Question: I’m comfortable having a brand that I show around my boss and coworkers, and then another version that I show my friends and family. But this is starting to feel like a lot of work to manage. Can I just have one brand? Which is more important?
Answer: I’m not sure if you will love or hate my answer. I don’t believe you should have two distinctly separate brands. I advocate that you should have one brand that shows up more professionally when you’re at work and can be more relaxed and casual when you’re at home. To curate and nurture two distinctly different brands is painstaking work, and often yields substandard results.
Your personal brand is your persona: it’s how you communicate to those around you who you are, what you care about and what you can offer to them. Your personal brand also speaks directly to the needs and wants of a focused target audience. All this is to say, when you’re at work you’ll concentrate on promoting your offer to your teammates, boss, industry contacts and online communities. When you’re at home, your focus will be on serving those you care about personally.
Your Personal Brand at Work
In the office or at your job showcase your personal brand this way:
- Introduce your values into conversations so others know what you stand for and believe. If you value honesty, integrity, teamwork or collaboration, for example, then when you act in those ways, let others around you know why. This builds their trust in you.
- Contribute to discussions and meetings where your viewpoint and expertise help to lift your credibility with your team, boss and clients.
- Manage how you’re perceived by paying attention to the way you dress and groom yourself. A sloppy attire, for instance, can send the message that you’re careless in your work.
- Pay attention to how you act and speak when you think no one is watching. Those “off the cuff” comments before the meeting starts can send positive (or very negative) signals about your value to the company.
- Mentor and help others. In the military you learned to help, even if what was needed wasn’t part of your job description. Bring that forward in your civilian career, too. Be the person others can rely on to deliver with excellence.
Your Personal Brand at Home
When you’re relaxed and with your friends and family, you should still think about how you’re coming across and being perceived. Consider:
- While the people who love you might be more forgiving about missteps and negative behavior, show them your good side, too. This reminds them why they care about you and what makes you special to them.
- Avoid the temptation to feel you’re “taking off a mask” when you finally get home after work. If you truly feel like you are a vastly different person at home than you are at work, perhaps you’re in the wrong job. Or the wrong company. Or you’ve been misled to believe you need to be a different person to be valued and accepted.
- Serve those around you in ways that build on how you lead at work. Service is a mindset, and the military likely instilled that in you. After military duty, there are still many ways you can serve – in your neighborhood, your community and your region.
Many of us have felt the tension of navigating two different personas; the one at work and the “real” one. This isn’t sustainable. To grow your career, to feel fulfilled (personally and professionally) strive to be authentic, clear and happy being one version of yourself. Give that to the world and watch the magic happen!
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