By Lori Milner: author, entrepreneur, thought leader and founder of Beyond the Dress
We hear so much about the importance of having a personal brand, but what does that really mean? Put simply, your brand is your reputation, which is the culmination of almost everything you have ever done and said. As Amazon’s Jeff Bezos says, “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.”
The reality is, you already have a reputation and you are being “branded” whether you are consciously involved in the process or not. The challenge is to build a reputation on your terms, a personal brand that is congruent with the way you would like to be perceived. This of course raises the question of the extent to which you know how others see you. Are you aware of how your words and actions might enhance or detract from the way people perceive you overall?
More to the point, how would you like others to describe you? One of the best ways to gain clarity about how you want others to think of you is to write down five words or phrases that you would like to be attached to your personal description. These could be anything from “I would like to be seen as having initiative,” to “being a team player,” to “being trustworthy and resourceful.”
Once you have a clear picture of the qualities you want attributed to you, start to think about actions you have taken to demonstrate those qualities. You may discover that there is a disconnect between how you want to be perceived and what you actually do to demonstrate those qualities.
The reality is that your skills, knowledge and consistency contribute to your brand as much as every other aspect of your persona.
These include the following:
How you show up in meetings, how you present information, and how you dress. In ourworkshops, we refer to this as your physical presence.
How you answer your phone, write and respond to emails and manage your social media. This aspect of your brand is your virtual presence.
Your ability to manage conflict skillfully and handle both difficult people and difficult interactions. This is your interpersonal presence.
Your ability to network and build mutually beneficial relationships. This component of your brand is your social presence.
Do you use all of these components as skillfully as you could?
As we are heading towards the second half of the year, it is a great time to assess which aspects your overall brand you want to develop further in the new year. And, as with all things, the first step is to develop greater self-awareness, and then to work consciously toward altering any sabotaging behavior.
Here’s to owning your brand,
Warm wishes
Lori
LORI MILNER is the engaging facilitator, thought leader and mentor known for her insightful approach to being a modern corporate woman. Her brainchild, the successful initiative Beyond the Dress, is the embodiment of her passion to empower women. Beyond the Dress has worked with South Africa’s leading corporates and empowered hundreds of women with valuable insight on how to bridge the gap between work and personal life. Clients include Siemens, Massmart, Alexander Forbes, Life Healthcare Group, RMB Private Bank and Unilever to name a few. Lori has co-authored Own Your Space: The Toolkit for the Working Woman in conjunction with Nadia Bilchik, CNN Editorial Producer. Own Your Space provides practical tools and insights gleaned from workshops held around the world and from interviews with some of South Africa’s most accomplished women to provide you with tried-and-tested techniques, tips and advice to help you boost your career, enhance your confidence and truly own your space on every level. Own Your Space is the ultimate ‘toolkit’ to unleash your true power. It’s for the woman who wants to take her career to new heights and who is ready to fulfil her true potential.
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