Defining Your Role

Dec 2, 2009 | blog, leadership

I want you to succeed.

Whatever it is you’re passionate about and want to do – I want you to succeed.

For many of us it’s our career.  You know that 9 to 5, Monday through Friday effort that allows us to support our families and obtain our dreams.  Yeah, that one.

There is something that I wanted to share on that front, and hopefully it’ll help a bit.  I want you to define your role.  Define your role in your department, and in the organization as a whole.  It could be in the company you work at today or the one you want to work for tomorrow.  You need to take an active part in defining what you offer, and what what you bring to the mix.

Don’t allow yourself to be typecast or pigeonholed.  Letting other people define the boundaries of where you’re supposed to participate or allowed to participate is unacceptable.  You alone have that right.

You have the ability set boundaries and goals.  You have control of the decisions that move you forward or backward.  By defining your role, you establish your voice.  By being vocal and establishing a presence, you have the means to share your perspectives and expertise in any situation your role lands you in.

Its not easy and it can be a little scary when first starting out, but the rewards are unending.  Its also up to you to fulfil the role you define, but that sholdn’t be difficult because the definition of success and failure is also within your control as well.

Take that step to define your role in life, in work, and in the success that you want.  Without figuring out what you want from your efforts, and what you want for your family, it’ll take a lot longer to get to your definition of success.

I want you to succeed.

Photo Credit: yeah buddy!

The Authoritative Voice

Aug 19, 2008 | blog

Do you blog with an authoritative or a more passive voice? By “authoritative”, I mean an expert, someone with experience. I don’t know about other bloggers, but I seem to get wrapped around the axle when it comes to authoritative voice in blogging. Maybe I’m not even on point in this post – you tell me. When a post starts drifting from my intent, it usually starts sounding “wishy-washy” and doesn’t draw conclusions as I’d like.

Depending on what you’re focus or intent is for your blog, it’s important to keep your tone consistent. If you are an authority on a topic, a knowledgeable or an experienced professional, it’s important to find the right voice to present your ideas to support your brand. Writing with too authoritative a tone without having the expertise to back it up won’t bring a positive vibe to your brand.

Because I want to share experiences, ideas, and such, I often stop writing a post when I feel like I’ve lost that authoritative voice. Usually, it’s also about the point where I’ve lost direction on what I’m trying to say. I know this happens to others as much as it happens to me, but I find it really disruptive and end up closing the work and walking away for a few hours.

Being authoritative is a double-edged sword though. As easily as you can communicate your expertise, you can also annoy or alienate some folks too. There’s a balancing act to it, one that nearly every blogger works to maintain. At least if their trying to be a contributing resource to the social web and not just blog about their family photos and latest vacation.

So how do you stack up? Are you able to present your ideas as an expert without being a know-it-all? How about me? Which way does my writing usually end up?

Pin It on Pinterest