Every Monday in our community, we discuss various career related topics. On the 16th of November, Personal branding in the workplace was the conversation had led by Onyiyechi Roseline. Please read below and share your thoughts with us in the comment.
Can we define personal branding?
Personal Branding is simply how you present yourself, how you carry yourself & how you interpret your presence in an environment. The environment we are talking of in today’s topic is the workplace. It is interesting that many of us do not realize that how we treat our work is a reflection of who we are.
Here are some things to think about as you define your personal brand:
1. What am I promoting?
2. Who am I promoting?
3. Why should I promote myself?
4. Am I worthy to be promoted?
5. If I get the opportunity to promote myself, am I valid enough to be followed or trusted?
If your workplace ethics do not reflect a pattern that is productive then trying to promote yourself will not give a productive outcome. Personal Branding is all about trust. If we look at brands that we love, there is a level of trust we have formed with them over the time of using them.
So even if a brand is good, if you are unable to establish trust with them, you would be unable to use them comfortably. Transferring that to our topic, even if you are good and effective at your job, if you lack appropriate character ethics, it would ruin your reputation.
Does it mean that some people with bad characters or ethics do not get the attention they desire? No
Many people still get away especially if they are operating in a monopoly situation. Meaning if there is no replacement for the service they render. However, with the ever changing world, alternatives are being created to easily replace needed services. To strengthen your presence in your workplace place environment, you need to take note of how you interact with your workplace.
In an outline:
1. Do you understand your workplace?
2. What is the goal of your workplace?
3. Who are the people in your workplace? (insiders)
4. What type of people interact with your workplace (outsiders)
Personal Branding needs observation.
Creating and understanding these categories helps you to know how to interact with them depending on their peculiarities. Your ability to observe and respond appropriately to what you have observed will easily make you stand out in an environment where most people do not give attention to details.
Personal Branding takes some time. Remember we talked about trust. Trust is not built immediately. It takes time. So if you remain consistent in productive ethics, you will easily be associated with these ethics and their positive outcome.
For example: You are always known to solve problems or get things done at the right time. Within a span of time, your name would be attached to this productive pattern and you would be requested to do more because you are trusted to meet the deadline.
Now, how many of us have gone to the bank and avoided certain accountants because of their bad behavior or to the hospital and waited for certain medical personnel’s (no matter how long even it means returning another day) to us regardless of who was available. There are some ethics these people either lack or possess.
Some of these ethics you want to see in people include:
1. Punctuality
2. Honesty
3. Respect
4. Politeness
5. Remain firm on the goal of the workplace.
6. Meeting up with deadline.
7. Accepting responsibility
8. Accountability
9. Resourcefulness
10. Creativity
It is important to note that in your workplace, you are not promoting your personal goal but the goal of your workplace. However in promoting the goal of your workplace, you are promoting your ethics. Therefore if you are not attentive where you are then you probably may not be attentive elsewhere
Some of us may not remain the same working environment for a long time but we may carry over certain people we have met in our previous work place. This is how recommendation works.
I often recommend places, food, products that I enjoy to people and mind you I am not even paid for doing this. I do this because I felt satisfied with the product over a long time. There are places I went to and enjoyed the experience to the point sharing with others often encouraging them to check out the place because I was satisfied with what I experienced
The opposite is for those I did not enjoy. I will dissuade others from going.
So in Personal Branding, always think about the future. You may not remain where you are for a long time but make sure that regardless of where you go to, the people you work with can agree that you do your job well and you meet the requirement of an ethical person.
Another important note is this: Many of us are entrepreneurs and still work elsewhere to add extra cash. Sometimes we do not treat our jobs with the same enthusiasm our entrepreneurship work.
But this should even encourage us to make sure we do our jobs well regardless of what environment it may be in (ours or others’). The goal of Personal Branding is recommendation.
To balance what I have shared, you may not be the nicest person, but you can learn. I remember some annoying experiences at the bank where I was treated so badly and funny enough, I was not the only person that was treated this rudely. This happened in another bank to the point I had to involve my parent (I felt embarrassed 😂😂). It was a simple issue yet there was no sense of responsibility by the people who were attending to me. This happened years ago but it affected my view of bankers.
Fast-forward to another time, I had the opportunity of interacting with another group of bankers and their behavior was very polite. I even discussed about it with my friends😂😂. It is a different to let off from a workplace because there is bankruptcy or there is a closure rather than being let go because your character keeps people away.
Quick light note: if you are a banker here and you are at the counter area where you get to meet random people, please smile and be nice (it may not be easy). Rudeness is not helpful, you do not know who you may be interacting with. I know it may not be very easy due to stress but do not make it a habit to be the harsh or rude one.
Summary:
1. Personal Branding is how you present yourself.
2. Personal Branding is about trust.
3. Personal Branding needs observation.
4. Personal Branding takes some time.
5. Personal Branding involves maintaining healthy and productive ethics.
6. Personal Branding involves knowing the goal of your workplace.
7. Recommendation is an important outcome of a successful personal branding.
8. Always think about the future.
We hope you found this session valuable. Share with us in the comment section what Personal branding stories you have. If you are yet to join our community, use this link to register and join for free: Join Our Community – Developing Afrika (developafrika.org)
