I am loath to use the word coach when describing myself because it is a word that can be used about anybody who tries to help, and it is a word that can mean pretty much anything and nothing at the same time. It is also a word that carries a lot of negative baggage even if it is not to blame! However, there is no getting around the fact that it is both an accurate description and there are not many other alternative descriptions. I thought then that I would use todays little post to just write up some of the reasons why we all need coaches - especially today.
A coach
* can see things we cannot see for ourselves
* can bring in a new perspective
* can use their experience to help one through a difficult process, saving time and money in the process by pointing out errors and what to avoid
* is able to provide accurate and impartial feedback
* is able to justify and explain said feedback so that it makes sense and improvements can be made
* provides support when needed, and encouragement when required
vbrings the eye of an expert to make the incremental adjustments to go from good to great
* plays the role of an advisor, but letting you make your own choices
* lets you do the work, so learning best, but helps you get better results by providing a commentary on your actions
* acts as an editor by sifting through experiences from elsewhere and bringing to your attention what is appropriate, and leaving aside what has no bearing
* should be neutral and therefore able to provide truthful and helpful comments
* can see the bigger picture
* helps set proper objectives, goals and targets
vhelps with time management, making sure things get done in the proper order and in good time
* can provide aid in strategic planning
* can help in differentiating between wants and needs
* stops one from slipping back into bad habits and from postponing what should be being done
* lets you share your frustations and fears
* listens
* allows you to compare notes and observations to help draw better or more correct conclusions
* provides a mentor
* is a comfort in times of stress
* is used by almost all successful people, from business giants, (Bill Gates) politicians (Margaret Thatcher) to sports stars (Tiger Woods)
* helps you focus on a specific area of improvement rather than wandering all over the place and dispersing your energy needlessly
* should ask you to try and achieve more than you would think of being able to do on your own
* provides a structure to help achieve the clearly defined goals
* helps you stay on track and not go down side allies
* provides a synergy where 1+1 is more than 2!
* improves managerial and interpersonal skills
* improves relationships with colleagues
* teaches how to identify and act on development needs
* provides greater confidence
* lets one become more effective, assertive in dealing with people
* has a positive impact on performance
* allows one to have greater self-awareness
* helps to acquire new skills and abilities
* develops a greater adaptability to change
* improves work-life balance
* reduces stress levels
* helps to improve the decision making process
* aids in creating greater autonomy and empowerment
* increases the ability to take real responsibility
I am sure that there are other reasons to use a coach, but this short list gives some idea of why almost all of the successful people that we admire don't hesitate to call in a coach. Even if they call themselves 'advisors', 'consultants' or 'gurus' the end effect is the same!
So when you are feeling that you need some outside help, don't be afraid to call for help. You are not alone.
dimanche 22 novembre 2009
jeudi 12 novembre 2009
WHAT PERSONAL BRANDING REALLY IS
Dan Schawbel, one of the pioneers of personal branding, defines personal branding as “the process by which individuals and entrepreneurs differentiate themselves and stand out from a crowd by identifying and articulating their unique value proposition, whether professional or personal, and then leveraging it across platforms with a consistent message and image to achieve a specific goal. In this way, individuals can enhance their recognition as experts in their field, establish reputation and credibility advance their careers, and build self-confidence.” The highlighting of specific goal is mine, because I believe that to be the key to understanding the subject and making sure that you create the right brand for yourself. If you think of all the brands you know, and there are, at a conservative estimate, thousands of them*, the ones that stick in the mind are those that are coherent and match the products that they are promoting. Hopefully by the end of this article I will have shown how important this element of branding is and why it is key to the proper and effective branding of you.
One of the first people to write about personal branding, (if not the first), was Tom Peters, (the celebrated business writer of In Search of Excellence and Thriving on Chaos, both still in print), in his essay “The Brand Called You” (Fast Company Magazine, 1997). He wrote: “We are all CEOs of our own companies. To be in business today, our most important job is to be the head marketer for the brand called you”. Notice that he did not say that we have to be looking for work, but indicated that anyone in business today should be promoting themselves.
