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BRAND ‘YOU’ — IT’S ABOUT CAREER MANAGEMENT
"I AM TRAVEL LUGGAGE!"
Yes, there have been stranger statements than this. I am the Walrus… koo… koo… koo… choo… comes to mind. But attendees of the sold-out Board of Trade WLC event, Developing Your Leadership Brand, had a question posed to them by the speaker, Tara Cree, Ph.D: "If you were a product, what would you be and why?"
"I’m like a piece of carry-on luggage," said Sara Smith of HUB International. "I can fit a lot of things into a small space, am durable, portable, and noticeable" — not dull like the old black luggage of yore. Other women were BMWs, control top pantyhose… and more.
It may seem like a funny question, similar to Barbara Walters asking celebs, "If you were a tree, what would you be?", but there was method to Tara’s exercise. Personal brand management is an essential part of our career management. The question is, what kind of brand do you project in business?
CONTROL YOUR BRAND
Whether you like it or not, you are your own brand. And, as Tara put it, "If you don’t brand yourself, someone else will." While you may think you’re a BMW (quick, responsive, powerful, sleek), do others think of you as a minivan? For more, see Tara Cree’s PowerPoint presentation (pdf) and event summary. |
UNINTENTIONAL BRANDING
Our brand is represented in everything we do. It is in the way we dress, but it’s also in the way we answer the phone, attend a meeting or send an email. Tara suggests taking a look at the emails that you sent yesterday. Do they ramble on or get to the point fast? Do you have habits that might cause fellow workers to stop looking at your emails, such as sending everyone and their dog a copy? What does your email style say about you? And how can you improve it?
Here’s an example of what we mean. You meet someone at a business or charity dinner and sit beside each other for three hours. That’s a lot of time to create a connection and let’s assume that you did. You can follow up with this email:
Brand A: "Great to meet u at… "
Or you can follow up with this:
Brand B. "Great to meet you. Wanted to let you know I was very impressed by your interpersonal and conversational skills, it was truly a pleasure to meet you. Look forward to hearing from you again. Warmest personal regards,"
Which one leaves you with a better impression?
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IT’S ABOUT SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE
There may be some of you who say, I don’t really feel comfortable being so effusive, but key to your brand is your level of social intelligence and the impression you make. Is it warm, personable and memorable? Heightened social intelligence is probably one of the best tools for personal brand building, and the authority on this topic Daniel Goleman, is coming to The Board April 8 as part of the Leadership Bootcamp 2008.
 Goleman popularized the term Emotional Intelligence in his best seller, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. His latest book, called Social Intelligence, shows compelling research that we are wired to connect and how our emotions have the power to affect others. The term "on the same wavelength" has research to back it up. Very cool stuff!
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AN ATTITUDE OF ABUNDANCE
Sometimes folks are miserly with compliments, those small social graces. Think of Email B — wouldn’t you feel good if you received that email? So today, right after you’ve read this newsletter, go down the hall and say something nice to someone. "You know, you’ve been doing a really great job. I’ve been so heads down that I haven’t taken the time to thank you…" Add a nice, sincere personal comment in an email that you send out this afternoon. Or reach out and phone someone: "I haven’t spoken with you in a while, and I miss you… Mom." (OK that’s a really powerful one!) The point is: compliments are abundant; we could all give them more freely.
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LIVING THE SISTERHOOD
Can’t think of someone to compliment today? Try this. If you see an older woman at the grocery store or drug store, tell her what a smart outfit, beautiful scarf, wonderful smile she has. She’ll feel great, but you might feel even better…
More on this topic next month: Is The Sisterhood Dead?
Want to tell us what you did to make someone’s day?
Email: wlc@boardoftrade.com You might inspire others.
YOUR DAY: WHAT ARE YOU DOING?
March 8 is International Women’s Day. Is your company doing something special or unique on that day? Do you have a global initiative at your corporation, or are you doing something right here in the community? We would love to share your story in our March newsletter so contact WLC Advisory Board member, Judy Thomson at judy@workthepond.com.
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ABOUT OUR
NEWSLETTERS & YOUR INPUT
Our goal is to make these monthly newsletters short (we’re busy!) and sweet (good positive energy stuff) and just a little ‘out there’ (not boring). We want your input: ideas for this newsletter, for speakers, for content. Send your feedback to wlc@boardoftrade.com.
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Content provided by Shepa Learning Company for the Women’s Leadership Circle™
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February 27, 2008 
March 5, 2008
IN THIS ISSUE:
