What Happens to Your Brand When Change Hits?
One thing is for sure – only a wet baby gets immediate relief from change!
Working 15 years as a change management consultant in Fortune 500 companies, I learned how leaders handle the stress that often accompanies changes like a reorganization, downsizing (or whatever sizing is the buzz word of the day!), mergers or acquisition, and even having a new boss. What can you do during these difficult times to show your strengths and never deviate from your strong brand? Here are a few tips – not only from me, but from those I worked with during those years.
• Push the patience lever to full throttle. It’s easy to lose it! And it takes a strong leader to wait until your own stress has subsided a bit before you say or do something you’ll regret.
• Be willing to say “I don’t know.” Don’t ever fake it ’til you make it. Here’s what an admired CEO chose to do when his company was being acquired. People were constantly asking him what was happening, when would they know if their job was in jeopardy, and who would be in charge – the current or future leaders? So he decided to hold regular “all hands” meetings. Some were in person, others via video conferencing. In these meetings he shared what he could, explained there were some things he simply could not discuss at the moment, answered questions and often found himself saying, “I don’t know….and when I DO, you will know too.” Result? He used the first principle in change management, which is to communicate, communicate, communicate. Even if it is saying “I don’t know.” Because of his leadership behaviors and consistent messaging, the trust level remained high, honest communication was appreciated, and when the acquisition finally happened, people were ready to get on board. He demonstrated some of his authentic brand attributes that included “trustworthy, engaging, ethical and communicator.” These showed up in his behavior big time.
• Help others show their strengths and strong brand. Now is when it’s uber-crucial to express clear expectations and get everyone involved. Consider having your team leaders hold their own discussion groups across departments and locations. Let them show their leadership competencies by talking about the complex issues that may lie ahead and how to address them as a department as well as individuals. Give them the opportunity to show their leadership brand strengths that will identify the business strategy that’s driving the change and demonstrate those behaviors that will encourage each person to be more engaged in the process. One thing most employees want from an organization is the feeling of being valued and an opportunity to use their strengths to get results.
Valerie
Professional Presence Matters
What a joy that I still work regularly with companies in every industry on ways to project a strong presence and personal brand.
It’s a timeless topic and since 1981 I’ve been writing and presenting Professional Presence workshops. So, why is your presence – your Brand – so important?
Here are a few things to consider:
• We cannot NOT communicate by what we wear. We are evaluated by what we wear before we ever speak a word. Recruiters know that. Job seekers learn that. And successful professionals understand that.
• From the tip of our heads to the bottom of our shoes, everything we wear makes a statement. Our hair style (is it current?), our clothing (is it appropriate?), our accessories (are they too much?) and certainly our grooming (check those missing buttons or frayed collars). It’s the little things that can make a big difference in how we are perceived.
• What we wear says volumes about how we see ourselves. Your image can project confidence, power and success. Or it can derail you by being too casual, untidy or careless.
• What we wear shows respect. For yourself and for others. It shows you care about showing a strong brand that stands out from peers and competition. Be who you are, but be the BEST of who you are.
Recently I coached a young man who was identified by his company as a high potential leader. Talented – he is. Smart – he is. Savvy – he was not. He had everything going for him except knowing how to dress appropriately for any situation. Since the company culture was Business Casual, he had the option to wear dressed down attire but it was confusing to him. Just what IS Business Casual – he wondered.
I offer simple models to follow from my book, “Business Casual….Clarify Please!”
1. High level business casual clothing pieces for men
2. High level business casual clothing pieces for women
3. Mid-level clothing for men
4. Mid-level clothing for women
5. Base-level clothing for men
6. Base-level clothing for women
And what is NEVER appropriate in business casual, according to research with human resource professionals
My client simply needed to see the differences and how to choose what was best for the various activities of his role. He learned one simple philosophy: “Dress for where you want to BE, not where you ARE.” In other words, show your brand by what you wear.
