Children are returning to school in Canada this week. It brings a mixture of excitement, trepidation and relief, and that is just the parents!
I am sounding like my Dad, but in my day it used to be all about learning the 3R’s. Reality for children today is the world they end up in after school will offer many more options and challenges. They will need to learn more than reading, writing and arithmetic!
Understanding and developing their personal brand is going to be a key skill that the students of today must have.
September is often viewed as ‘a start to a new year’ for adults too and it gives you an opportunity to take a moment to check in on your own personal brand.
Is your personal brand following the 5R’s lessons?
1. Relevance – Be sure you are doing what you should be doing.
Simon Sinek said “Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress, working hard for something we love is called passion”
Once you know you are doing what you love, determine what are the ‘must have skills and experience’ for success in your industry or vocation. Do you have them? If you are missing key skills or need specific or specialist experience, what can you do to bridge the gap?
2. Resonance – Who are the people that you are trying to reach and influence, the ones making decisions about your future success? Do they understand what you do and more importantly the value what you deliver? Have you told them?
Marcus Buckingham said “Link your strengths to measurable results. Employers love concrete data”
Look to become the person they want to have around, rely on, and be associated with.
3. Relation – Take stock of your network and the people you are hanging out with.
Jim Rohn said “We are the average of the five people we spend the most time with.”
Is your personal brand benefiting from your interactions with the people in your network? It cannot be a one-way street either, how are you helping them? If not find new people to spend your precious time with.
4. Remarkability – It is highly unlikely you are the only person claiming to do what you do. So what makes you different?
Seth Godin said “You are either remarkable or invisible”
Look to be remembered for the right reasons in the right way.
5. Real – Don’t try to be someone you are not, or try to fake it until you make it. You can do it for a while, but eventually it becomes tiring and stressful. The key with personal branding is to be yourself, only then will you truly align who you are with what you do, and attract the people and opportunities that engage, empower and energize you.
Brene Brown said “The truth is that we are actually drawn to people who are real and down-to-earth. We love authenticity and we know that life is messy and imperfect.”
Be sure you feel comfortable with who you are, be inspired and don’t forget to have fun.
Make a plan to take action with your personal brand and put in place some measurable goals and milestones so that you know you are making progress. A little action every day will make a huge difference to the impact of your personal brand, just like practising your multiplication tables!
For more work on your personal brand subscribe to our free e-newsletter in the box on the right hand side and get the personal brand checklist.