Most people don’t wake up in the morning determined to make the worst of their day. I am convinced the majority do not start out the morning by plotting how many ways to mess up. Most people want to do well and enjoy life. Most people want to succeed. How that is done could be debated at length but the bottom line is … most of us want to do well.
But, it is the rare person who will consistently do well by accident. And even if such an amazing accident happens, there is case after case of how this does not last. A person with a natural talent who does not better the talent will fall far short of potential success. (Remember Mom and Dad reminding you to practice? This principle still applies in adulthood.) Someone who can easily start a good thing will not follow through because of stunted personal growth. This is why building a personal brand matters.
For example, if someone cannot manage personal finances before winning the lottery, it is a safe bet that same person will do no better after hitting the jackpot. In this case, having bundles of money does not improve the ability to manage the money. Hopefully, it is easy to see in this case how one incredible event does not change the existing package (the undeveloped financial skill). (By the way … I do not advocate spending your money on the lottery.)
Here’s another example. In today’s very competitive job market, it takes more than the usual abilities to stand out and be hired, retained, or promoted. There are a bunch of folks out there who have the basic skills for your job. They can type, file, follow policy, say “thank you,” answer the phone and all the other typical things a company might want. But do they stand out? Do YOU stand out? Not to be ego-driven but what is your competitive advantage over the other people you meet? What is your unique value-added? How well do you get along with others? If you don’t know your unique contribution or don’t think you have anything special to offer, please, PLEASE think again! Look deep inside with the most objective thoughts you can muster. The good stuff is there … you just have to discover it! This is all part of building a signature brand.
Building a signature brand of excellence has very tangible, measurable, concrete results. Whether it’s getting a better job in a tough market or gaining a promotion or developing a new, innovative program so your organization does better financially, the results always follow the person who will intentionally and carefully build a consistent personal brand that generates trust.
There is a lot of good in the saying, “Live life on purpose.” There is something very satisfying about being intentional even if it gives mixed results at first. The good consequences will happen over time. Just remember to measure the results against the medium-to-long term as well as the immediate.
So really the question should NOT be, “Does a personal brand matter?” but rather, “Do I want to be excellent”? If the answer is “YES” then building a personal brand is a no-brainer!
Mike Friesen is a leadership and personal development coach with Leading Strategies, www.LeadingStrategies.net. Mike is a retired military officer, fighter pilot, former CFO, and holds a M.B.A. He is also the author of "Expected End: What Culture Is, Why It Matters, and How to Improve It." Mike offers 3 FREE gifts for personal development at www.LSdevelop.com and you are welcome to follow Leading Strategies on Twitter at @LSTeams.
Copyright 2010 Michael A. Friesen. All rights reserved.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
How to Create Your Ideal? (Part 2 of 2)
Last week we looked at how to create something better by using a method called “going out and coming back.” This uses imagination to define a detailed, desired future state in a personal or professional setting. Once the picture is alive, I suggested going out and being that painting! While this may sound mildly challenging to impossible, there are ways, in many cases, to make progress.
There are any number of possible problems you may encounter while trying to influence a stable environment (even if it’s dysfunctional). The responses to the following key questions are very important. Here are the questions.
1. How strong is the opposition?
2. How much does it matter?
Before we look at the possible answers, let me emphasize the importance of building and maintaining trust as much as possible … always. There can never be too much trust. Building trust is all about small kindnesses, making and keeping promises, considering others while being honest with them at the same time. Trust is built over t-i-m-e. Others need to see a pattern to decide that you or I are/am trustworthy. With that, let’s look at each one.
Low Opposition, It Matters Little – This is the easiest situation where the opposition is low and it doesn’t matter much anyway. The future looks bright!
Solution: Keep doing what you’re doing and accelerate your efforts to be the ideal painting.
High Opposition, It Matters Little – This is an area where you may not feel your job is threatened but life is uncomfortable or downright miserable. Chances are, the problems may stem from low trust in the environment. Work to improve trust with those in opposition.
On the personal side, the loud opposition may be from those who have less authority such as children. This does not mean their voices do not count but does mean “consider the source.”
Solution: Keep doing your good work and build trust with those who oppose you.
Low Opposition, It Matters a Lot – This scenario may be one where your job could be threatened eventually. Significant opposition, whether of a low or high amount, usually comes from a boss or other high-placed person in the organization. One important approach is to try to uncover unmet needs. Is the opposition from a lack of understanding? Are you being perceived wrong?
