To thine own brand be true- magazine article
If someone asks me would I like a banana I do not visualise the letters in the word. I visualise one of those bent yellow things that monkeys eat. When someone mentions to me the name of a multi-national supplier of copying equipment I don't visualise their logo, I tend to remember my most recent business interactions with them. Logos are great memory joggers for remembering a name but they do not represent their 'brand' unless an association between the two can be drawn.
It is the performance that provides the association between the logo and the 'brand'. It is the performance that really creates the relationship. The logo on its own doesn't really do either of those things and to think that they are one and the same is not accurate. How we are perceived as individuals within our work environment is as much about how we 'brand' ourselves. In other words, what is the association that we create between what we say and how we act?
When most of us think of a brand we think of a logo. But is your organisation's logo the sum total of your brand? Is it what your organisation really stands for? Does it convey the values, priorities and performance to which you aspire and by which you want to be judged? You definitely want this to be the case but chances are that it isn't. It is more likely that your organisation gets judged by its performance and the actions of your work colleagues. So do you. Perhaps we should start to brand ourselves in the same way as we do our organisation.
Reflecting on your brand
Branding is more than a logo, it is more than a superficial symbol of your intention to create loyalty, confidence and a preferential status. Branding is about creating and cementing the desired feeling, impression and/or perception in the mind of your client. This same logic can be applied to you as an individual. Perhaps it is time to reflect on your own personal 'brand'. In establishing your brand, a little self-reflection can go along way.
Our personal identity is very important to us; in fact, it is fundamental to our very being. We spend many hours every day establishing it, reinforcing it and demonstrating how unique it is. It is how we want to be seen by the rest of the world. In our roles as managers, salespersons, machine operators, job candidates or Friday night party animals, we take great pains to create that positive first impression.
As business managers, we spend countless hours and devote major amounts of resources in ensuring our organisational brand is maintained. Constant vigilance is required lest it get tarnished by one slip of attention. We understand that clients don't drink our logo and they don't use our services because of the shape and colour of our logo - well, most clients don't - but logos and branding are still a very important ingredient of the image you wish to create in the minds of your clients. Similarly, your personal brand is just as important in establishing the reputation you want for yourself.
A key motivator when branding oneself is to be remembered in a positive light. Just as you would for your organisation, you need to understand what your boss, work colleagues and clients see and think about you as an individual performer. Some individuals evaluate every work related interaction as a transaction - in other words there can only be a win/lose outcome. This world view is one where the world is made completely of hierarchies and there is only enough space for one person at a time on the ladder. I'm not saying it is a wrong world view, I am merely describing it for others to be aware of and manage. If this is not how you wish to be perceived then at least be aware.
Another world view is that life isn't a ladder at all but rather a continuum with us all side by side and celebrating each others different contributions. This doesn't preclude others making decisions and giving direction because that's what some people contribute best. To view an interaction with a client or work colleagues in strictly win/lose terms can be quite unrewarding. It may lead to behaviours that emphasise the 'gotcha' mentality. Not so good if you are on the receiving end though, is it?
One's personal brand can be easily exposed when things go wrong or when the relationship is under pressure. How do you react? Blame, defensiveness, acceptance, denial, problem-solving, listening etc. Knowing your true personal brand is a powerful tool in both professional and personal development.
Tools to test yourself
Many organisations spend considerable resources in attempting to find out more about themselves and their staff through the use of psychometric testing tools. These tools can be used during the recruitment process, career planning, return to work programs or simply for an individual to find out more about themselves. Whatever the purpose, it is absolutely imperative that it is well-planned and administered by a professional. In some quarters, these psychometric tests have a poor reputation mainly due to the fact that they have either been poorly administered, the wrong test has been chosen or the analysis of the results has been mis-communicated.
If you are using this kind of test to find out more about yourself, your potential, your leadership style or how you cope in various work situations, be prepared to answer the questions with your work 'hat' on. Remember you are trying to get an insight into what your personal brand really is within a work setting. It will most likely be different within a recreational setting.
Too often when responding to these types of tests we forget to realise that we are being assessed, or assessing ourselves within a work environment. Your leadership style at work may be different than it is at home - and you really shouldn't get the two confused. Your capacity for risk taking and decision making may also differ depending on the setting.
It is also critical to understand that the results from these tests should not be seen as set in concrete. They are merely quite sophisticated aids in helping you learn a little bit more about yourself and are based on probability, not any kind of absolute predictability.
How to get where you're going
At this point let me declare a bias in favour of sound psychometric testing and a major dislike for what can only be described as personality 'quizzes'. This is serious stuff and not to be left in the hands of the unskilled. It can cause major damage to a person's self-esteem and worth to be labelled and defined by a set of initials on a personality test without the appropriate explanations and context.
Done well and with the appropriate quality of analysis, it can provide a person with a snapshot of who they are at this point in time on such scales as extraversion, openness, compliance, leadership style etc. It can then enable them to be mentored or coached into using this information to develop strategies to get where they see themselves going.
Learning that you may not be as 'open' to new ideas as you thought you were doesn't mean that your options and potential are limited. On the contrary, it now means that you can make some choices and decisions, get some professional development and take greater control over your future. Being a leader isn't for everybody.
Who you are, who you want to be and how you are perceived are all part of that personal branding. Taking the time to work on yourself can be a key element in your success in influencing others towards your desired perception. Most of us want to be perceived as positive, truthful, reliable colleagues. And isn't that very much what we wish to create for our businesses?
The design of logos is a very complex and sophisticated art form, in my view. It is very much underrated in its capacity to impress on the memory of the general population your desired intentions. It can be critical in establishing a brand and in aiding the memory of the purchaser/client.
Likewise, the establishment of your own personal brand relies on creating lasting memories with those you wish to impress. Your personal brand is what you leave behind, the perception you create, the lasting memory and your reputation. It is not permanent and can be very adaptable. Coming to grips with this may be worth the effort.
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