Valerie
Speaking on Branding Your Style
I was thrilled to recently meet Eric Ly, the co-founder of LinkedIn and to find out about his innovative new company, Presdo.
Valerie
Does Your Office Space Reflect Your Brand?
When you think about personal branding, most of the time, you consider things like, what does my personal appearance say about my professionalism? Or, what does my web site say about my innovation? Or what does my speech say about my work ethic? What gets forgotten, or not even considered, is what does my office say about my company?
And I mean physical office. Not your wonderful co-workers and superiors, but rather the four walls, dozens of cubicles and computers, carpets and wallpaper. What do these things say about your company’s unique brand?
I recently worked with a Fortune 500 company in their office space. They were great! What was remarkable about this experience is exploring the different offices. All of them were exactly the same size. From top dog to the bottom, all the managerial employees had the same office space. It was very disctinctive. Not something that I see every day. It sends a strong message of equal respect in the workplace. The physical building reminds all of them that all of their voices are worthy of being heard. It discourages favoritism and shifts the focus away from power struggles.
Another great example of a distinctive workplace is Pixar Animation Studios. The Pixar Story, a documentary about this film studio, showcased its creative, mind-simulating set-up. With scooters and Hawaiian decorations, it looks just like the sort of place that would be filled with cartoonists and grown-up kids. It also offers a lot of space for collaboration, which, as said in the film, is a necessary component for successful films. It’s a space that provides natural opportunities for employees to run into each other, so they can stay connected and unified. More than anything, it’s a creative space that allows each artist room to make his or her own mark. There’s no surprise that Pixar is consistently turning out great, creative films!
So what does your office say about your company’s professional brand? Or even what does your cubicle say about you?
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How to Lead in a Competitive Environment
If you consider yourself a strategic leader, then you know the importance of translating strategy into action and results. Here are a few tips:
Know yourself—know your leadership brand and what makes you different than other leaders in similar roles. Ask yourself, “Are people willing to be led by me or am I just managing their daily activities?” If you have a strong leadership brand, you are being followed because you’ve won the hearts and minds of those who work for and with you. So, are you an influencer or a director? What is working well for you and what behaviors should you consider changing?
Case Study: Consider the impact one leader had when she first became a part of the senior management team in a Fortune 500 organization.
When I first began working with Mary (name has been changed to protect confidentiality), she was a mid-level, high-potential woman seeking our executive coaching to help her move forward in her career.
In her promotion to a senior management role, the very first thing she did was determine what behaviors were recently pointed out in her performance appraisal as areas for improvement. She then called each of her new peers, requesting a meeting with them in person (and this team was spread across the country). She asked for an hour to meet with each of them on a more personal AND strategic level.
Each peer granted her request, of course, and during those meetings she shared her targeted areas for improvement and asked to be supported in holding herself accountable for personal growth. As a result, each colleague was impressed with her self-confidence in asking for help along with her sincere desire to grow professionally. The powerful ending of this case study is that Mary climbed further in her role to become President of a large division of the corporation before her recent retirement.
Know your role—what is expected of you as you operationalize the expectations of the business with your personal contribution to the organization? How can you be fully engaged in using your strengths? Have you “recently” taken an assessment on how others perceive these strengths? And what can you do to inspire and recognize others?
Case Study: Here’s how a client of ours built a work environment that inspired trust and respect.
Bill developed a communications plan during our executive coaching engagement that outlined—strategically and tactically—how he would communicate his vision for the organization and his business plan for the division. In creating his communications plan, we first determined the clear, consistent and constant message he wanted to share (the 3 C’s of a strong personal leadership brand). Then Bill chose the vehicles for building stronger communication that he felt comfortable using.
Some of the communication vehicles he decided upon included a monthly internal newsletter where he recognized those who made valuable contributions to the organization that month, suggestions he called his Top Ten Tips for the month’s business growth and enhanced customer satisfaction, and a quarterly video conference with his team across the country where he gave the opportunity for Q & A about any issues that were on their minds.
