AMP UP PERFORMANCE Attract Opportunities

Transcription

1 AMP UP PERFORMANCE Attract Opportunities Create Your Professional Brand And Become A Thought Leader Anne Collier

2 Anne Collier is dedicated to improving culture, collaboration, and communication. She believes that everyone deserves a fulfilling life and career and that every organization can be a great place to work. Recognizing that the organization is its people, she helps people to develop a better understanding of themselves and others and learn collaboration and communication tools. After years of coaching executives and developing teams to step into their power, she created this written Workplace Toolkit Actionable Approaches to People Problems to provide further support to the clients who clamored for more. Focused on producing scalable and sustainable improvement at the organizational level, Anne created virtual training courses based on her work with individual executives and their teams. Scaled, her methodology is called The Arudia System, which improves organizations via a customizable combination of delivery methods focused on imparting to everyone the understanding and the skills to communicate and collaborate more effectively. This improves culture. Anne works with entire organizations, teams, and individual leaders, executives, and managers. She is a catalyst for stepping into power. She guides clients to discover a fresh perspective through proven assessment tools and to use that perspective to truly harness different ways of thinking and to minimize the effects of blind spots. In addition to being a Myers Briggs Type Indicator Step I and Step II Master Practitioner, she is qualified to administer and use the Kirton Adaption-Innovation Inventory, the Emotional Quotient Inventory 2.0 and 360 Feedback; Strength Deployment Inventory ; the Apter Motivational Style Profile ; the Apter Leadership Profile System ; and the Center for Creative Leadership s 360 Degree Assessments. Anne is practical and creative in her approach to improving culture and resolving clients challenges. She coaches individuals to lead powerfully and build effective teams that make the most of each team member s strengths. Her individual clients also benefit from her unique personal branding process, which creates their talking points for attracting the best opportunities. Anne s clients include the people who lead and work in a broad range of organizations including corporations, not-for-profit organizations, associations, government agencies, public and government affairs agencies, and law firms, whether they are long-established organizations or start-ups. In 2015, Anne was elected to the Board the Women s Bar Association of Washington DC. She is a Professional Certified Coach and she studied economics (BA with High Disthas her JD, cum laude), at the University of Michigan. Anne is a graduate of Coach University Core Essential Program and Advanced Coaching Program and a certified educator through the international Equine Experiential Education Association. Anne resides in Chevy Chase, Maryland with her husband Alex and four cats. She loves to cook, travel, fly fish, and is an avid equestrienne.

3 Table of Contents BRANDING I. Executive Presence p. 1 II. Why Brand Yourself? p. 2 III. 5 Steps to Define Your Professional Brand p. 2 a. Step 1: Establish A Powerful Mindset p. 2 b. Step 2: Identify Why p. 2 c. Step 3: Choose Your Vocabulary p. 3 d. Step 4: Define Your Mission p. 4 i. Now You p. 4 e. Step 5: Build Your Brand Description p. 5 i. Your Examples of WHAT You Do p. 6 f. Generate Confidence p. 7 g. Wrap Up p. 7 IV. Define and Distinguish Yourself Through Thought Leadership p. 8 a. Define Your Topic p. 8 b. Identify Target Audiences Real People! p. 9 c. Prioritize Platforms p. 9 d. Schedule Action! p. 10 V. Create Your Plan p. 12 a. Refine Your Vision p. 12 b. Create Your Strategy p. 12

4 Foreword A brand is the promise of a consistent experience. A powerful personal brand will deliver remarkable results by providing a compelling and unambiguous rendition of your strengths, inspiring confidence, and drawing potential clients, promotions and recognition to you. Your brand articulates why, how, and what you do, distinguishes you from your competition, and succinctly describes the value the potential client or employer would receive by hiring or promoting you. You will leave this workshop with a brand, elevator pitch, mission statement, and messaging on which to draw. You will also learn how to generate confidence and create your own plan for leveraging your brand. This workbook is ideal for the professional seeking to expand his business and position himself as an expert in his field as well as the executive seeking to position himself within his company and industry. Regardless of your level of experience, you will benefit from being known for your strengths and expertise. Your goal is to create your own messaging pyramid so you can describe why, how, and what you do in a manner that interests and draws others to you. The pyramid below depicts your brand. The Messaging Pyramid

