How to be a flamingo in a flock of pigeons
Are you frustrated by the upward movement of people who have less qualifications and experience than you?
Sometimes the person who gets the job or the promotion is not the best person for the role. They are simply better at presenting themselves to the influencers and decision-makers.
People connect with people.
Being visible, setting up trusted relationships and knowing how to build your profile are skills you need to master. And you want that to ripple out through the organisation and out into your wider industry.
This strange time working away from your office gives you a once in a career opportunity to re-set. To reframe who you are showing up as, in your work-life.
Will you settle for the same old when you return to your office? Or will you use this opportunity to create a lasting change?
The move to a new office location eight months ago offered Chantel the opportunity to reshape her personal brand to align with her new position as General Manager. The timing was fortuitous, and she did not squander the opportunity.
“Moving to the new office and giving myself permission to step up and take ownership of the new role has improved my ability to manage complex problems without stress, better leverage my time and utilise my team.
The physical space change and a change in wardrobe helped me embrace being the leader the business needed even when I didn’t always have all the answers.”
– Chantel
What is Personal Brand?
Your personal brand is made up of a combination of personal characteristics and traits that are unique to you.
While the subject of a brand called “You” is not new, ensuring your personal branding is right can be more challenging.
If you are planning to apply for senior roles, it is time to overhaul your personal branding to ensure it is giving you the best opportunity possible, including:
- How you sign off emails
- Your greeting when you meet people
- How you introduce yourself
- Your appearance at work including your dress, grooming, posture and bearing
- Your voicemail message
- Your photo and bio on the company intranet
Signing off internal emails with a smiley face 😊 or two kisses is unlikely to enhance your clout when you are asking for extra project funding at the next executive team meeting.
Think about how these elements cohere and represent you. A person with gravitas or someone who is a little flippant and fluctuates from one persona to another.
Have a consistent brand personality, it helps to build trust with your peers. It positions you as an authority with credibility. Incongruency and inconsistency in who you are showing up as can be seriously career limiting.
A personal brand clearly articulates who you are, what you do, and how you solve problems and help others. It makes it easier for people to see value in connecting with you.
You can then leverage it to build your profile, both internally and externally, quickly, and effectively.
Designing, creating and curating your personal brand, is not salesy, pushy, fake, contrived, aggressive, up-yourself, or any of the 1001 other stories you tell yourself.
It is who you are.
By showing up as who you are, you are solving a problem for your organisation: by giving them the best person for the role or promotion.
It’s time to upgrade your profile.
It’s time to transform others’ perception of you.
Your qualifications and experience are a given. It’s your personal brand that will help you stand out from the crowd. Now more than ever, it’s important for you to come out from behind your invisibility cloak and connect with your peers, your team, your internal and external clients, the CEO, and the board.
When you look back at this unique time away from your usual place of work, what is it that you created. How do you want people to experience you and your contribution when you return to work? What is the message you want to be communicating?
Never be over-looked or under-recognised again.
Be the obvious choice to the C-Suite.
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