Bill’s leadership attributes included engaging, inspiring, visionary, strategic and trusting. Using his brand attributes and communications skills, he soon led his team in accomplishing outstanding results for the company and ultimately won the award for “Best Loved Boss” of the year.
Valerie
Office Space
When you think about personal branding, most of the time, you consider things like, what does my personal appearance say about my professionalism? Or what does my web site say about my innovation? Or what does my speech say about my work ethic? What gets forgotten, or really not even consider, is what does my office say about my company?
And I mean physical office. Not your wonderful co-workers and superiors, but rather the four walls, dozens of cubicles and computers, carpets and wallpaper. What do these things say about your company’s unique brand?
I recently worked with a Fortune 500 company in their office space. They were great! What was remarkable about this experience is exploring the different offices. All of them were exactly the same size. From top dog to the bottom, all the managerial employees had the same office space. It was very disctinctive1 Not something that I see every day. It sends a strong message of equal respect in the workplace. The physical building reminds all of them that all of their voices are worthy of being heard. It discourages favoritism and shifts the focus away from power struggles.
Another great example of a distinctive workplace is Pixar Animation Studios. The Pixar Story, a documentary about this film studio, showcased its creative, mind-simulating set-up. With scooters and Hawaiian decorations, it looks just like the sort of place that would be filled with cartoonists and grown-up kids. It also offers a lot of space for collaboration, which, as said in the film, is a necessary component for successful films. It’s a space that provides natural opportunities for employees to run into each other, so they can stay connected and unified. More than anything, it’s a creative space that allows each artist room to make his or her own mark. There’s no surprise that Pixar is consistently turning out great, creative films!
So what does your office say about your company’s professional brand? Or even what does your cubicle say about you?
Blank
Sometimes your brain just seems like that: empty. You’ve been staring at the same unfinished email since lunch, or you are re-reading the same sentence in a brief for the tenth time. You just do not know what to do, and what’s worse, you don’t know where to find a solution. You can’t think of a way to address the problem, whether it’s a logistic or personnel issue.
I’ve been there, and it can be infuriating! Most of the time when I’m in this situation, I’m in a serious rut. I’m just running through old solutions that no longer address the current problem.
A lot of the times, I’m struggling to even feel creative or innovative. It’s very important to work through these moments when you feel empty of any solutions. A strong personal brand includes problem-solving skills! If you’re the person who can always seem to find a fix a problem, you become very invaluable.
So I’ve complied some ways to maybe “spice up” the problem-solving process. Maybe they can help youput some ink on that blank page of a mind.
1) Talk to an expert. If you can find somebody with experience dealing with this type of problem, he or she will be an invaluable resource. Even if the old problem was different, just hearing about past solutions can help you see possible ways to attack the problem. You get the benefit of hearing about what works and what doesn’t. You know what they say, ‘hindsight is 20/20.’
2) Talk to a novice. I have a friend who calls her mom whenever she’s stumped. She doesn’t call her to complain or even really to ask for advice. Instead, she knows that her mom doesn’t mind listening as she talks out the issue. Her mom will just ask simple questions for clarification, just trying to understand. It can be a great help to have someone listen as you explain the problem. Maybe when you’re talking it out, trying to make this novice understand why it’s a problem, you might see something that you didn’t see before.
3) Just Google it. Obviously, there are not very many articles about dealing with the multi-variable problems that most of us deal with every day. Googling, though, is an easy way to just read articles and web sites about any issue. I am not suggesting that you take just any web site’s advice as authoritative, but I am suggesting that reading through things online might just stimulate your thoughts. Online, you can immerse yourself in the issue: hear another’s thought, look at from a larger perspective and get out of your own head.
