Be Your Own Brand

Originality is simply a pair of fresh eyes. - THOMAS W.HIGGINSON
Branding, in a simple manner of speaking, is a way of saying that something belongs to us. You own your body, your personality, so you are in every sense of the word, your brand.

Brands carry values. These can be functional, expressive and central values. Functional values concerns product performance. Rolex watches deliver quality timekeeping; Coca Cola refreshes; Singapore Airlines offers high quality customer service.

Expressive values focuses on what the consumer wants. Harley Davidson motorbikes epitomises freedom and adventure; Tag Heuer watches convey youthfulness and athleticism.
Central values form the key to any product and it permeates the very core of consumer's belief systems. Virgin, through its founder Sir Richard Branson, conveys an image of irreverence and daring do. Apple, through its iMac, iBook and iPod, convey iconic ownership status.

How then can we be a brand?
Our functional value can be the way we work, the way we carry out tasks, the way we solve problems. We can convey a sense of dependability and credibility by the way we carry out our duties and responsibilities, on the work, family and social fronts. Punctuality, thoroughness, efficiency are manifestations of our functional values.

We can convey our expressive values through our attire, our adornments (watches, jewellery, cars) and our hobbies. It is revealed through the music we listen to, the books and magazines we read, the movies we watch. These reveal our personality, how we feel about ourselves and how we want the world to see us. These can work for or against us, depending on the image we want to portray and the environmental context we are in. For instance, trying to look Bohemian in a legal firm, for example, would not be too appropriate.

Central values are within us and it shows itself through our character. These values are revealed in the way we treat our family, our co-workers and our friends. It is unveiled in times of crisis, in times of celebrations and in times of achievement. It manifests itself through our integrity. It shows what we really stand for in life. Central values are what we really are and it is felt by one and all who encounter us.

We are, therefore, in many ways a brand. How we want to position ourselves to others is entirely up to us. But the values must match the positioning, otherwise our `branding' becomes a fallacy.See yourself as a brand. Discover your own Unique Selling Proposition and create your own story.

very good manager once told me that he wanted to see me get my name out there more, in the company. Until then, I would come in and do what was expected of me and I did it very well. I was even promoted within my department a couple of times. However, as I was being prepared to move into management, he told me that I need to make a name for myself and become known to the rest of the company.

I have since then given this same advice to people who want to advance in our company. Anyone who wants to move into another department or get promoted should consider this simple advice. Sometimes, being a good worker is not enough. Sometimes, coming in early and working diligently all day may not be enough. You will get ahead, but there is still something about making a name for yourself among your organization's ranks, that gets you further ahead.

Here are three points to consider when working on getting ahead in your organization:

Think -Think of yourself as a business.
What is it that you have to offer? As a business would you just want to offer your services to the one client, which is your current department, team or position?
Are you developing yourself to enhance your services?

Would other departments in the company be willing to hire you, based on what you have to offer? As a business, you need to understand the 'market' you are trying to dominate in. What is expected of individuals in the positions you are moving into? If you do not know, then find out. Always take the time to improve what you have to offer.

Act - The next thing you want to do is act. Action is needed on your part. Remember it is not just doing what is expected of you in your department or your cubicle. Get outside the box. You want to do things that are business related and non-business related. Are there any activities that the company is involved in that are community focused? Volunteer when the company does something for the community. Perhaps it is a Walk for some cause. If the company is putting on an event, which will typically be handled by the HR team, volunteer to help them.

On the business side, seek to find ways to collaborate with other departments. The key is that you want to be known by managers of other departments or divisions in your organization. You will never know when your name would come up in a conversation. When you see an opportunity to support another department, e.g. to help meet a deadline, step up! It is an opportunity that is knocking at your door, so do not let someone else grab the opportunity. When you get the opportunity, it is your time to shine. Show them what you've got. Make them want you. Let them come back for more of you.

Communicate - The next thing you want to do is develop your communication skills. Regardless of whether you are "people person" or not, communicate. You are a business and you take action, it is only right that you communicate. The question is what it is you are communicating. Well you do not need to become a genius or an expert in a specific area to communicate. Questions asked at work would typically be directly tied to the day-to-day business activities or to company policies.

You want to get to know your company policies and understand how things work in your company. What happens when a product or service gets to a particular department? Who is a point of contact if you want to get something done? Get to know how to get things done! So when a question is asked, you have the answer or you can point others to the answer. The place to display this knowledge could be a company email list. Do not treat all your company emails as spam. The email lists are the means by which you communicate for all to see. So communicate intelligently and knowledgeably.

So there you have it. TAC - Think, Act and Communicate. You think as a business, you act as is you are interested in whatever the company is interested in, and you communicate as if you know everything there is to know about your company. Make it a habit to employ these keys daily and watch opportunities come.
Copyright © 2008, Mark A. Singh.
Mark A. SinghFounder of Leading In Life
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