By John Viktorin and Lee Downs
Quiz time! Read the following questions and think about an answer that addresses all of them:
- How does your employer benefit from employing you?
- What are the benefits to your boss? To your co-workers?
- What differentiates you from those around you?
- What do you stand for and what are you passionate about?
- On a daily basis, how do you behave in a way that is true to your beliefs and values?
- In other words what makes you, you?
If, like most people, you have difficultly answering these questions, you should consider spending time defining and describing your personal brand.
A personal brand is a way of defining yourself, both for you and those around you. It is the sum of your personal and professional skills, abilities, interests, attributes and attitudes. But it is also an authentic portrayal of what makes you unique—it paints a picture of where you are in your life and your career. Most importantly, it relates what you have to offer to those you work with.
Building your personal brand
Like résumé writing or interview preparation, the first step to creating your personal brand is compiling an inventory of your experience, skills, interests, strengths, weaknesses and gaps. Think of this in terms of “This is what I want people to say about me, and this is what makes me different.”
Distill this introspection into a personal brand statement—something that provides an immediate impression of the individual presenting it.
Outward bound
Though the creation of your personal brand is introspective, the result is highly outward focused.
The key to communicating your personal brand is to focus on your audience: What resources do they need to be successful? How can I help them achieve success? What value can I offer them?
Your personal brand quantifies what you do, why you’re good at it and how you can help others.
Brand management
As you advance in your career, acquiring new skills and gaining experience, your personal brand will change to meet new demands and deliver on new expectations.
Building your personal brand is the most important professional development exercise you can undertake. If you look at work and life as a journey, then your personal brand is your passport. And, as you progress, learn and grow—like a passport collecting visa stamps—your personal brand grows and adapts so that it always represents your value to the world around you.
Lee Downs and John Viktorin are partners in Amoeba Communications a consulting firm that creates communications that engage people and drive performance. They are the go-to team for leaders seeking high impact, high value solutions in four areas: organizational communications, change management, HR communications and leadership communications. You can reach Lee and John at www.engagecanada.com or by calling 416-535-3350.
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