Work On Your Personal Brand In 2024
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
I mentioned a few months ago that I received a trial membership to MasterClass as part of changing my cellular phone plan. During the trial, I was able to listen to Neil Gaiman, Malala Yousafzai, Neil deGrasse Tyson, RuPaul, Bill Nye, and Dr. Terence Tao. And while I didn’t plan it this way, the last session I listened to about determining a personal brand really brought them all together.
Roxanne Gay is a writer and podcaster. She is the author of the bestseller “Bad Feminist” and an opinion writer for The New York Times. She is also the author of “World of Wakanda” for Marvel. While Roxanne’s MasterClass was focused on writing for social change, what I walked away with was more about being your unapologetically authentic self in both your personal and professional lives.
It reminded me of an interview I did a long time ago with Amanda Hite and Dan Schawbel about personal branding. We all have a brand, and we need to be comfortable with it. And if we’re not, it could be valuable to do some self-reflection. Roxanne Gay’s MasterClass talked about six areas that might be helpful to consider as part of a self-reflection exercise.
Make appointments with yourself for the things that matter. I wanted to share this takeaway first because I think it sets the stage for the others. You can call it self-care or me time or whatever. It’s okay to block time off on your calendar for you. Because you are worth it. Identify what’s important to you and make time for it.
Have a personal code of ethics. In season three of The HR Bartender Show, we talked about ethics mostly in the context of organizational ethics. It’s a good reminder that our personal ethics are important. Many people use the New Year as an opportunity for self-reflection. Maybe it makes sense to add time to think about personal ethics and how it relates to your organization’s ethical standard and personal brand.
Read and listen to diverse sources. This kinda relates to the first two takeaways. One of the activities that can help us identify what matters is reading and listening to a diverse selection of people. Please note: I did not say that you have to believe or embrace every word they say. I must admit that sometimes the people who frustrate me the most are often ones that help me learn something. There is value in leaving the echo chamber.
Learn how to research. The definition of research is “the creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge”. It builds on the last takeaway about diverse sources. When I read and listen to things, I often do research to confirm that they are true. Several of the MasterClass sessions I’ve listen to mentioned misinformation and disinformation. We need to learn how to research and identify knowledgeable sources to figure out the truth.
Find your process. One of my most popular training programs is related to the concept of self-management. In the session, we talk about identifying what makes you productive. If you haven’t asked yourself the question lately, I’d suggest you ask “What makes me my most productive self?” Conversely, also ask, “What makes me my least productive self?” Be prepared to discuss this with your manager and maybe even your family.
Support your community when you can. I would like to add to this takeaway “with what you can”. It’s not always possible to support our community all the time. Sometimes other things must take priority. But when you can show support for your community – do it. And do it a level that you’re comfortable and capable of.
Roxanne Gay’s MasterClass was a great reminder that one of the keys to our success is self-awareness. If we want to change or improve an area of our lives, it starts with evaluating where we are right now and where we’d like to be in the future. The world we live in is full of information. Sometimes conflicting information. Knowing ourselves and what we stand for becomes essential in figuring out our personal brand.
Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby after speaking at the SHRM Annual Conference in Las Vegas, NV
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