Today’s workplace is competitive. People need to know what makes you unique and what makes you stand out. Perceptions are important and good performance is the foundation of your brand.

Can you promote a positive image of yourself, so that you can achieve the visibility you need to match your values and achieve your goals? In this blog, we take a look at how you can make a start at being more memorable, in order to get to where you want to go!

“I think the best role models for women are people who are fruitfully and confidently themselves, who bring light into the world.”

Meryl Streep

Do you feel better about yourself when your good performance is recognised? Most of us do, but recognition only comes when people can see how well you are doing.

Even if your goal is clear to you, the impression you give of yourself may prevent others from perceiving you in ways that help you reach your goals. They may not realise that you’re keen for that promotion, or that you’d like to be considered to lead that new project.

The idea of consciously working on the impression you create may feel strange. Some people think it suggests that you’re phoney, trying to be something you are not – a superficial or manipulative person. Actually, the opposite is true. You’re aiming for people to perceive you accurately. This means being more confidently yourself and putting the authentic ‘you’ on show. People need to have the clearest impression of you, so they know who you are, what you are all about, what you have to offer and what you want. Just hoping that people will notice you won’t get you the promotion you want, the best access to opportunities or a pay rise. It’s more effective to take the initiative and make sure people know about the real you.

If you’ve never thought about the impression you create, it might explain why interviews seem to go well but you never get the job, or your friends don’t take your idea of being a team leader seriously. Are your suggestions ignored at work? Do you feel that you’re taken for granted or that your aspirations surprise people? This could also be because you don’t spend enough time considering the impression you create.

When it comes to creating the best impression, there are many aspects to consider – your personal brand, your message and your visibility. Let’s start with your personal brand and I’ll cover some of the other areas in future issues of this newsletter.

Your personal brand is an instant label that people apply to you based on your personality, your reputation, your behaviour and your past performance. You want your brand to support and reinforce what you’re aiming to achieve in life, rather than undermining your efforts. It should reflect your values, connect with your purpose in life and demonstrate you being the ‘you’ that you want to be. Your brand is about you telling people what to expect of you, while allowing them to ‘get’ who you really are. When you can show what is unique and different about you, you have a strong personal brand. Your brand should excite you – or at least give you a warm glow! If it doesn’t and you want to do a bit more work on your personal brand, complete the Brand Questionnaire below.

Image credit: DesignEcologist on Unsplash

Your Brand Questionnaire

Take some time to complete these sentences:

I am already known for ……….

By this time next year I will also be known for ……….

I am already trusted with/to ………. because ……….

I stand out from my colleagues and those around me because ……….

I have credibility in ………. because ……….

I make a difference with/by/to ……….

I am different from ………. because ……….

What separates me from others like me is ……….

You want me on your team because ……….

Start by answering these questions yourself. Then ask other people you trust who know you well, or with whom you work. As well as thinking about the impression you want to create, it’s a great idea to collect views on how other people see you now. This feedback will highlight any gaps between perception and reality – between how you are seen and how you really are. Then you can decide if you need to change anything.

If you’re not sure who to ask for feedback, you’re not sure what to do with the information you collect or you need some advice on what changes you’d like to make, call me on +44 07977 072 760 or click here to email me and we can arrange a coaching call.