career development

Personal Brand Kung Fu Using the SWOT Analysis

October 31, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

iStock 000006195022XSmall Personal Brand Kung Fu Using the SWOT Analysis Okay, yes the title may tell you I know a little something about martial arts…but no, I don’t. Only as much as the last Karate Kid movie (which is one of my kids’ favorites) and the line from Kung Fu Panda which says that Kung Fu stands for “excellence of self”.

I was thinking about that today after having watched the main character, a Panda named Po, one of 50 jillion times. I think personal brand work is like working out your Kung Fu – it truly stands for mining and understanding how to portray your self excellence.

I thought I’d share how you can strategically do some kung fu kicks with identifying your personal brand strategy below. One approach is using the SWOT analysis.

SWOT Analysis is a well-known method of identifying your Strengths and Weaknesses, while also examining the Opportunities and Threats you face. All four areas can help you clarify your personal brand and your distinctive and unique value.

Often carrying out an analysis using the SWOT framework will be enough to reveal changes that need to be made in your plan.

Try to work through the following questions and think about what insights you have from this focused work:

Strengths -

What do you do well?
What can you do better than anyone else?
What comes naturally for you?

Weaknesses -

What could be improved?
What might you do poorly?
What comes with more difficulty for you?

Opportunities -

In what areas do you see possibilities?
What resources or circumstances can you leverage?
What trends might you use to your advantage?

Threats -

What obstacles are in your way?
Who is your competition and what are they doing well?
Are you financially challenged?
What else do you find yourself up against?

Career Advice on Personal Brand – 5 More Ways NOT To Promote Your Personal Brand

October 8, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

There are as many ways that you can ruin a personal brand as there are ways to promote it positively.

One of the biggest mistakes many professionals make is to not be aware of how poorly they have branded themselves in the workplace, marketplace – both online and offline. If you are not quite sure of the reputation you are creating, ask an honest friend or colleague you trust to give you feedback.

Here is the 2nd half of my list of top 10 ways you should never promote your personal brand if you want to be respected in a professional manner. And for each I will share one strategy you can use as a substitute:

Do NOT promote your personal brand by saying cruel things about your boss and co-workers.

Instead, remember that you never know how your cruelty will return to you. In this age of privacy deficits, it is highly possible that what you said will be shared with the person, and it could also isolate others from you who may no longer trust your level of professionalism.

Do NOT promote your personal brand by only quoting other people because you have nothing original to share.

Instead, share about your unique experiences and ideas you have for solutions to a challenge.

Do NOT promote your personal brand by joining every social network, Ning site, and local networking group, spending all your time and money and not connecting with one person in a truly personal way.

Instead, be selective and choose to invest your time where you will get the most enjoyment and have opportunity for development. In person, it is okay not to walk away from an event with a bus load of business cards. You will only remember a couple of the people you met. Think about quality in relationship building vs. quantity. This applies online and offline.

Do NOT promote your personal brand by making a video in an outfit that makes people question if you truly are the expert you say you are.

Instead, be aware of the image you are sending visually, as well as the content in your words. Does your appearance match the message?

Do NOT promote your personal brand by making your online profile name “sexychick69″…unless the name fits the work you are promoting.

Instead, choose a profile name that will not distract from the brand, but will support it and promote you as the professional you are.

Career Advice on Personal Brand – 5 Ways NOT To Promote Your Personal Brand

October 6, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

There are as many ways that you can ruin a personal brand as there are ways to promote it positively.

Here are 5 of my list of top 10 ways you should never promote your personal brand if you want to be respected in a professional manner. And for each I will share one strategy you can use as a substitute:

Do NOT promote your personal brand by joining groups and immediately sending out spam emails about your business, or the type of jobs you are looking for.

Instead, find out how you can best serve someone else or connect them with a resource for which you have knowledge. Remember, you get what you give. Someone will reciprocate the favor.

Do NOT promote your personal brand by making your core message, “It’s all about me, me, me.”

Instead, consider what your audience believes they will benefit most from. This may be different than what you think they need.

Do NOT promote your personal brand by throwing a website up without any thought or strategy because it’s free and someone told you that you need one.

Instead, take the time required to establish a professional online presence. There are great free templates and resources out there; but everything worthwhile starts with a good plan. Consider what you want to communicate, to whom, and how.

Do NOT promote your personal brand by taking a picture with your dirty laundry in the background and posting it up on FaceBook as your profile photo.

Instead, think about what you want to represent. Even if it is your home webcam or digital camera, make sure you look neat and clean, and your background says the same.

Do NOT promote your personal brand by writing posts about how often you go to the restroom daily and what you ate for lunch.

Instead, write about your passions and interests. Find articles, website links, and quotes that might be valuable to people you associate with and share it with them.

Feature of The Week: The Butterfly Effect Movie

September 29, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Enjoy this short video from the book by Andy Andrews, The Butterfly Effect. It’s posted on www.simpletruths.com.

3 Top Personal Brand Mistakes That Kill Your Chance of Promotion – #2

September 25, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Personal Brand Mistake #2 – Failure to track your own accomplishments and articulate them well. You can not rely on your manager to understand the work you do, or to know when recognition is warranted.

What to do instead – Keep track of accomplishments, praise reports, and great results you have achieved with and for your business partners. When the time comes to sit down for that next performance review, be ready to list out how well you have contributed to the company’s overall goals. And if that performance review somehow does not get scheduled? Make an appointment yourself to meet with the manager and share your accomplishments, in a way that boosts their confidence in your work as an achiever. This record will also be great for your portfolio when it’s time to move on.