelon) are not sustainable. Just like trying to force yourself to be something you are not to try and get ahead. Ever know anyone who complained about antics at work they didn’t agree with but went along to get ahead?
People who make the choice to make diet a lifestyle change with small on-going incremental changes usually have sustain success. Along this journey though they will hit plateaus. Periods where they don’t gain or lose, they just maintain. Of course, this is easy to measure using a bathroom scale.
How do you measure if your brand is experiencing a “plateau”? It starts with some soul searching.
Are you finding ways to keep the same level of energy and excitement at work?
Are you just as disciplined to the right behaviors and actions that support your brand?
Are you looking for ways to proactively volunteer or contribute to projects outside your “day job”?
Do you think you “deserve” a raise or promotion because others around you are getting them?
Have you experienced “personal life” creep at work? Started sharing or over sharing personal stories with co-workers.
Good news, like with dieting, you just need to change up a couple things to get the momentum back. It easy to know that you can change your workouts let’s say to do more cardio to break the plateau.
Here’s a few suggestions you might try to break the brand “plateau”:
Take a different route to work, a change in scenery wakes up the senses and creativity
Register for a local networking event, talking about what you do with others can be interesting and exciting to them and that’s contagious
In your next one-on- one meeting with your manager, ask what projects you may participate in or shadow for learning purposes
Plateaus are not uncommon, just be present and aware so you can manage through them as efficiently as possible.
Fondly,
Aunt Kris