Many of your peers have great experiences, skills and knowledge that might be similar to yours, so what makes you different? How do you add value? What makes you unique? Everyone has to figure out this answer for themselves. Being able to articulate your brand through conversations and actions can make a big difference with people who can have an influence on your career.
What is your personal brand?
I love to ask clients to describe their personal brand at the beginning of our coaching partnership. Here is how a typical conversation usually sounds:
Me: What do you think your personal brand is?
Client: I think my personal brand is good.
Me: How do you know it is good?
Client: Well, people like me and I haven’t been told anything different, so it must be good, right?
Me: What if you asked for feedback about your brand so you would know specifically?
Client: Hmm…I guess that would be a good idea. I’ll think about doing it.
Key Takeaways:
- Notice that they equate a “good” personal brand with being liked. You can be a great person, but that doesn’t always equate to having a strong personal brand.
- As you can see in that example, there is also a hesitancy to ask for feedback. It does require you to be open and vulnerable. You might hear something negative about yourself, so you avoid asking the question. Asking for feedback isn’t something that everyone is comfortable doing, but it can be so helpful to confirm what your image is in the eyes of your manager, stakeholders and peers.
- Another place to start is by listening to what other people say when they are around you. Do they compliment you in some way or tell you what you do well? Some examples could be honest, bold, decisive, fun, strategic, intentional, focused, impactful, resilient, etc. These are the traits that people admire in you and view as your strengths.
One of my clients wasn’t sure how she was being perceived in her company. She went through the feedback process for the first time with some of her key stakeholders. It was a process that pushed her out of her comfort zone, but when she saw the results, she was pleasantly surprised! There were many positive remarks and she also received some areas of opportunity. This feedback allowed her to learn tangible information that she could take action on. It also gave her the opportunity to build a stronger on-going relationship with the stakeholders who provided feedback to her as well.
If you looked at your career as if it was a movie….would you be the star or the extra?
How would you answer this question? I thought for years that I was the star in my career, but I wasn’t. I was the person who was behind the star as a part of the supporting cast. I helped the star succeed and thought it was important for me to help them. They were on the stage and I was behind the curtain rooting them on.
Why did I avoid being the star? I can look back on it now and see that I didn’t believe I was good enough to be the star. I made the choice to be an extra to avoid the spotlight. It was the safe route and allowed me to play small. Is this something that you are doing too?
My brand at that time was good, but it was no different than many other people who were my peers. It didn’t show my value or help me stand out. I didn’t understand the importance of a personal brand at that time. Now I know that having a strong reputation and personal brand can make all the difference! Unless you are getting feedback regularly, you need to assume that there are things you don’t know and you need to find out. An average or poor personal brand will have an impact on your career success. Career decisions are often made based on your brand and what people have seen you do.
This is why I spend the time to coach on my client’s brand and focus on it. Their brand plays a critical role in their career success and it needs to align with the outcome that they want to achieve. Once they know their brand, then we work on ways to help them show their value and talent to others so they get the opportunities that they want.
What do you want your personal brand to be?
What have you learned about your current brand? If it is the brand you want for yourself, then you can continue what you are already doing! If it isn’t exactly what you want to be known for, then you can create a new brand for yourself starting today.
Spend the time to determine your brand and what you want to be known for your career. Keep it simple and follow the steps below:
- Based on who you want to be, identify at least three things that are unique to you and will help you stand out.
- Find opportunities to demonstrate these things through your words and actions in every interaction.
- Be consistent and intentional to show that this is your authentic and genuine brand.
- Keep in mind that your thoughts drive your actions. Even if you fall back into old habits, you can simply refocus your thoughts to get back on track.
Stay motivated and keep taking action. Results won’t happen overnight, but they will happen as long as you are consistent. When you begin to feel differently about yourself and others start to treat you differently, then you will know that what you are doing is working!
Susan M Barber, Author, Podcast Host, Former Fortune 500 IT Director, turned Certified Executive Coach helps business leaders to play bigger, increase their visibility and finally, shine a light on their leadership strengths so they can elevate their position in the workplace. She brings a depth of business knowledge to her coaching from her 25+ years of leadership experience at Kraft Heinz. As the author and podcast host of The Visibility Factor, she is creating a visibility movement for leaders to show their value and be seen for their true talent. Susan is married with three children and lives in the Chicago area.