For far too many people, particularly women, there is a sense that if we work very hard and we are reliable, then we will automatically be recognised and acknowledged. For many of us again, the idea of speaking up and bringing attention to our achievements is very uncomfortable.
There’s an old Latin saying: qui tacet consentire videtur or – in English – he who is silent is taken to agree. In short, if you don’t speak up it is assumed that you’re on board.
That’s why we need to teach ourselves to overcome our fear of awkwardness or rejection, and ask for the things we want.
By having a set of career goals, self-awareness of our skills and personal characteristics, and taking the sometimes difficult action to draw positive attention to ourselves, each of us can begin building a meaningful personal brand. Think of prominent politicians, high-profile CEOs and famous celebrities, and the time they spend making themselves visible. They do this for a reason!
But your personal brand has be about more than just being seen and heard. To reinforce the right perceptions, you also have to continually demonstrate the unique value you deliver to your customers and clients, and of course, your employers.
With a sluggish economy and many companies “right sizing”, there has never been a more important time to regularly reinforce to your employer why they need you. If your personal brand were to be summed up in one word it should be this: indispensable.
Here are a couple of easy exercises to start you on a path towards positive personal branding:
- Write down the four things that you are known the most for at work (e.g. ability to negotiate or problem solving)
- Think about how you can communicate your chosen personal characteristics into four clear, effective messages about yourself that you can consistently reinforce to your colleagues. A good tip here is to think about how politicians repeat their key messages (though you don’t have to go that far!)
- Practice these key messages with your family – they’ll be happy to help you work on selling your qualities and achievements to an audience
- Create a resume or professional profile that demonstrates specific instances where your strongest personal characteristics have resulted in achievements
Don’t be afraid to use language that highlights the strongest qualities of your personal brand or seize opportunities to demonstrate your achievements.
If you follow these four steps, you’ll be on the way to developing a strong personal brand, and a clear set of goals for yourself, your current role, and beyond.