5 Executive Presence Is Key To Advancement BRANDING A 2012 study conducted by the Center for Talent Innovation found that your career success and whether you are perceived as leadership material depends more on executive presence than hard work and attractiveness. In fact, on average, executive presence accounted for 25 percent of what it takes to get promoted. Executive Presence Gravitas: the ability to project confidence, poise under pressure, and decisiveness Communication: excellent speaking skills, assertiveness, and the ability to read an audience or situation Appearance: looking polished and pulled together While you project and utilize your professional brand externally, the key to any branding process is to gain internal clarity about your value, what you offer, and why clients/leadership want to hire or promote you. You need to know it so you can own it and attract the best opportunities for you. This is confidence; this is executive presence. 1. If you were your client (external client, internal client, law partner, or chief officer), what would you expect of you? Objectives Define your professional brand Generate confidence Distinguish yourself through thought leadership Create your plan 2. Think of a brand you like and use. What are three aspects of this brand that you like? 3. You already have a brand; when colleagues and clients describe you, what do they say? What would you like to reinforce as part of your brand? 1

6 Why Brand Yourself? Attract opportunities Create confidence Clarify which problems you are the solution to Help others understand why they should hire you, promote you, or give you work Differentiate yourself from others 4. How would having a professional brand support you professionally or personally? 5. What do you want your brand to be? Step 1: Establish A Powerful Mindset The purpose of Step 1 is to identify the empowering mindset that will propel you forward. 6. What do you tell yourself when you are pitching you? (E.g., when you are pitching work to prospective clients or asking for a promotion or raise.) 7. What self-perceptions, if any, prevent you from making a great pitch or presenting yourself in the best light possible? 8. What are your strengths? Consider your top 5 accomplishments, points of praise, talents, and the strength you ve gained from overcoming adversity. Step 2: Identify Why The purpose of Step 2 is to shift your focus from solely or primarily WHAT you do to WHY you do it. Articulating WHY will attract and connect you with the people you want to reach. For more on the power of WHY see Simon Sinek s TED Talk How Great Leaders Inspire Action. 2

7 9. When you re reflecting on a great day, what made it great? 10. What drives you? 11. WHAT: I am an expert in: 12. WHY: My motivation for doing this is (remember, a paycheck is just a side effect): 13. The work I love is: Step 3: Choose Your Vocabulary The purpose of Step 3 is to help you identify a vocabulary that is authentically you and your brand. In choosing words that are uniquely you, it is helpful to examine what brands you use, identify with, and why. Do you drink Pellegrino, brush with Crest, shop at Nordstrom, get your coffee at Starbucks, or drive a Lexus? 14. What brand do you most identify with and why? In other words, if you were a brand, what would you be and why? For example, I am a Porsche because I love the power, fun, and driving agility. I would be: My brand Because:. Reason(s) 15. What words do you associate with this brand? 16. What is the promise of this brand? 3

8 Step 4: Define Your Mission The purpose of Step 4 is to clarify your mission and create a crisp and compelling articulation of why you do the work you do. Your mission is what drives you. 17. For which of your skills, knowledge, or expertise do colleagues seek out? Now you To what you want to achieve, do, or become reason why it is important or by doing specific behaviors you can use to get there. 4

9 Step 5: Build Your Brand Description BRANDING The purpose of Step 5 is to integrate the information above and flesh out the building blocks that complete your brand description/messaging pyramid. You will utilize these elements in your elevator pitch, bio, CV, LinkedIn and Facebook profiles, blog, and anywhere else you present yourself. 5

