Building Your Personal Brand Through Effective Communications

One of my favorite Dolly Parton quotes is: “Figure out who you are, then do that for the rest of your life”. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Yet there is a growing body of writing and research on helping people to do exactly that…to get clear about their values and their strengths and then to “do that” in their business and personal careers. The buzz word that has grown up around this concept is “Personal Branding”.

The Communications Connectio

Branding is a huge and multi-faceted topic that takes us into many areas of our lives from clarifying our core values all the way to how we dress and comport ourselves. At IWCC we strongly believe that the way people communicate is a major contributor to building a personal brand in the business world.

Think for a moment. About 90% of our working days are spent communicating with others through an ever-increasing range of media from board meetings to blackberries; from voice mail to virtual; from water coolers to web. But how often do we pause to think about how others perceive us? Whether we are aware of it or not, with each single communication event we are in fact building our personal brand.

While we often think of major communication activities such as giving speeches or running high level meetings as brand builders, in fact it is often the informal, day-to-day, spontaneous communications that give us our reputations. Even sitting in a meeting with a disinterested attitude and maintaining total silence can influence how others perceive you. In the words of Tom Peters, “Everything you do – and everything you choose NOT to do – communicates the value and character of the brand called You!”

So how would you like others to describe you? Responsive? Capable? Approachable? Fair? Creative? Analytical? And how do your day-to-day communications either support – or detract from – that image?

Taking some reflective time to ponder on your own brand can be a fun and enlightening exercise. Here’s a simple three-step process for you to work through.

Step #1: Questions for Self-Reflection
• What six adjectives would you like to hear others use in describing you?
• How do your work habits support these words?
• How closely do your written communications (think e-mail!) reflect your ideal brand image?
• How closely do your communications and contributions in meetings (think listening, negotiating and conversational skills) reflect your personal brand?
• What do people around you say is your greatest strength?
• For what kinds of problems/issues/opportunities are you seen as the “go to” person?

Step #2: Checking in with Colleagues
Once you have had a crack at answering these questions for yourself, try asking others to answer the same questions about you. Give them the questions in writing and allow them some time to think about their responses. You can make the feedback anonymous if you wish but it is more powerful if you can persuade people to give you feedback openly. (Incidentally, this can be a fun and very bonding team building exercise.)

You might also ask your colleagues two very powerful questions:

• What would you like to see me do MORE of?
• What would you like to see me do LESS of?

The answers to these two simple questions might surprise you.

Step #3: Action Pla

Now that you have some data to work with, the next step is a personal action plan.

• In which areas of your communications are you building/supporting your brand?
• What changes can you begin to make in the next 30 days to support your brand?

Clients we have worked with over the years have astonished us in the variety of personal change initiatives they have undertaken as a result of this simple exercise. People have focused on issues such as:

• becoming a better listener;
• improving personal dress and appearance;
• sprucing up their voice mail messages;
• writing articles or giving talks;
• editing their reports more meticulously; and
• being more constructive in group meetings.

One Step at a Time
In our communication coaching activities with clients, we have come to the conclusion that people can focus on changing only one habit/skill/behavior at a time. So don’t overload your system. Try changing just ONE thing in your communications for 30 days and remember to celebrate your successes.

So enjoy the journey to define your personal brand. If you have a plane ride coming up soon, it can be a great opportunity to start this exercise. Otherwise, close your door, forward your phone and invest 30 minutes in yourself to get your journey started. And once you have figured out who you are….don’t forget to tell your friends and colleagues. They’ll love you for it!!