The Power of Personal Brand at Work
Photo by Steve Harvey on Unsplash
Personal brand has a become a bit of a buzz term.
Even mentioning it is enough to make some people’s toes curl as they imagine certain celebrities and their “brand" or online personalities who perhaps take themselves a little too seriously. But actually - these online personalities and celebrities are onto something. At work (and this is their work) personal brand is really important and, whether or not you like it - you have a personal brand too.
When you know this, you can own it and when you own it, your personal brand can power your career
What is a personal brand?
Brands when applied to products or services are, at a basic level, the symbols that identify it from other products or services but when managed well (think Apple) brands become more than symbols and logos, they create feelings, emotions and strong associations.
The same rationale can be applied to people and their personal brand.
When you think of Kim Kardashian, Oprah or Apple, you’re not thinking about the school they went to, the degree they have, the house they grew up in or the phones they make - you’re thinking of words and feelings you associate them with - maybe money, innovation, generosity, aesthetic.
Think of someone you know at work - what words spring to mind? Helpful? Full of integrity? Great attention to detail? Always gets stuff done? The ‘go-to’ for XYZ? This is their personal brand.
Your personal brand is how you show up, what you stand for and what people experience of you - repeated over time. Repeated over time is critical - a brand must be consistent to be believable and build equity. Build brand equity and you build brand resilience.
Why is personal brand important?
In a highly-skilled workforce, having the right skills to do your job well is a given - you’re expected to do your job and do it well. Being conscious and intentional about your personal brand can set you apart and power your career in a number of ways:
Make a bigger impact and build the reputation you want
Easily answer the question “Why you?”
Have the career you want and be successful on your own terms
Build career resilience and brand equity
Build powerful relationships
How I found my personal brand at work
I came across the power of personal brand quite accidentally in my own career. Several years ago I moved from a brand role into a business development role and my boss at the time started referring to me as the “brand expert”. Anything brand or marketing related - whether a project, a meeting, a speaking slot, whatever - became my specialty area. I was the ‘go-to’ for brand. Now in the context of a brand team I may not have been the most experienced, but in the context of my new team I certainly was. I started to consciously cultivate this.
Around the same time, I also started to become known as the “writer” in the team. My role involved both project management and writing. Writing is one of my greatest passions and I started to intentionally promote this skill and, pretty soon, I became the ‘go-to’ for writing too. Focusing on these two things and making them what I was famous for started to make me well known for this across the wider business. It led to more opportunities than I could have imagined and, ultimately, led me to create Re/Write. I had learnt first hand the power of personal brand.
Want to rewrite your personal brand?
Unsure what you stand for? This powerful and highly practical 1:1 career clinic with Monique will help you to understand the power of your unique personal brand and harness it to attract the opportunities you want. You’ll leave the session with personal brand clarity, new brand pillars and an elevator pitch ready to shout about.
How you can find, define and own your personal brand
So you’re convinced that personal brand at work is going to power your career but you’re not sure where to start? Defining your personal brand takes some self awareness, reflection and intention.
KNOW YOURSELF – become self-aware. What impact do you make? What do you currently stand for? (Tip: it’s also important to know what you don’t want to be known for).
BE YOURSELF – your brand is unique to you and should aligned to your talents, skills and values. To be believable and powerful, your brand must be authentic.
PROMOTE YOURSELF - visibility at work is one of the single biggest determinants of success at work. If self-promotion makes your toes curl as much as the words personal brand does, then do it in subtler ways - ask questions in meetings, promote your team, offer to help someone with something you want to be famous for.
Questions to ask yourself:
What are you awesome at?
What makes you special?
What differentiates you from others?
What are your greatest strengths?
What are your greatest accomplishments?
What do people come to you for?
What are your values?
What do you want to be famous for?
YOU ARE YOUR SUPERPOWER.
When cultivating your brand - you are your superpower. Play to your strengths and above all else, stay true to yourself - your natural gifts, your values and your definition of success. As the gloriously-himself Oscar Wilde once said, “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.”
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Rewriting your personal brand is a core part of Monique Shaw’s Rewrite Your Career Story programme.
Monique Shaw is an Executive Career & Leadership Coach and Brand Story Specialist helping passionate, frustrated and ambitious professionals create careers, teams and businesses that are aligned and effective. Book a consult or get in touch to explore how she can support you.
