If your customers, co-workers and colleagues were surveyed, what would they say about you?
Would they all agree about what you stand for? Would they describe the you that you really want to be?
In our day-to-day work, it’s easy to forget that others are watching what we do, paying attention to what we say, and forming opinions about us. The people you spend time with every single work day are an important part of the network you’ll rely on throughout your entire career. What they think of you truly matters.
In my coaching work, I see people forgetting to protect their brand when they:
- Dash off an angry e-mail to a co-worker they rely on for collaborative support.
- Rant endlessly about their colleagues, bosses, and customers without trying to work things out with those partners instead.
- Reject opportunities for self-development or resist taking on new challenges.
- Miss deadlines, break promises, forget to follow through, ignore meeting planners or otherwise signal that the people counting on them don’t really matter.
- Overlook the contributions others are making, failing to recognize effort and accomplishment.
What we all lose sight of is that part of marketing is the packaging. It’s not just the product. We shouldn’t over-rely on our skills, knowledge, expertise, titles or performance. Those things matter, but they just don’t mean as much unless we are also presenting ourselves in a way that is appealing.
Author and speaker Tom Peters wrote about this in Fast Company magazine way back in 1997. If you haven’t read the article recently, refresh your memory and think about what you can be doing to enhance your personal brand. http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/10/brandyou.html
As a leader, it’s imperative to understand why and how to show ever person that you care about them. Learn more about how you can CONNECT2Lead. And Subscribe to our weekly CONNECT2Lead Newsletter for special offers, content, and blog.