In a personal setting, a close friend or spouse may give some push-back. Again, can you discover unmet needs? This can easily include better two-way understanding.
Solution: Keep doing your positive work and look for unmet needs.
High Opposition, It Matters a Lot – Of course, this is the most difficult of the outcomes. You are strongly opposed and it matters a lot. At work, this could be your direct supervisor who is completely opposed to your efforts. If this is the case, you need to choose whether the environment is worth holding out for over the long haul. Have you mis-judged the organization and it’s possible to take another and better tactic? Is some of the opposition based simply on misunderstanding? Are there any allies in the setting from which you could gain advice?
If this is personal, you are in a tough spot. Not impossible, just tough. First, ask the question, is this setting valuable … long-term? Also, consider your commitments. A commitment to a spouse may be different from a commitment to a friend. Further, what is the current state of trust? If you have behaved in the past to hurt trust, it will take time to regain just an average level of trust. You may need to be patient.
Solution: Pull back, build trust, discover unmet needs OR look for another setting. If you decide to stick it out, be ready to work hard for an extended period.
Mike Friesen is a leadership and personal development coach with Leading Strategies, www.LeadingStrategies.net. Mike is a retired military officer, fighter pilot, former CFO, and holds a M.B.A. He is also the author of "Expected End: What Culture Is, Why It Matters, and How to Improve It." Mike offers 3 FREE gifts for personal development at www.LSdevelop.com and you are welcome to follow Leading Strategies on Twitter at @LSTeams.
Copyright 2010 Michael A. Friesen. All rights reserved.
There are any number of possible problems you may encounter while trying to influence a stable environment (even if it’s dysfunctional). The responses to the following key questions are very important. Here are the questions.
1. How strong is the opposition?
2. How much does it matter?
Before we look at the possible answers, let me emphasize the importance of building and maintaining trust as much as possible … always. There can never be too much trust. Building trust is all about small kindnesses, making and keeping promises, considering others while being honest with them at the same time. Trust is built over t-i-m-e. Others need to see a pattern to decide that you or I are/am trustworthy. With that, let’s look at each one.
Low Opposition, It Matters Little – This is the easiest situation where the opposition is low and it doesn’t matter much anyway. The future looks bright!
Solution: Keep doing what you’re doing and accelerate your efforts to be the ideal painting.
High Opposition, It Matters Little – This is an area where you may not feel your job is threatened but life is uncomfortable or downright miserable. Chances are, the problems may stem from low trust in the environment. Work to improve trust with those in opposition.
On the personal side, the loud opposition may be from those who have less authority such as children. This does not mean their voices do not count but does mean “consider the source.”
Solution: Keep doing your good work and build trust with those who oppose you.
Low Opposition, It Matters a Lot – This scenario may be one where your job could be threatened eventually. Significant opposition, whether of a low or high amount, usually comes from a boss or other high-placed person in the organization. One important approach is to try to uncover unmet needs. Is the opposition from a lack of understanding? Are you being perceived wrong?
In a personal setting, a close friend or spouse may give some push-back. Again, can you discover unmet needs? This can easily include better two-way understanding.
Solution: Keep doing your positive work and look for unmet needs.
High Opposition, It Matters a Lot – Of course, this is the most difficult of the outcomes. You are strongly opposed and it matters a lot. At work, this could be your direct supervisor who is completely opposed to your efforts. If this is the case, you need to choose whether the environment is worth holding out for over the long haul. Have you mis-judged the organization and it’s possible to take another and better tactic? Is some of the opposition based simply on misunderstanding? Are there any allies in the setting from which you could gain advice?
If this is personal, you are in a tough spot. Not impossible, just tough. First, ask the question, is this setting valuable … long-term? Also, consider your commitments. A commitment to a spouse may be different from a commitment to a friend. Further, what is the current state of trust? If you have behaved in the past to hurt trust, it will take time to regain just an average level of trust. You may need to be patient.
Solution: Pull back, build trust, discover unmet needs OR look for another setting. If you decide to stick it out, be ready to work hard for an extended period.
Mike Friesen is a leadership and personal development coach with Leading Strategies, www.LeadingStrategies.net. Mike is a retired military officer, fighter pilot, former CFO, and holds a M.B.A. He is also the author of "Expected End: What Culture Is, Why It Matters, and How to Improve It." Mike offers 3 FREE gifts for personal development at www.LSdevelop.com and you are welcome to follow Leading Strategies on Twitter at @LSTeams.
Copyright 2010 Michael A. Friesen. All rights reserved.
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