I'm with the Woolwich. A Mars a day helps you work rest and play. It does what it says on the tin...
Strap lines for some of our best known brands. Brands are remembered, trusted, sought after and paid for at a premium. Brands can be things, services and even people. Yup, people.
You can be a brand. Be distinctive. Differentiate yourself from the rest. What is it that you can do better than the rest? What is it about you that shouts; 'Commitment', 'passion', 'excellence'? What is it that makes you distinctive?
Turn yourself into a brand? How do you do that?
Stand for something; what do you really believe in? Don't be afraid to tell people. Always deliver. Rather die in the attempt than let someone down.
Differentiate yourself from the rest?
In tricky times, headcount, counts. Who stays and who goes? Stop being just employee. Employees are expendable. Become a trusted, reliable, most-wanted Brand.
Be a work in progress. A brand is never finished. It needs developing, refining and constantly tweaking. That means don't neglect your own training; spend some time 'just thinking' and figure out what you need to make you better at what you do. Be honest about your weak spots and fill them in.
Absorb criticism and take note of it and remember, if everyone agrees with you, you might not be saying anything worth thinking about!
Don't be afraid to break the conventions. Be creative. Tweet, blog, Linkedin, Facebook, WhatsApp, Pintrest and all the rest; they are all tools of leadership and communication. Look for ways to share your ideas and look for better ones.
Treating your role in the organisation as a product and a 'brand' is a good way of staying focussed. Think of yourself as a 'product' that your employers 'buy' and your colleagues 'buy into'.
How do you create your brand and how do you know when you've got one?
Ask yourself a few questions.
What drives you? Do you have a goal, a 'go-button'? What are you passionate about? What makes you excited, angry, or motivated to take action? How does that come through in your work?
What are your strengths; specific skills, personality traits what are you especially good at. Oh, and what are your weaknesses? They're nothing to be ashamed of. It just means need to work on them.
What is your story? Everyone has a story. Yours might be a "rags to riches" story or maybe an inspirational "beating the odds" story. What is the 'narrative' of your life?
What are you most talented at? What is the one thing you do better than anyone else? What do you have the most experience doing? What are your talents? Does your experience match-up with your talents?
What do you plan to offer? You may be employed but you are selling your skills and talents. What is your flagship product or skill? How does it affect your branding?
What makes you unique?
What hobbies or interests do you have? What activities do you enjoy outside of your work? How can you integrate elements of those interests into your brand to help make it unique? Can you become the "skateboarding CEO" or the "mountain-climbing manager"... to infuse personality into your brand?
What makes you uncomfortable? Are you afraid of public speaking? Does confrontation make you squirm? Knowing what makes you uncomfortable will help you prepare your brand for dealing with those situations when they arise.
If opportunity was no object and you could do anything you wanted for "work," would you still do what you're doing now? Before you spend the time and effort building a brand around what you're doing, are you sure you want to be doing it?
What is your design style? Are you formal suit and tie smart, are you edgy fashion, colourful, smart casual. What's your look?
What are your goals? It's important to plan for the future when creating your brand so it will stand the test of time? How does your brand fit your plan?
Never settle for good enough. Mediocrity is the death of branding. As soon as you start to settle for "good enough" instead of your best, your brand will begin to decline.
Comfortable with all this? Maybe you have some thinking to do?
Maybe you need some help?
Look out for the IHM's new career development programmes, coming soon.
