I met a smart young lady at a social gathering in Boston, a talented web designer who’d worked a few years at a good sized job, but who without much probing expressed an interest in other opportunities. I was excited and asked for a business card. “Well, they don’t give me business cards,” she replied, meaning her workplace. “Have you heard of VistaPrint?” I replied.
The point here is simple: YOU have control of your own personal brand, and it’s up to you to represent YOURSELF just as much as you represent your organization. There’s a balance here, and doing it well means that you are recognized as a human all the while serving your employer, but the benefits to figuring that balance out are well worth the balancing act. Here are some tips to consider.
A quick note: I use the term superhero to represent our inner passions that aren’t always represented by our day job. Thus, you strip off the day job’s costume to reveal your costume underneath. You run off, and do whatever your superhero job requires.
Print your own cards– Whether or not you’re issued standard company business cards, make your own. You can do one of two things with these: make the card ALL about you and your private pursuits (superhero cards, I call them), or you can make the cards represent both your role at your organization and a personal way to contact you on top of the official company method.
Why start with business cards? Because in social settings, these are the bookmarks we use to get back to interesting relationships. Side note: that very night I met a famous blogger. I haven’t remembered to write her back because she didn’t have a business card.
Use up to two email accounts– I have a corporate email address. I use it as sparingly as possible. Mostly never. Every piece of correspondence I have, I trade on my own name, not the organization. Why? A few reasons. One, I feel I have better control of my email service than the company system. Two, I want people to know that *I’m* reaching out to them as a representative of my organization. It’s not a pride/shame thing. I love where I work. Instead, I’m establishing my personal connection on this effort.
Keep a Blog or Website– Company policy might restrict you from blogging about your day job. You can do one of two things. If you want to promote your ABILITIES at your day job, find out if it violates the policy to blog about that line of work (and don’t ask people- just get the policy. Empower yourself!). And if you want to blog about your superhero job (what you’d do if you didn’t have to pay bills), all the better. Add a pointer to your blog to your business cards in either case. People establish relationships with people.
Represent Both Interests– But be really careful about how you do this. I represent my company for all business matters. If there’s a potential for money changing hands, I’m all Video on the Net. If this is about community and general good will towards people, I’m Chris Brogan, front and center. If I’m tasked with reaching out to someone professionally, such as Jason Calacanis, I represent my organization. I did, however, mention how he might remember me from something I did on behalf of myself last September.
Be cautious how you approach this, but look for a way to blend your personal brand into the equation. My recommendation: learn from people who do it well, and learn what NOT to do from smarmy types. See how independent contractors and consultants handle this.
Respect Your Employer– Maintain professionalism around what you’re doing, but be sensitive to what you desire for your future. Give your sweat and your brain to the people paying you, and reward their kindness and their support with a full effort. NEVER in here do I mention cheating your employer or being in any way disingenuous with their resources or time. Treat them with the loyalty and respect they deserve.
Remember Your Dreams– You’ll serve your employer and your own personal superhero needs well if you stay sensitive to how both are fulfilled in a given day. Whether it’s on the phone with customers, or internal in your team meetings, live your life with purpose, and develop your own personal branding. It’ll give your employers and yourself a much better chance of being satisfied.
One last thing: following this kind of advice is EXACTLY how I came to be working with Jeff Pulver on all the great projects I’m working on. And before that, it’s how my career had any level of notoriety within my company. I started representing myself as a brand even while ensconced in a 500-person organization of technology professionals.
What Else?
Did I miss anything? Have you a similar success story? Would this fly at your place of employment? You know me, by now. I want the best stuff to be in the comments section, where YOU are the authors and I’m the student.
photo credit jm3