4) Start backwards. As a kid, I always did this when I solved the mazes on the back of cereal boxes. Start by identifying where you want to be: what are you trying to gain. I was trying to reach the very inside with the pot of gold! From there, you can start following out the logical necessities of that place. Shifting your perspective in this way can help you see something you might have missed before!
Personal Branding TV
I am excited to share with you that my video has been selected by Reach Personal Branding TV to be in the top 10. This a list of the 10 most popular videos on the site for 2010. You can view the video here:
Happy New Year!
Valerie
Social Savvy for the Business Professional: The Art of Business Entertaining
With the holiday season fast approaching, it’s important to show your strong personal brand in how you behave during this fall’s upcoming social events. Knowledge is power!
Let’s face it. Today’s executive must function with complete confidence from the board room to the dining room, from the sales call to the business lunch, from the cocktail party to the fine dining experience. Social savvy can make or break a deal and quickly diminish a personal brand.
Over 50% of business is done over a meal. Some of you may have grown up in an atmosphere of social savvy. You learned it at home. For the majority of you—class is EARNED AND LEARNED—without the opportunity of going to charm school. When entertaining clients, your actions are observed and judgments are made.
The hard truth? Your manners and common courtesies tell others how confident you are in business. Learning the RULES of acceptable social behavior and the SKILLS of turning small talk to big talk assure you of making the most favorable impression.
Because THE ART OF BUSINESS ENTERTAINING is often a part of building business relationships, it is vitally important in these fast track times to make your entertaining dollars profitable. People buy you first, then trust you to deliver a high quality product or service.
Read more articles like this here:
http://www.valerieandcompany.com/
Valerie
PERSONAL BRANDING AND MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS
Let’s look at how these connect.
In the 1960s, psychologist Abraham Maslow introduced his hierarchy of needs—the things a human being needs most in a sequence that builds one on top of the other. By using this hierarchy, it helps us understand the actions and motivations of others as well as ourselves. There are five levels of human needs and each must be fulfilled before the next level can be realized. Here are the five levels (in inverse order) of Maslow’s pyramid—called the hierarchy of needs:
1. Physiological needs—oxygen, water, protein, salt, sugar, calcium, and other minerals and vitamins. They also include the need to maintain a pH balance (getting too acidic or base will kill you) and temperature (98.6 or near to it). Also, there are the needs to be active, to rest, to sleep, to avoid pain, to have sex, to have enough food, water, air, shelter, and clothing.
2. Safety and security needs—once the physiological needs are taken care of, an individual becomes increasingly interested in finding safe circumstances, stability, and protection.
3. Love and belonging needs—the need for friends, a significant other, perhaps children, and affectionate relationships in general—even a sense of community. Looked at negatively, the individual reaching this level becomes increasingly susceptible to loneliness and social anxieties.
4. Esteem needs—need for the respect of others, status, fame, glory, recognition, attention, reputation, appreciation, dignity, and even dominance. As these needs are met, the individual develops self-respect, which includes feelings of confidence, competence, achievement, mastery, independence, and freedom.
5. Self-actualized needs—here’s the big deal. At one point, Maslow said as few as 2 percent of the population reach this level of being self-actualized—motivated to work at maximum potential, or as they say in the U.S. Army, to “be all you can be.” These people can differentiate what is fake and dishonest from what is real and genuine. They treat life’s difficulties as problems demanding solutions, not as personal troubles. They enjoy solitude, deeper personal relations, and autonomy. Finally, they have an acceptance of themselves and others and live life with a certain spontaneity and simplicity and with humility and respect.
It’s at this 5th level that your personal brand becomes true and genuine. It’s at this level that others perceive your personal brand as a strong differentiator because you are living your brand with clarity, consistency, and constancy—delivering your unique promise of value in everything you do. So decide now to understand what IS your PERSONAL BRAND. And email me for information on how I can be your resource as a master personal brand strategist.
Read more articles like this here:
http://www.valerieandcompany.com/
Valerie
