How To Manage Your Professional Brand

If you are not clear about who you are as a professional, others will make up their own image for you. Then they will broadcast that image. Wouldn't it be better if you took control? If you heard an associate describe you, would you be shocked? You don't have to let that happen. Your character is your own. Your reputation is defined by others. It is your job to make sure they get it right.

If you want your management and associates to ‘get' you, then first you need to understand just who you are. You need to define your true professional self or professional brand. Then act in a way that clearly reflects the real you. Then you are not taking any chances. When you hear your management describe you, it will be as if you have put the words in their mouths yourself.

What are the steps?

1. Define the words that describe you as a professional. Remember, if you do not start with a clear definition, how can others see who you are and what you are made of?
2. Take your words (I call them brand words) and put them together into a few sentences.
   
3. Review your sentences from step 2 above. You should be able to say them out loud in a logical, cohesive and concise paragraph. If you were at a professional organization, you should be able to use your sentences to answer the question, ‘So what do you do?' And the person who hears your response should remain interested, pick up key phrases and walk away knowing what you do, who you do it for and who you do it with AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, why you are special! This means your paragraph contains the functional or technical aspects of your job and that special ingredient you bring. It is not enough to know that you are the director of quality assurance or the senior business analyst. You bring something special and unique to the job; tell everyone about that special quality.
4. Review your brand words. Define actions that support these words. These are the actions or behaviors that you should be regularly exhibiting. If you say that you are always available for your team members, then you want the actions to back this up. It is not enough to tell people you are always available for them; they have to see it in action. This is how they will start to ‘get' you. Once people see your brand in your behavior, they will start to describe you using the words you want to hear.
5. Keep track of your actions. You know how you want to be perceived and you have defined actions that support that perception. How often are you acting the part? And what about the times when you don't act the part? You want to develop and practice positive work habits but if you do not keep track, how will you know?
6. Ask others to describe you. Your reputation is in their hands. What are they saying? Until you get others to share their perceptions, you will not know how they have defined your brand.
7. Objectively review the perceptions others have shared with you. Decide what information you will accept and what you will reject.
8. Consider making some changes. Based on what you learned in step 7, you may want to update your brand words, your statement and/or your behaviors.
9. Become aware of what triggers you to behave in a way that is not compatible with your brand. Devise strategies that keep you away from (or in control of) situations that lead you to behave in a damaging way.
10. Recognize that managing your brand is part of your career development. Grow your brand AND your technical skills.

Recognize that you never stop growing and managing your brand. Commit to managing your brand from this point forward!