10 HOW You Accomplish Your Mission 18. How do you accomplish your mission? How do your clients benefit? Your Examples of WHAT You Do Prepare four examples that provide evidence of your expertise, ability and experience in each of the areas listed in the boxes above. Frame them as short, compelling, narrative bites that you can draw on when speaking with stakeholders. You will want to intrigue others so that they are interested and ask follow-up questions. Case studies of your past work typically provide the most compelling evidence, but you may also site educational history or training, particularly if you are moving into a new area of work. Other examples of what you do may include how you specialize via: strategies and techniques; programs and services; knowledge, relationships, and perspective; and niche areas of expertise 6

11 Generate Confidence BRANDING 19. What do you need to be at your best? For example, do you need to rev up, calm down, or focus? 20. What are two words that describe you everyday of the week? This embodies who you are when you are at your best: who you are at your core, your strengths, and what people rely on you for. 21. What are two words that describe an aspirational you? This is how you need to be to succeed in stressful, evaluative situations. Say to yourself before presenting, entering a meeting, and anytime you need to be on. Wrap Up 22. What do you want your colleagues, clients, and prospective clients to take away from interactions with you? 23. What news story will you share with colleagues, clients, and prospective clients to convey your brand? 24. What kinds of opportunities would you like to attract to yourself in 2015 and 2016? 7

12 25. Which key words and phrases can you use to reinforce your brand when describing you, your accomplishments, and your goals? Your LinkedIn Headline 26. Instead of using just your job title, use your brand to attract opportunities. Like your brand, a powerful LinkedIn headline answers these questions: what you do, who you do it for, and problems you help solve and/or prevent. Remember: use active words and verbs, create a visual picture of what you do. Brevity is key. Draft two new potential headlines: Define Your Topic 27. Capabilities: I m really good at Define and Distinguish Yourself Through Thought Leadership 28. Lens: I have a unique perspective because 29. Business issues: I think and know a lot about 8

13 30. Social Issues: I care about 31. Personal Passions: I love thinking and learning about Identify Target Audiences Real People! 32. Customers, clients, stakeholders 33. Prospective clients, partners, stakeholders 34. Referral sources 35. Influencers Prioritize Platforms 36. Organizations (Professional groups, Nonprofits, Associations, House of Worship, Alumni Groups) 9

14 37. Online (Websites, Social Media Communities) 38. Media (Local papers, radio, magazines, journals) 39. Social Clubs (Salon dinners, Lunch Bunch) Schedule Action! Month 1 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Th u r s d a y Friday Saturday 10

15 Month 2 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Th u r s d a y Friday Saturday BRANDING Month 3 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Th u r s d a y Friday Saturday 11

16 Create Your Plan Refine Your Vision 40. Write a news story about you from the perspective of three years from now. What would the story say about you, your career, your accomplishments, your niches, your practice, your thought leadership, and the like? What opportunities will you have? Who will you know? Who will know you? You don t need to touch on all issues, just those that are relevant to you. 41. In three years, I will have achieved the following in my career or business: 42. By this time next year, I will have achieved the following in my career or business: 43. In the next 90 days, I will have achieved the following steps to further my career or business: 44. In the next 30 days, I will have achieved the following steps to further my career or business: Create Your Strategy 45. I could find potential clients, referral sources, and/or opportunities At the following events: 12

17 Reading these publications/blogs/etc: Attending these conferences: Involved in these activities: 46. I could raise my profile in my local, national, or subject-matter community by doing these three things: 47. The most appealing career/business development activities: Making phones calls Attending local functions Participating in volunteer/community/family activities Attending conferences Presenting Writing Visiting colleagues and current or potential clients/referral sources 48. I am willing to invest hours per week in raising my profile and connecting with people. 49. I can serve as a resource to others in these ways: 13

18 50. Of the actions identified above, I am willing to do the following or some combination of the following every weekday or several times a week: 51. Of the actions identified above, I commit to doing the following three within the next month: 52. Of the actions identified above, I commit to doing the following three within the next three months: 53. Of the actions identified above, I am willing to do the following within the next six months: 54. My biggest challenges in implementing my plan will likely be: 55. I will overcome these challenges by: 56. I will create and utilize the following support, systems, or techniques to hold myself accountable: Congratulations, the fun is just beginning! 14