Strategize To Succeed
PC419 – Branding – How Do Others See You?

       Welcome to the next episode of Strategize To Succeed™.  Selectively applying the strategies which we discuss each week will help you as you progress from conditions to opportunities to successes.

       In today’s episode, we are going to focus on personal branding, that is to say, the branding of you, as opposed to commercial product branding. Why do we even need to think about this, isn’t it just an unnecessary complication to interpersonal relationships? Apparently, those qualities which you once felt made you a unique human being, have now become the foundation for your brand development. So, let’s delve further into the purpose of branding, and how to construct your personal brand.

       Before you can decide what your persona will look like to others, you must first decide who and what you are, and what you want to be.

       There is a recent article published by the Harvard Business Review which is co-authored by the interesting duo of a business professor and a professional matchmaker, providing a well-rounded, and detailed, view of how personal branding should be developed. The article is entitled, “A New Approach to Building Your Personal Brand,” by Jill Avery and Rachel Greenwald (May-June, 2023).

       Note that the article begins with a definition of personal branding as “an intentional, strategic practice in which you define and express your own value proposition . . . It’s the amalgamation of the associations, beliefs, feelings, attitudes, and expectations that people collectively hold about you. Your goal should be to ensure that the narrative created about you is accurate, coherent, compelling, and differentiated.”

      View personal branding as your billboard to the outside world. Someone who doesn’t know you well has just a few seconds to figure out what you’re all about and whether it would be of value for your orbits to intersect, either professionally or personally.

      There is another element which you should keep in mind. The entire concept of personal branding was so named about 25 years ago, by Tom Peters. At that point, the development of social media was in its infancy and its use was in the embryonic stage of growth. The entire notion of personal branding was limited to more personal, individual contact. 

       What has since evolved is a standard by which most contact, both social and professional, has become separated by equipment, specifically, computers and phones. As a result, the definition of personal and effective communications has been stretched to limits not previously imagined or anticipated. In the article, “Personal Branding And The New World Of Work,” by William Arruda (Forbes, September 18, 2022), the author pointed out that “Today’s workforce demands transparency, authenticity, individuality and recognition.” There is no question that these four requisites have become increasingly difficult to achieve because the human personality and individual qualities are often presented behind a filtered lens.     

      To this end, the authors of “A New Approach . . .” offer a seven-step process for developing your personal brand. Which we will briefly mention here.

      First, “define your purpose.” At this point, you will start to dig deep into your past. It is suggested that you construct a “through line.” This represents a continuum of experiences, decisions, and actions which have defined the “how” and “why” of your life. Based on this analysis of your past, you then project into your future behavior and how that reflects on your “mission, passions, and goals by writing a personal value proposition.” This is “a statement with four components: the group you will target, what you hope to provide, your competitive cohort, and your distinctive capabilities.” To explore the process further, the authors have included a template of the four components in their article.

      Second, “audit your personal brand equity.” This encompasses a list of your current inventory of your “credentials,” taking a broad view beyond basic academics. Then consider your current “social capital”; this describes your “social connections and relationships within various groups and organizations.” The purpose of this step is to understand what you have so that you can “leverage” it for growth. Then move on to your “cultural capital” which includes whatever expertise you have garnered from your “upbringing, interactions, hobbies, and interests.” The final element is to compare your current review with what you hope to attain. Throughout the process, the intent is for you to make the inventory as comprehensive as possible, reflecting both in-person and online experiences and exposures. One way to achieve a valid result is to do your own form of market research. Select only those who you believe will provide you with honest answers. And try to include representatives from several groups: family, friends, colleagues, other affiliations. Then ask about your image to find out if your perception is consistent with how others view you. But don’t stack the deck by asking skewed questions, start with the open-ended and neutral ones, and then you can narrow the focus to become more specific.

      The remaining elements of the process are: third, “construct your personal narrative,” fourth, “embody your brand,” fifth, “communicate your brand story,” sixth, “socialize your brand,” and seventh, “reevaluate and adjust your brand.”

      There is no doubt that this article is very detailed and will walk you through the nitty-gritty of the process. However, if you would prefer to take guidance from a somewhat more easygoing approach, I would suggest taking a look at an article entitled, “10 Golden Rules Of Personal Branding,” by Goldie Chan (Forbes, November 8, 2018). 

       In this article, the author recognized how hard it can be to address the creation of a personal brand, and acknowledged that even Oprah Winfrey went through an evolutionary branding process when she started out in local television, prior to defining her purpose, mission, style, and presentation. Ms. Chan then proceeds to offer her “golden rules for creating an engaging, unique, and inviting personal brand.”

      These are: have a focus, be genuine, tell a story, be consistent, be ready to fail, create a positive impact, follow a successful example, live your brand, let other people tell your story, and leave a legacy.

       Ms. Chan’s suggestions dovetail quite well with those found in the Harvard article, however, you may find that if you are undertaking the intentional creation of your personal brand for the first time, I would suggest that you may want to start by exploring Ms. Chan’s Forbes article. 

      Although the Harvard article is comprehensive and excellent, it may be somewhat daunting and off-putting when you are in the throes of an initial exploration into how to brand yourself. 

       The result has become a far more urgent need to try to make ourselves stand out in a pronounced fashion so that whatever we are selling, including our own skills and talents can be recognized, appreciated, and responded to positively. To accomplish this, the article, “How to Build Your Personal Brand at Work,” by Nahia Orduna (Harvard Business Review/Ascend, September 28, 2022) advocates focusing on “defining your personal brand.” According to Ms. Orduna, this is comprised of “your uniqueness,” “your values,” and “your contributions.”

      Once that has been accomplished, it is then necessary for you to “find initiatives and organizational goals that are aligned with your brand.”   

      Then you can “connect with colleagues who have similar interests.”

      And, finally, you can communicate your brand by “creating and sharing content.”

       William Arruda, who was referenced earlier as the author of a Forbes article, has since written another article for Forbes entitled, “Why Meetings Are The Best Place To Build Your Personal Brand – If You Develop The Right Mindset” (May 14, 2023).

       His springboard is his assertion that “personal branding is about authentically delivering value to the people you seek to influence, inspire and impact.” From this, Mr. Arruda concludes that both in-person and virtual meetings represent one of the best ways “to build your brand and advance your career, when you actively engage in them.” 

       The reasons that this opportunity can be so beneficial when developing one’s personal brand is that the very people whom you want to influence are at meetings. Your exposure by being present at meetings enables you to become more looped-in to everything which is happening in the organization. Attending and participating at a meeting offers you the opportunity to communicate and connect with others, at all levels of the hierarchy. A meeting format gives you the platform to communicate your views and present your unique abilities. This environment also enables one to publicly acknowledge and credit the input of others. And, a meeting is one of the best situations in which to elicit feedback from others. 

      Essentially, the offer to attend a meeting should be regarded as an opportunity to improve and expand your personal brand. Oftentimes, the constructive participation in a meeting setting becomes the stepping-stone for those who are noted as collaborators and, eventually, leaders.

       So, the point here is when giving thought to developing your brand, be very purposeful and deliberate as to the decisions you make, because they will likely impact your future.

      There is a rather appropriate quotation which has been attributed to Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, which states that, “Your brand is what people say about you when you’re not in the room.”

       Be aware of your brand’s importance, even as it evolves throughout your life. This is something which you can, in large measure, control.

       Thank you for sharing your time today. Remember, your application of strategic decision-making approaches can result in more beneficial outcomes for you, both professionally and personally. Why not turn that process into your opportunity?

Copyright 2023 by The Bermaelyn Group, LLC