PERSONAL SPECIAL...... The Importance of Managing Your Personal Brand

The Importance of Managing Your Personal Brand  How people perceive you is important if you want to get the right work experience  You may think that managing your image at work is a no-brainer, but my experience is that people do not take this as seriously as they should. How people perceive you and how you choose to leverage your personal capital (your advantages at work) are important to your success and your ability to get the right experiences — which impact your career progression. Recently the Kellogg School of Management’s Black Management Association held its annual conference. This year’s event focused on cross-cultural influences in the global economy, and one of the panels focused on managing and developing your brand. Seven themes covered by the panelists are important for MBA students to keep in mind when they return to the workforce. Be yourself Youshouldn’t try to be someone else, as it leads to pursuits that will be more difficult, less successful, and ultimately unsustainable. Students will often follow the herd versus being themselves. Share yourself Work at sharing your knowledge and gifts with others. This is a great way to burnish your image in the workplace and for others to be able to articulate who you are and your personal assets. Value your capital/expertise We all bring different skills, knowledge, and expertise to every situation. Don’t diminish the importance of what you have in your portfolio. Your expertise may play to a niche space, but it is still important. Value others’ capital Value what others bring to the table, help them contribute and develop their skills and expertise, and listen to their point of view. Your work and perspective can only benefit from this approach. Cultivate your brand Pay attention to how others perceive you and gather input as to how you can improve it. Do you need to spend more time developing a deeper knowledge/expertise in a particular area? Are you leveraging opportunities to showcase your knowledge and its value to your employer? Empower others to do the same If you haven’t figured it out yet, this isn’t all about you. Many people who are held in high regard and have a strong image and brand have done so in part because they have supported so many others along the way. Know the rules of the game To be successful, it is important to manage your own image and personal capital, but also be aware of how to play the game in your organisation. You can be the world’s expert on something and be recognised for it, but if you don’t understand how to operate successfully in your organisation, it doesn’t matter. My experience has been that managing and leveraging your personal capital is not that difficult to do, but it does require your awareness and constant effort. ROXANNE HORI Bloomberg Businessweek