Last blog I asked the question: Are you FAMOUS!?! Maybe you are, maybe you aren't. It doesn't matter because people are on different journeys when to comes to personal brand. When I speak about it, it's mostly on who are you and how you want to be seen. Now I'm changing my tune a bit and focusing on whether you want to be active or passive when it comes to branding. As I enter the next phase of my journey, I'm exploring if how I'm seen is how I want to be seen.
So where to start?? Let's break it down into three pieces: Reflect, Refine, Build.
Reflect on your personal brand
1. Explore your strengths - over the years I've taken many assessments to identify my strengths and it's amazing how they're spot on. By learning about yourself, you can capitalize on your advantages, as well as understand others better. StandOut, MBTI, Social Styles... whatever floats your boat. If you haven't already, take some of these.
About me:
- I'm a connecter and an advisor (StandOut).
- My MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) shows me as an ESFJ (Extraversion, Sensing, Feeling, Judgment) Myers-Briggs).
- My Social Style is amiable
Sometimes it helps to match your perception with reality!
2. Get feedback - how do others perceive you? Are you known for something, do people come to you for help? Are people intimidated to talk to you? Are there patterns in your performance feedback (positive or negative)? Who are the three people you can have these conversations?
About me:
- I have a trusted confidant I work with on a daily basis - she sees me leading large meetings, as a team leader and interacting with my leadership. Her insight is hugely valuable, and she's very honest (sometimes too much so!)
- I have a career counselor who I meet with monthly to help guide my career. He also represents me in annual reviews and has insight into how I'm evaluated to my peers across the organization.
- I have a coach who works in a totally different area of the business and does NOT have daily insight into my work, but he understands my work environment.
- I also have a few other mentors I can talk to about different things.
Find your people and ask them to be honest with you.
3. Be a sponge - sit down for 30 minutes and really absorb what you've learned about yourself. Did you learn something new? If not, go back to #2. Start thinking about your new elevator pitch as you go into the refine stage.
About me:
In preparation for this series, I've been soaking up my strengths analysis and the feedback I've received while I come up with my personal brand elevator pitch. We'll work through this together, so stay tuned...
Next time, we'll talk about refining your personal brand!