Dear Young Professional,
It took me a long while to understand in business and life that there is no neutral. Whether you are aware of it or not, your actions and behaviors are sending messages to others around you as to what they can expect from you.
You have a BRAND. Did you know that? The question is: Are you driving that brand or is it being assigned to you? Every action or behavior you display can add or detract from that brand.
You never get a second chance to make a first impression, so it’s important to be present and aware of what messages your actions and behaviors are sending. Whether you are in a job, interviewing for a job or in a social situation your action and behaviors send a message.
I remember a couple of people I worked with that complained about not getting ahead at work. Unfortunately, they didn’t know the importance of driving their brand and what message they were sending. Do you know anyone like this?
Oscar the Over-Sharer: Always sharing too much personal information. Debbie the Drama Queen: You know, the one who over-exaggerates so her ideas and comments are dismissed easily. You see where I’m going, right? These people have brands that grow out of the traits for which they are most known.
What I want you to think about is driving your brand by defining your PBI – Your Personal Brand Intention. How do you proactively drive your brand messaging? Start with your values. If you are clear about your values, your brand attributes will flow from there.
One of my values is hard work. I get a lot of satisfaction delivering results and having people know they can count on me. Being known as a hard worker allowed me to get new assignments and included on other projects where I would learn and grow. Over time that created a promotion track for my career.
Do you think Oscar the Over-Sharer or Debbie the Drama Queen would get new opportunities to learn and grow? It’s not enough to have the knowledge and skills to do the job, your personal brand can sometimes be as important to the equation.
You may feel overwhelmed and be asking where do I start? I learned the hard way how important brand is to the equation, so I listed a few steps to get you started.
1. If you aren’t sure of how to determine values, Google List Personal Values, you will find many choices.
2. Prioritize the top 3-5 that mean something to you.
3. Start to choose actions, behaviors and say YES to opportunities that help you build that brand.
Stay tuned YP!
COMING SOON: Auntie is going to launch “coffee chats” where you can work with others to develop your PBI. You can sign up here to get on my new announcements list.
Warmly, Aunt Kris