Personal branding: the brand called ‘You’

No matter how rational or perceptive we are, human beings make instantaneous judgments about people and situations, even when there’s little evidence. It’s evolutionary baggage from 100,000 years ago, when humans lived in nomadic, pre-agrarian societies. One of our critical survival skills was the ability to form immediate, powerful impressions of our environment or other people we ran across. Often, these impressions preserved our lives, telling us to run away because an animal was dangerous or not to eat a strange berry because it smelled like poison. Today, we do the same in a more civilized setting. This happens every single day and almost every time in our lives. Somebody is introduced to us and before we even shake their hands, we are judging them by their clothing, hair or posture and depending on where you meet, by the car they drive. Later as we get to know them, we’ll make more judgments about them based on their speech and personal background. Whether we realise it or not personal branding has just begun to form. It shakes me up when I, too, make summary judgments only to realise later that I was off the mark. So among other things people will develop these “instinct reactions” about you based on a vast range of superficial stuff; what you do, where you live, your marital status, where you went to school, where you’re from, what you drive and how you dress. Instinctive reactions in your personal life probably don’t have much effect on your business but in your professional life, they can be the difference between gaining and losing a job. Those 5 to 10 seconds are critical to growing your job prospects. Why? Because while you can dazzle employers with your knowledge once you get them at the meeting table, the instinctive reaction to your personal brand determines whether or not you get the meeting at all. We all do this; it’s in our nature to label people, objects and situations based on superficial clues, and we form strong initial impressions in 5 to 10 seconds. I decided that am every bit as much a brand as Nike, Coke or Microsoft. That means I have to think of myself differently. It’s time for me and you to take a lesson from the big brands; this lesson true for anyone who’s interested in standing out in the brave new world. Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. I am the CEO of my own company: Me Inc. Who understands this fundamental principle? The big companies do. Today brands are everything, and all kinds of products and services - from accounting firms to sneaker makers to restaurants.If we are going to be a brand, one must become relentlessly focused on what one can shamelessly take credit for. As I write this, I feel a little sheepish .Why? Because when I turn the magnifying glass on me, I find me lacking in almost everything that would make me “Brand Mutabazi”. But will start right now. As of this moment you’re going to think of yourself differently! You’re not an “employee” of firm X, you’re not a “staffer” at project R, and you’re not a “worker” at some company Q or a “human resource” in department B. Forget the Generals! You don’t “belong to” any company for life, and your chief affiliation isn’t to any particular “function.” This does not mean that you will not do what you are supposed to do. However you’re not defined by your job title and you’re not confined by your job description. Starting today you are a brand. The good news and it is largely good news is that everyone has a chance to stand out. Everyone has a chance to learn, improve, and build up their skills. Everyone has a chance to be a brand worthy of remark. It’s this simple: You are a brand. You are in charge of your brand. There is no single path to success. And there is no one right way to create the brand called ‘You’. Except this, start today. douglasfirst@gmail.com