Diversity MBA Magazine - Fall 2008 - (Page 31)

COVER the answers begin to point to your overall visibility or lack thereof, your effectiveness in connecting with key stakeholders, or the level that people understand what you do and stand for, you have reason to suspect your personal branding efforts have missed their mark. But there are several assessment tools to help you in the process. Authenticity and brand consistency are key. Your brand should reflect you and be authentic to your core values, passions, and strengths. But even great brands change over time. One very well-known personal brand is a case in point -- talk-show host Oprah Winfrey. Her brand has evolved over the years yet stayed FEATURE A few questions to ask yourself as you revisit your brand: What do I think my brand is and what do I want it to be? How has my industry changed in the last couple years? How have I changed? Is my brand authentic to my core values? How do others perceive me? Is my brand relevant to my target audience? How have their needs and interests changed in the last year? Let’s assume your target audience is senior leaders. If your firm has just been acquired or merged with another, the key stakeholders in your audience may have shifted a bit, and their primary concerns, fears, and focus may have changed. Is your brand of “steady Eddie” still the one to promote, or will they be looking for Charmon Parker Williams a more maverick or change-focused brand? Know your audience; and emphasize the aspects of your brand that have relevance to it. Engage others in the process of revisiting your brand. Let them know what type of image/brand you’re trying to convey and ask if that’s how they see you. Be open to candid feedback. Valuable lessons can be learned from those who have turned their situations around. Study great brands that have reinvented themselves. Your brand, like your signature, is your differentiator. It sets you apart from the sea of professionals in the same line of work as you. It is your “wow” factor. It goes beyond your performance. It transcends your role. It communicates your value proposition. It keeps you top of mind when your target audience has a choice or decision to make about plum assignments, promotions, awards, retention, who to invest in, etc. With effective branding, you become the go- to person, and get matched with opportunities that align with your interests and goals. Individuals know what you value and uphold. This is brand clarity. Becoming a household name among your target audience, and being known for your unique value proposition, gives you staying power and the ability to advance in your career. Like choosing between Coke and Pepsi, it gets down to finding that important differentiator about yourself that will appeal to your target market and create a brand legacy. If you don’t take the responsibility for deliberately shaping your brand, you may be branded by default.|dMBA| 31 nal Brand true to a consistent, overarching set of values. She has distinguished herself in the talk-show venue as covering inspiring and personal motivational stories when many other hosts jumped on the scandal bandwagon. She has distinguished herself as a humanitarian as her career and entrepreneurial efforts have evolved in her television and movie productions, philanthropic efforts, magazine, and satellite radio show. There is a thread of consistency that runs through all of them that creates a trust factor and level of predictability of what you will get when you engage Winfrey. Her audience knows what to expect and can rely on the product she delivers. But while reliable, her product has still evolved to meet the growing needs and interests of her target market – ordinary women from ordinary walks of lives. Naturally, Winfrey has a team of researchers that stay in tune with the changing pulse of her market. It’s important for all careerists and entrepreneurs to do the same. In contrast, Jerry Springer also has a distinguishable brand within the talk show industry. However, he’s going after a different target market and offering a different value proposition. Fulfilling your brand promise is what creates a trust factor between you and your target audience that implies staying true to your brand. It’s as much about what you say no to as it is about what you say yes to. For example, if you’re promoting yourself as a great salesperson who knows how to bring people and opportunities together, but haven’t attended a networking event in the last six months, there’s a disconnect. If you’re trying to build or sustain a leadership brand, but avoid taking a stand on tough issues, there’s another one. Look for the gaps and determine how and where you need to adjust your behavior. Your brand is reflected in what you do; your personality, associations, surroundings; the sum total of you. S epte mber 2008 Le ade rshi p G al a I ssu e

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Diversity MBA Magazine - Fall 2008

Diversity MBA Magazine - Fall 2008 Contents Letters to the Editor In Your Own Hands Editor's View Business Briefs Off the Shelf Diversity MBA 2008 Awards Gala and Leadership Forum "Diversity Next Practices" Illusion of Inclusion Good Is Not Enough Revisiting Your Personal Brand Discover Your Power Voice Authentic Leadership In An Ever-Changing Marketplace Stopping the Brain Drain: How Companies Can Keep Talented People of Color Corporate Succession Planning - How Do You Fit In? How To Manage Virtual Teams Beyond Demographics Recruit, Recognize, Retain, Reinvest – Winning the Talent Acquisition Game Leave Ego at the Door Modernizing Supplier Diversity Taking the Leadership High Road… When You Can Find It Think Boardroom Bound; It’s Happening Who's Who In Diversity Fail to Succeed 4-Star Start-Up, Chris Ward: Character Above All Get Them at Hello – Tips to Improve Your Marketing Kit Sonny Vu, Entrepreneur A World at Your Fingertips Big Brother Wants Your Bank Account Stepping Off The Corporate Ladder HR Focus with Monica Ross A Unique New England Vacation Bold Caballeros y Noble Bandidas Women of Color and Cancer: The Chicago Phenomenon Being Single Isn't Easy International MBAs Flock To U.S. Schools Smart Strategy Gadgets+Gizmos Advertiser's Index

Diversity MBA Magazine - Fall 2008

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