What impression do you make at work? How do you know? People will judge you, fairly or otherwise, on first impressions. The way you present yourself to the outside world, what you say and what you do, your attitudes, behaviours and values, all create an impression in others’ minds.
By becoming aware of how others perceive you, you’ll be able to decide whether you want to work on developing your personal brand.
It’s therefore important that you:
- Are aware of how you come across to others- current and prospective employers and colleagues
- Understand your personal brand – your unique attributes and strengths
- Recognise that you can intentionally develop your brand
Organisational brands
It’s no accident that well-known company brands are highly memorable. Ask any audience for examples of well-known brands and similar names will come up: Amazon, Google & John Lewis just popped into my head- which came into yours? Each has invested considerably in developing their organisational values, straplines, language and colour schemes. Tesco’s ‘every little helps’ conveys the image of a thoughtful, keenly- priced supermarket with the consumer at the heart of it’s messaging. You won’t suddenly see Tesco promoting exclusive high-end products; these wouldn’t fit with their ethos. Powerful branding is why these companies make a lasting impression on us.
Your Personal Brand
It’s worth asking yourself the question: ‘How can I make a positive lasting impression at work?’ If you had a motto or strapline, what would it be? What would it say about you?
Give your brand some conscious attention- let’s call it a Personal Brand MOT.
If you’ve never given it much thought, this can be fun. You will discover you have many more qualities and skills than you’d previously considered.
As a starting point, it’s worth taking time to reflect on your personal values. This will make it easier to explore your behaviours and attributes and check whether what you do and say align with your values.
Ask for feedback from those who know you well. Does the feedback you get match with your version of your brand? This can be really valuable- even though it may be uncomfortable. Ask colleagues and your line manager for 4-5 words each that best describe you-with supporting evidence. Are they identifying similar words to the ones you’ve identified?
We all have our blind spots. We don’t always notice our strengths. They come so naturally to us that we often aren’t aware of them. They feel easy and natural. However, others can often more readily identify them. It’s worth asking yourself ‘what do people come to me for?‘ We all contribute in different ways at work; perhaps you’re the technical problem solver? The mediator? The innovator?
Having undertaken my own Personal Brand MOT, I’ve found it much easier to complete application forms, answer interview questions such as ‘tell me a bit about yourself‘ and to update my LinkedIn profile.
Developing your Personal Brand
There is real value in considering which aspects of your brand are aspirational; things you’d like to develop but which aren’t quite there yet.
Do you want to come across as more self-assured? Do you want to improve the way you contribute in meetings, or how you chair them?
Observe others doing things skilfully and learn from them. Practice channelling some of the approaches and behaviours you see in others. Giving yourself permission to experiment will allow you to improve and polish your brand.
Evolve your Brand
One of the positive things about personal branding is that unlike large organisations, you can evolve and grow yours as you develop personally and professionally. This is particularly helpful when you are considering applying for a promotion. Inevitably you will need to develop and grow the skills and attributes you’ll need in a new role. Consciously developing these will enable you to incorporate these into your brand.
Give yourself permission to experiment with your brand. ‘Try out’ different approaches. With practice you can choose to incorporate new behaviours and skills into your repertoire, while rejecting those that are not a good ‘fit.’ Relish the uniqueness of your Personal Brand.
Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken Oscar Wilde.
