Today’s blog is by our guest contributor, Mona Reiser. She shares her perspective on the importance of managing your personal brand at all times!
Do you have a personal brand? Amazon’s Jeff Bezos’ definition of personal brand: “It is what people say about you when you leave a room.”
There are many examples where this occurs. How often have you been in the room after someone has just left and you have been part of the commentary that swirled around about that person? Think about the work conference you attended where a presenter really just missed the mark and the attendees voice their disappointment. One situation that I am sure all of you can relate to is the holiday office party you went to where things just went in the wrong direction! I have seen careers that were ended because of inappropriate behaviors at a work function.
Your personal brand is on display from the moment you drive into the parking lot (me, I have been known to have my radio blasting as I pull into my spot!) to the moment you see the gates of a location in the rear view mirror of your vehicle. Your personal brand is on display in every form of communication you use: from your emails; to your phone/text exchanges and the messages you leave. It could be as simple as your table manners, to your pronunciation and diction and language correctness. It can also show up in your social skills at an event where you introduce yourself to all the new folks and also need to touch base with the ones you already know.
You may not think much about etiquette and manners, but your personal brand and simple social mistakes could undermine career advancement. You have to constantly remember that you are not only representing yourself, but also your company and the values that it stands for.
As leaders, we play a crucial role in the development of our employees and observation (let’s not forget about ourselves, as we do set an example and standard!) of personal brand. Appropriate coaching and mentoring could be the difference between stagnation and advancement. Love this quote by N. Hopson of the Etiquette Institute which applies to your personal life and the business world “you don’t get a timeout for bad behavior.”
What is your personal brand? Does it match with the one that you want people to see? Set up time for a complimentary coaching session with me at http://susanmbarber.com/schedule-an-appointment/ to ensure that you are showing up with your ideal personal brand!