Since the introduction of social media on the internet, (the Web 2.0 as it is known), this has become even more important and pressing, more so that when Peters wrote his article; (in 1997 hardly any of the social networking tools that we take for granted today existed. See the timeline here). Today there are so many more outlets where we can be seen and heard, to the extent that there are even tools such as Seesmic to manage your membership within different communities.) And all the time more are being added.
It is not just for your ego that you should be creating a powerful brand of yourself. If you are looking for work then you can be pretty sure that recruiters will be scouring the net to find references to and of you. The same is true for those that might want to work with you, either as a collaborator or as an employee. I personally know people who were offered a job (in different companies and at different times) that turned the jobs down because what they found out about the Managing Director of the company. Managing your brand means that it is you that is in control and that you emit the signals that you want others pick up on. There is an interesting anecdote told by Seth Godin, (one of the internet’s principal bloggers on branding), about the time one of his friends wanted to hire a housekeeper. I will let you read it for yourselves here You don’t have to be a housekeeper to be affected!
Personal branding then is firstly an exercise in getting to know yourself better, setting some clear and realistic objectives and using a variety of resources, (from the old-fashioned delivering on your promises to the more modern social networking tools), to promote yourself in such a way that you become the logical choice for anyone looking for the right person for the right job. If you manage to brand yourself correctly, you’ll get people coming to you to get things done and you won’t have to go to them. You will be the reference point and the go-to person!
Most of the press one reads is still about e-entrepeneurs and job seekers using personal branding, (creating videos, running blogs, shouting look at me!), but as I mentioned in my previous article, it is not limited to these two types. In the communication savvy 21st Century, we all need to be aware of our brand, and to try and take control of it. If you are a managing director trying to push through change, it is going to be your strength of character that sees it succeed and you must communicate this strength to those around, and this is your brand. If you are an entrepreneur looking for funding, then making your personal brand represent innovation, planning, dedication and enthusiasm going to go a long way in persuading investors put money into your dream. If you are looking to move ahead in your career, then making sure that you project the right values to the right people will mean that you will have no problem in achieving your objectives.
However, to know what values to invest in, to know what strengths to promote, to know the right objectives to set, before even thinking about creating your brand, means getting to know yourself properly and this is where outside help has to come in. More often than not, the way others see us is more positive than the way we see ourselves, and as being authentic and true to ourselves is fundamental to the personal branding process, then finding the right person to help you develop your brand is also an important step.
Using the new Web 2.0 tools that are available help in promoting the brand, but having set the clear objectives means that you will be able to choose which is the best channel to use and waste none of your precious time. A thorough understanding of who you are and where your strengths and weaknesses lie is the real secret to getting your brand launched and accepted. And it applies to everyone whether we like it or not. Act today to get your brand managed and take control of your future.
*Many studies have shown that the average American is exposed to over 3,000 separate pieces of advertising per day, and the spend on advertising is somewhere over $600 billion globally. This figure varies depending on what is being measured and for what reason, but just try and count all the messages you see from the pens on your desk, to the toothpaste you use in the morning, to the newspaper you read and the adverts you skip when relaxing in front of the TV. They have even started getting into the films we are watching.
One of the first people to write about personal branding, (if not the first), was Tom Peters, (the celebrated business writer of In Search of Excellence and Thriving on Chaos, both still in print), in his essay “The Brand Called You” (Fast Company Magazine, 1997). He wrote: “We are all CEOs of our own companies. To be in business today, our most important job is to be the head marketer for the brand called you”. Notice that he did not say that we have to be looking for work, but indicated that anyone in business today should be promoting themselves.
Since the introduction of social media on the internet, (the Web 2.0 as it is known), this has become even more important and pressing, more so that when Peters wrote his article; (in 1997 hardly any of the social networking tools that we take for granted today existed. See the timeline here). Today there are so many more outlets where we can be seen and heard, to the extent that there are even tools such as Seesmic to manage your membership within different communities.) And all the time more are being added.
