Category Archives: Personal Branding
January 11, 2017 It all matters.
It’s easy to think that our words and actions do not matter. That they get swallowed up by the world and don’t have any effect. Even though you may feel like a small fish at times, your words and actions DO matter. They can have a profound effect on others–your co-workers, children, friends, or the stranger to whom you lend a helping hand.
From a career perspective, there have been times when I’ve done a little extra or gone out of my way to compliment or thank a team member and have had those actions return to me tenfold! How might your actions help earn your next promotion? Or a loyal team member? Or simply respect? Keep that in mind as you read this lovely poem by Laura McBride:
We Are Called To Rise
by Laura McBride
It all matters. That someone turns out the lamp, picks up the wind-blown wrapper, says hello to the invalid, listens to the repeated tale, plays the game fairly, tells the story honestly, acknowledges help, gives credit, says good night, resists temptation, wipes the counter, makes the bed, tips the maid, remembers the illness, congratulates the victor, accepts the consequences, takes a stand, steps up, offers a hand, goes first, goes last, chooses the small portion, teaches the child, tends to the dying, comforts the grieving, removes the splinter, wipes the tear, directs the lost, touches the lonely, is the whole thing.
It all matters.
Tags: actions and words matter, build self-awareness, business coach Margaret Smith, Career Coach Advice, How to Build Your Brand, It all matters, Margaret Smith life coach, poet Laura McBride, ripple effect, Twin Cities career coach
December 28, 2016 Resolve to be KIND.
I’ve talked about making a keeping New Year’s resolutions in past blog posts, but I want to talk about the type of resolution you’ll make this year. Sure, it’s perfectly fine to resolve to lose weight or eat better or spend more time with your family. Those are great goals! Set those goals, but then add one more thing to your resolution list: kindness.
We live in a world where kindness is often lacking. We love to dwell on differences–the things that divide us–instead of appreciating differences and attempting to bridge gaps. Instead of making snap judgments and generalizations, I encourage you to pause, truly consider the other person’s point of view, and begin to develop understanding and empathy.
Resolving to be kind does NOT detract from your other goals. It is a supplement and an enhancement. When you resolve to exercise more, for instance, you are being kind to your body. When you resolve to get to appointments on time, you are being kind by your consideration of others’ time. Let your world teem with kindness and you’ll find that it’s easier to achieve your other goals.
During the holiday season, we are reminded to perform acts of kindness–donate to food shelves, volunteer, sing carols at nursing homes–but these nice gestures should not go away with the end of December. By making kindness part of your New Year’s resolution, you can help carry the giving spirit of the holidays throughout the entire year.
The world needs your kindness. Instead of focusing on the things that divide us, let’s look at the things that bring us together: family, health, productivity, the desire to live a good life. Find common ground. Reach out. Be kind.
Happy New Year!
MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS®DISCOVERY LICENSED PRACTITIONER, FOUNDER OF UXL, AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE TAG TEAM. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. YOU CAN VISIT HER WEBSITE AT WWW.YOUEXCELNOW.COM
Tags: caring, kindness, Margaret Smith life coach, Margaret Smith Twin Cities, new years resolution, new years resolution 2017, resolve to be kind, this year's resolution
November 30, 2016 Life as a Web (don’t blow your connections!)
When I talk to clients about building up their personal brands, I remind them that a personal brand should be consistent and reliable. This is your reputation, the overall traits that people see in you. If you behave one way with a certain group of people and then modify your behavior drastically with another group, people will pick up on that. They will begin to question your integrity and authenticity, and your personal brand will mostly likely take a hit.
Of course, it’s a good idea to modify your actions slightly (you might have a more casual approach with co-workers than clients, for instance), but your true self should remain consistent. I talk about this concept quite a bit in my chapter on authenticity in the Ten-Minute Leadership Challenge and in various blog posts about authenticity and authentic leadership.
One thing to keep in mind when you’re focusing on your personal brand is that we live in a web. You aren’t just spinning in your own orbit, having one-off conversations with a manager here, a prospective client there. Your actions and your words can have a far-reaching effect.
I’ve personally experienced this effect during my time at 3M. People would know my reputation as a go-getter and an”idea person” before I even introduced myself. Word has a way of spreading and, because of that, the people at 3M entrusted me to take on new, experimental projects, knowing I had built up a reputation of innovation and ambition.
In your own world, your reputation might either be built or shattered by the things you say on social media, your replies (or lack of replies) to emails, your courteousness or curtness, your ability to meet deadlines (or ignore them). And you know what? The web is getting smaller. We are all linked through digital channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Slack, email records) and our actions can be easily monitored (browser history, time stamps on email messages). Why not be transparent?
Putting your best, genuine self forward is the surest way to develop a personal brand that is consistent, trustworthy, and YOU.
FURTHER READING:
The 5 Minute Personal Branding Pep Talk
MARGARET SMITH IS A CAREER COACH, AUTHOR, INSIGHTS®DISCOVERY LICENSED PRACTITIONER, FOUNDER OF UXL, AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE TAG TEAM. SHE HOSTS WORKSHOPS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED CAREER OR PERSONAL GUIDANCE. YOU CAN VISIT HER WEBSITE AT WWW.YOUEXCELNOW.COM
Tags: Better Personal Branding, career coach Margaret Smith, career coach Minneapolis, connection web, Improve Personal Branding, personal branding Minneapolis, Personal Growth, reputation building, Twin Cities career coach
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