SAVING YOUR PERSONAL BRAND.

Everyday at work, you run the risk of damaging your personal brand-even if you don't think you have one.

Your personal brand is the way people perceive,think and feel about you in relation to others. People all around you have perceptions,thoughts and feelings about you so just by virtue of being "you" in the workplace,you already have a personal brand.

"A personal brand is a promise of performance that creates expectations in it's audience.Done well, it clearly communicates the values,personality, and abilities of the person behind it.

You need to ask yourself if you have the personal brand you want.Is your brand bringing you greater success or holding you back?Knowing the response to that would make a big difference in knowing if your career is staying land-locked or sky rocketing.

I hereby share tips on how to save your personal brand.

1. Make a list of three to five things that brings you satisfaction at work.We always have the tendency to be good at what we like,so focus first on these to point you in the right direction.You might come up with responses such as help others,listen,problem solve,negotiate,write technical reports,manage projects,collect data,identify obstacles,implement solutions and more.

2. Translate these behaviors into key strengths you bring to your workplace.For example, "My ability to listen effectively enables me to gather data from reluctant sources.Tied in with that is the skill at writing which allows me to report that data in an objective objectives way.Once the data is collected and reported,i've exhibited the ability to identify and implement solutions to problems.

3. Consider how these behaviors distinguish you from others.For example,the ability to gather and report data may be unique in a department or company mainly known for producing a product.

4.Get clear about what your current brand stands for right now.This means discovering how people think and feel about you in the present moment.You could enlist a friend you trust to ask several work colleagues for the top five words that describes you.Are you described the way you want or your personal brand needs adjustments.

5.Learn how to communicate your brand effectively.Defining your personal brand is a first step you have to take instead of it remaining on a piece of paper in a drawer.It won't do much good to you.The key to success is being consistent with these activities-in what you say,do, and think-day-in and day-out.

6. Avoid damaging your personal brand-After you have defined your personal brand and created a plan for communicating it,you need to take special care to keep it.How do you do that?Watch others and learn from their mistakes.So pay attention to what others do that damages their personal brands and avoid doing the same.

7.Keep a good sense of humor!Most importantly,if you make a personal branding mistake,be willing to laugh at yourself.Everyone likes to work with someone who doesn't take themselves too seriously.

So create the personal brand you want today, and learn how to harness it.

It can be one of the most powerful ways to move forward in your career.

Share your personal brand strengths and if it's working for you in your workplace.