Personal Brand Development
Tips for developing your personal brand and managing your reputation for professional development and career advancement.
Five minutes before the plane was to push back from the terminal en route to Chicago, one of the flight attendants, Susie, announced, “We’ve just been informed that there is a malfunction with the rear lavatory that will have to be addressed before we can take off. We’re expecting a delay of approximately one hour.”
The resulting reaction from a handful of passengers was as though a nest of snakes had been released into the cabin (yes, it was THAT dramatic).
A voice yelled from the back, “Don’t you realize there’s a bunch of children on this plane?” Another passenger exclaimed, “But I’m going to miss my connection!” And yet another, “This is ridiculous! I want to talk to the pilot!”
To quickly address the issue before it snowballed further, I expected someone from the airline—the pilot, a flight attendant, or a crew member—to make a follow-up announcement ensuring us they were doing everything within their power to expedite the process and get us on our way. No such announcement was ever made.
During the process of developing a new website, I recommended that my client hire a photographer to update all the professional’s headshots. I suggested that updated photos would not only increase the aesthetics of the site, but a consistent background and camera perspective would communicate a unified message to all who visited.
As part of the exercise, each professional was scheduled at a specific time, and emailed “best practices” regarding what to wear to ensure the resulting headshot would be as flattering as possible.
On the day of the shoot, I was perplexed by the scenarios presented me. One female arrived with a face as red as ground beef. When I inquired as to what had happened, she mentioned she had undergone a chemical peel earlier that day in hopes of appearing younger. A male showed up in a dress shirt that was too small to button at the neck and with a jacket that arguably would have fit him 30 pounds ago. Another female was irritated to learn we hadn’t rented a fan in order to give her the Hollywood “windblown hair” look she desired.
Last week I attended two funerals. Unknown to me personally, the deceased were related to work colleagues whom I respect.
In each service, the eulogist began by recounting the milestones of the deceased, details like birth date and place, their family relations, and academic and career achievements. But the most memorable part was hearing stories about how the deceased treated and influenced the people in their lives. It was this part that had the biggest affect on me as it brought these strangers to life.
I heard accounts of a spouse who was known for her wicked tennis game, love for dark chocolate, eye for fashion, allegiance to her college football team, quick wit, and profound love for her husband. I also learned of a father who loved to camp, had an appreciation for the arts, sought civil justice for all as an attorney, and enjoyed face time with his grandkids.
At the conclusion of the services, I realized that not only is one’s eulogy a summation of one’s personal brand, but the most poignant facet of that brand is the emotional aspect. In other words, it’s how the deceased made others associated with them feel that made them memorable.
A few years back, I served on the nominating committee of a national organization. We were responsible for sifting through dozens of candidates in order to fill a handful of volunteer board of director positions.
As a way to filter through the submissions, I suggested that we consider candidates based on their skill set, access to resources, and influence in the industry—in other words, the value they could provide the organization. By focusing on a candidate’s qualifications, I believed the organization had the best chance of advancing its goals and strengthening its brand.
To my surprise, no sooner did I make such a recommendation as it was met with resistance. My fellow committee members were more interested in selecting their friends — regardless of their abilities — than the most qualified candidates.
The most recent economic downturn has led to near record levels of professionals out of work. Others are underemployed, serving in positions beneath their skill set and outside of their area of expertise. Still others are gainfully employed, yet seek new opportunities for career advancement.
Regardless of one’s situation, professionals can leverage their personal brands to gain a competitive advantage.
Ultimately, a personal brand should reflect the value a professional is capable of providing, regardless of their current position. In other words, the strength of your personal brand now has the ability to shape your future.
Recently, my friend Sally and I scheduled to have lunch. We decided to meet at Sally’s office in downtown Los Angeles and walk to a lunch spot from there. Upon entering Sally’s office’s reception area, I walked to the front desk, introduced myself to the receptionist, Laura, and asked if she would let Sally know that I had arrived. At no time did Laura greet me, smile, or offer a seat in the waiting area while she contacted Sally. The thought of offering me a beverage while I waited clearly never crossed her mind.