| The Brand called Me | 2003-01-21 18:33 12 comments |
 by Flemming FunchVarious management gurus, like Tom Peters, are talking about "The Brand called You". The idea is that the world and the job market are moving so quickly that you can no longer count on just getting a job and being safe from then on. Increasingly we are free agents who continuously need to market ourselves and forge new and changing commercial relationships, and to always create our own job. So, to that end, it is critical to be aware of what your brand is, what your selling points are, what your core competencies are, and to have your own rap, so you can quickly convey that to others. I also get to think about a workshop/program I did, called IBI - Income Builders International - which is a weeklong, very expensive, but rather effective program that in part helps you find what your own personal WOW is, and trains you to present your "thing" in a compelling way in 30 seconds. And all of that is good. I'd really like all of us to be really clear on what our THING is, our WOW, the thing we're here to do, and which we're passionate about. And I think something will click if we are also able to present it clearly and simply, as we then can forge economic relationships more easily. But now, my own problem is, unfortunately, that at this point I can't really tell you what my own core competency is. I am quite capable in several, rather diverse areas, but I can't tell you in 30 seconds what I do, without making you confused. The kind of stuff I usually would feel like putting on my business card would tend to make people look puzzled and ask "How on earth would you make money on that?". My current business card says "Linking the people who change the world". Sounds good, and I get a certain amount of admiration for that, but nobody's gonna hire me to actually do that. I'm a computer programmer, a skilled and experienced one. But that is not really what I want to be to the world. I'm getting too old for that, and I don't want to spend all day thinking about logical problems. I'm a personal counselor and the author of two manuals/books about counseling techniques, and I've seen a lot of success in that area. Yet I only see a couple of clients per week at this point, and it is not my main focus of attention. I used to be somebody people would come to to have things explained, to make complicated things simple. A philosopher who had the answer to just about anything, including the big questions of life. Nobody comes and asks me anything any longer, so I don't think that's it. I seem to have a certain knack for gathering people together, and inspiring people. But most of the time I don't know what to do with them once I've gathered or inspired them, and I'm not great at leading and delegating focused work. I'm obviously a writer, as one of the things that flows most easily would be to write something like this weblog here. I can probably do that in my sleep, even if the world is falling down around me. But I'm no good at writing other people's stuff. I can't write ordered articles on a schedule. There are more roles I have - networker, event organizer, actor, creative person, evolutionary agent, healer, solver of problems, diplomat, futurist, designer of new systems for people to organize in - but this could easily get long. And it doesn't really add up. I don't mind being multi-dimensional, but I'd still like to be able to be clear on what I am, and where my services are needed, and how I can present myself. So, please, if any of you happen to know, tell me what my brand is. |