It is not just for your ego that you should be creating a powerful brand of yourself. If you are looking for work then you can be pretty sure that recruiters will be scouring the net to find references to and of you. The same is true for those that might want to work with you, either as a collaborator or as an employee. I personally know people who were offered a job (in different companies and at different times) that turned the jobs down because what they found out about the Managing Director of the company. Managing your brand means that it is you that is in control and that you emit the signals that you want others pick up on. There is an interesting anecdote told by Seth Godin, (one of the internet’s principal bloggers on branding), about the time one of his friends wanted to hire a housekeeper. I will let you read it for yourselves here You don’t have to be a housekeeper to be affected!
Personal branding then is firstly an exercise in getting to know yourself better, setting some clear and realistic objectives and using a variety of resources, (from the old-fashioned delivering on your promises to the more modern social networking tools), to promote yourself in such a way that you become the logical choice for anyone looking for the right person for the right job. If you manage to brand yourself correctly, you’ll get people coming to you to get things done and you won’t have to go to them. You will be the reference point and the go-to person!
Most of the press one reads is still about e-entrepeneurs and job seekers using personal branding, (creating videos, running blogs, shouting look at me!), but as I mentioned in my previous article, it is not limited to these two types. In the communication savvy 21st Century, we all need to be aware of our brand, and to try and take control of it. If you are a managing director trying to push through change, it is going to be your strength of character that sees it succeed and you must communicate this strength to those around, and this is your brand. If you are an entrepreneur looking for funding, then making your personal brand represent innovation, planning, dedication and enthusiasm going to go a long way in persuading investors put money into your dream. If you are looking to move ahead in your career, then making sure that you project the right values to the right people will mean that you will have no problem in achieving your objectives.
However, to know what values to invest in, to know what strengths to promote, to know the right objectives to set, before even thinking about creating your brand, means getting to know yourself properly and this is where outside help has to come in. More often than not, the way others see us is more positive than the way we see ourselves, and as being authentic and true to ourselves is fundamental to the personal branding process, then finding the right person to help you develop your brand is also an important step.
Using the new Web 2.0 tools that are available help in promoting the brand, but having set the clear objectives means that you will be able to choose which is the best channel to use and waste none of your precious time. A thorough understanding of who you are and where your strengths and weaknesses lie is the real secret to getting your brand launched and accepted. And it applies to everyone whether we like it or not. Act today to get your brand managed and take control of your future.
*Many studies have shown that the average American is exposed to over 3,000 separate pieces of advertising per day, and the spend on advertising is somewhere over $600 billion globally. This figure varies depending on what is being measured and for what reason, but just try and count all the messages you see from the pens on your desk, to the toothpaste you use in the morning, to the newspaper you read and the adverts you skip when relaxing in front of the TV. They have even started getting into the films we are watching.
vendredi 30 octobre 2009
Personal Branding is not just for those looking for work.
There is a trend that is becoming larger and louder – personal branding. Most of the buzz is about how it can be used by those looking for work, but it is more than that.
In the Francophone media, (from Capital to Courrier Cadres), there has been a lot of articles written related to the subject of personal branding. The name itself dates back to the beginning of this century, (from the USA of course), although the concept is ancient. All the great leaders, from Richard Branson to Barack Obama to name but two recent ones, have been masters in the art, without giving it a name. Given the difficult financial and business situation that we are going through, it is not surprising that we looking at new ways of doing things.
However, if you are a manager, or a team leader of any sort, if you have to present or face a public, then personal branding tools are also for you.
Let’s clear one thing up straight away, though. Personal Branding is not about showing off and saying how great you are. It is about recognising your talents and understanding how you can make the best use of them. It is about making sure your talents and strengths are recognised by others and it is about creating and managing your reputation. This last point is particularly important today with the rise and rise of Web 2.0 and the social media sites.
So here are some quick points that you as a director or a manager or a team leader might want to take into account, (remember, understanding how someone builds a personal brand can also help you in your recruitment process – you will know how they have gone about it, what is genuine and what is false. It works both ways!)
