Dec 2, 2007 | blog
Ever wonder where your enthusiasm goes after you’ve had an ‘aha!’ moment? You know, the moment when it all seems so clear. The one moment where you find the path through all the clutter, the distractions, the inhibition, the self-conscience fears?
That is (right or wrongly) what I’ve been calling the Aha! moment for myself. It’s happened more often this year than any other in my life, and it’s more frustrating then I can describe. I’m sure you’re familiar with it. I keep wondering how to leverage that moment, how to capture the thoughts. Obviously it’s time to keep a journal at hand and jot these ideas down when they come along.
I guess the big question I have is what do you do with your Aha! moments after they’ve passed? Do you try to work with the new thoughts, use them to improve yourself? Do they lead you to follow your dreams? Have you begun to question ‘why?’ a bit more because of them?
Obviously I’m asking more questions than I used to. The real measurement is if I’m growing (improving) from what I’m learning about myself and my worldview. That’s something I’ll find out later as I keep following the trail these Aha! moments reveal.
How about you – do you work to learn from your Aha! moments?
Nov 30, 2007 | blog, leadership
I’ll tell you one of the most important & introspective lessons I’m learning: it’s listening to what people say. It’s a critical one that many of us find ourselves in the middle of when working on our personal improvement strategies.
While I’ve only really become aware of my own efforts to improve my listening abilities, I figured out that I’ve been subconsciously working on this for some time. Don’t know exactly what triggered it to come to the surface, but it did – and makes a great deal of sense.
What’s also interesting to me is the effort involved in learning this skill. It’s so at odds with how we’ve I’ve processed information when listening to others in the past. To actually absorb the real meaning, the underlying urgency, the true understanding is what I’m after. Whether it be a friend, coworker, or spouse it is crucial that we really understand what is being communicated.
It may be one of the most difficult things a person can undertake to improve their "soft" skills. It also will go a long way to help you reach your goals. Just like many other aspects of personal improvement, this skill is also critical to you if you’re working on your personal brand.
The ability to listen is a trait that people remember. This is an important piece of your reputation and is part of what makes up your brand. You want people to remember things about you, and having people remember that you listen to their requirements, listen to what’s important to them, listen to their concerns is a big one.
How else can we provide value to others when only a portion of what they’re talking about is listened to?
I mentioned at the beginning that this is a skill that I’m "learning" – I’ll never learn it all. I’m constantly finding out how to listen better, and I’d like to know your tips. What more is there to this – I’d love to hear from you. Do you have tips, stories, or examples of how to improve one’s ability to listen? I’m all ears. 😀
Oct 31, 2007 | blog
I’d like to point you to Issue 2 of Personal Branding Magazine. While this publication is still quite young, there is significant traction with the authors, editors and publisher Dan Schawbel. This issue breaks new ground for the magazine with several new contributing writers, reporters, editing staff and sponsorships.
While this is a non-profit magazine with all proceeds going directly to The American Cancer Society, the quality and coverage is top notch. With articles from thought leaders and experts in personal branding, you will find many helpful ideas and techniques that will help promote your greatest asset – yourself.
Dan kicks off the excitement with a cover story on none other than GE’s Jack Welch. Also included is an interview with Philip Rosedale, the founder of SecondLife. With an updated format for easier reading, and many reader-suggested improvements, Issue 2 has been a work of professionalism, and the desire to provide you with real-world ideas and information.
Available November 1st, 2007!
Personal Branding Magazine – Issue 2
Technorati Tags: Personal Branding Magazine, Personal Branding, Rick Mahn, Dan Schawbel
Oct 6, 2007 | blog
Did you ever stop and think how the opinions of people around you impact your self-image?
While I hope that you’re not self conscious about such things, I do ask how the opinions of your friends or family influence the perception you have of yourself? How do your co-workers or bosses perceptions affect your belief in you?
Often I’ve wondered how much the opinions of our peers impact us, and do we benefit from their views or are they detrimental to our self image? Constructive feedback from individuals is an important tool for each of us to use in continuing to improve ourselves. However, too much information from too small a group can be counter-productive to self improvement.
As an example, I used to detest other people’s criticisms. I still don’t like it, but have learned to listen for the lessons that help me grow as an individual. Sometimes they’re hard to find, occasionally layered under unintentional (even some intentional!) barbs or slights.
There are truths to everything, but learning to find what is valuable and what isn’t can be something of an art form. So how about you? Have you turned personal critiques into tools for improvement? What things have you learned that you would add to make people’s opinions more valuable to you?
Photo credit: Pulpolux!!!
Technorati tags: Self Image, Self Opinion
Sep 28, 2007 | blog
A couple of questions for you.
- Has your career reached a plateau, but you believe you have more to offer?
- Have you gotten into a repetitive cycle in your career that you think it’s impossible to break out of?
- Are you just starting out in the workforce and are uncertain how to present yourself?
- Would you like to start down a path to help change all that?
Up until now you may only have thought about your reputation. Taking pride in the work you’ve done, and the ideals you follow. These are important things and core components to help you build your personal brand.
What is Personal Brand?
So you’ve heard about this "personal branding" thing while reading news and the blogs you follow. Obviously, it’s an important component to gen X or Y crowd, but how does it affect you? As much as you want it to! You are a brand, not unlike your favorite soft drink, automobile manufacturer, or candy bar. You have the same potential to create interest and buzz around yourself and what you can do.
Reputation 2.0
I like to call personal branding "reputation 2.0". We all know what our reputation is. Why not bring some social media aspects to the table and formulate a strategy? Personal branding is about reaching out to the community or industry that you are a part of. Interacting with it, and making sure that people know where and how to reach you. This simply leverages your current abilities and makes you more visible to others in your field.
Not an Ego Trip
Personal branding is not about building a "look at me" page. Rather, it is about creating a brand that is recognized for what you are. To leverage your strengths, whether that is technical, people-oriented, or whatever. Building your brand is meant to bring you further into your industry as an authority or expert in an area. It’s meant to help you reach the next level, and grow in your life, not just your career.
2nd Job
One thing to understand, as well, is the amount of work involved in creating your brand is the time commitment. You need to become your own marketer, writer, idea person, and coach. It requires that you reach out to your community and add value. Help people, talk about things that are important or relevant in your industry, come up with innovative ideas. Become a person that people look forward to interacting with. Be the go-to person that makes things happen.
Rewards
There are numerous rewards for this, from additional opportunities in your career, to a new discovery of yourself. Building your personal brand also allows you to dig into your psyche and rediscover lost ideas and dreams that you may have set aside years ago. Your brand is about more than your career, it’s about becoming the best you that you can be.
There is a growing number resources online to help you find ways to build your brand. Many of them are tried and true methods that you can get started on without spending much (if anything). Also, I invite you to contact me directly if you have questions, I’d love to help answer whatever I can on the topic. My email is found in the sidebar under "Contact Me", or leave a comment below!
Photo credit: danes96
Technorati tags: Personal Branding, Rick Mahn, Personal Branding Magazine