· It is about being authentic – what you say about yourself has to match your actions;
· It is about being “visible” and not just “present”, being “active” and not “passive”, taking part and not just watching from the side, and this is especially true when it concerns your reputation;
· It is about gaining in confidence by having a better, and more accurate, image of yourself;
· It is about learning how others see and perceive you, and reacting accordingly;
· It is about promoting yourself appropriately;
· It is about making sure your goals and objectives are coherent and will therefore be achievable;
· It is about being able to sell your ideas across your organisation because people will have “bought into” your brand;
· It is about highlighting your (positive) differences and promoting them, because you if cannot or don’t differentiate yourself, if you are no different to anyone else, why should anyone use you?
· It is about getting people to want to come to you rather than you having to go to them.
It is about more than this, but this should give you an idea of the role that Personal Branding can plays if one is to be a good and efficient manager of people, and even of oneself.
We’ve all heard of how recruiters use the social media sites when making their selection policies, (according to one American study, up to 63% of companies trawl through the social networking sites to find out more about their potential recruit!), but it works the other way, too. By being visible, by managing your brand well, you are able to increase your reputation and therefore increase your attractiveness, both for your internal clients, (your colleagues and staff), and your external partners.
I have not written an article about what personal branding actually is, (that is for my next one), but to try and clear up some points and to show that it is important for everyone to be at least aware of its importance. Anyone with any responsibility within a company has to understand its importance and its relevance in today’s media conscious world. If you are a leader, then you must take control of your brand and manage it properly, otherwise others will do it for you. Make no mistake, we all have a personal brand already – it is how we are perceived by other people. The tools of Personal Branding allow you to manage and control the brand of you, and put you in charge of your reputation.
In the Francophone media, (from Capital to Courrier Cadres), there has been a lot of articles written related to the subject of personal branding. The name itself dates back to the beginning of this century, (from the USA of course), although the concept is ancient. All the great leaders, from Richard Branson to Barack Obama to name but two recent ones, have been masters in the art, without giving it a name. Given the difficult financial and business situation that we are going through, it is not surprising that we looking at new ways of doing things.
However, if you are a manager, or a team leader of any sort, if you have to present or face a public, then personal branding tools are also for you.
Let’s clear one thing up straight away, though. Personal Branding is not about showing off and saying how great you are. It is about recognising your talents and understanding how you can make the best use of them. It is about making sure your talents and strengths are recognised by others and it is about creating and managing your reputation. This last point is particularly important today with the rise and rise of Web 2.0 and the social media sites.
So here are some quick points that you as a director or a manager or a team leader might want to take into account, (remember, understanding how someone builds a personal brand can also help you in your recruitment process – you will know how they have gone about it, what is genuine and what is false. It works both ways!)
· It is about being authentic – what you say about yourself has to match your actions;
· It is about being “visible” and not just “present”, being “active” and not “passive”, taking part and not just watching from the side, and this is especially true when it concerns your reputation;
· It is about gaining in confidence by having a better, and more accurate, image of yourself;
· It is about learning how others see and perceive you, and reacting accordingly;
· It is about promoting yourself appropriately;
· It is about making sure your goals and objectives are coherent and will therefore be achievable;
· It is about being able to sell your ideas across your organisation because people will have “bought into” your brand;
· It is about highlighting your (positive) differences and promoting them, because you if cannot or don’t differentiate yourself, if you are no different to anyone else, why should anyone use you?
· It is about getting people to want to come to you rather than you having to go to them.
It is about more than this, but this should give you an idea of the role that Personal Branding can plays if one is to be a good and efficient manager of people, and even of oneself.
We’ve all heard of how recruiters use the social media sites when making their selection policies, (according to one American study, up to 63% of companies trawl through the social networking sites to find out more about their potential recruit!), but it works the other way, too. By being visible, by managing your brand well, you are able to increase your reputation and therefore increase your attractiveness, both for your internal clients, (your colleagues and staff), and your external partners.
I have not written an article about what personal branding actually is, (that is for my next one), but to try and clear up some points and to show that it is important for everyone to be at least aware of its importance. Anyone with any responsibility within a company has to understand its importance and its relevance in today’s media conscious world. If you are a leader, then you must take control of your brand and manage it properly, otherwise others will do it for you. Make no mistake, we all have a personal brand already – it is how we are perceived by other people. The tools of Personal Branding allow you to manage and control the brand of you, and put you in charge of your reputation.
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