FEAR #1: “If my employees go through a personal branding process, it means that they’re going to leave soon. I mean they’re preparing their personal resume, they’re managing they’re digital reputation - what else could that mean?”

There’s lots of fears and myths around “personal branding” and what that means for a company. The assumption when someone starts truly managing their personal brand is that they’ve in essence ‘thrown their hat’ in the job hunting pool. While this is the case sometimes, and more of the case in the past, we now find people becoming more proactive in managing their personal brand as they search for their authentic strengths, purpose, set forth personal goals and realize that in our internet-driven global economy that reputation, now more than ever, means everything.

Will you lose employees? The answer is -yes, yet not due to their personal branding efforts. You would of lost them anyway. Personal branding, supported by an employee’s company, instead satisfies some basic employee needs. According to Patrick Lencioni, in his recent bestseller, “The 3 Signs of a Miserable Job”, employees leave for one or more of the following reasons:

• Anonymity - the first sign of a miserable job. An employee feels that they don’t count, not valued, not important.

Personal Branding Answer: Companies that support and even bring personal branding into their companies provide their employees with this:

1. A sense of value and importance. The impression is that “my employer understands that I am unique and that my skills and experience and frame of reference are important”.
2. A chance to ensure that authentic strengths equal job duties. John Maxwell, in his upcoming book, “Leadership Gold”, writes to “not send your ducks to eagle school. It will frustrate the duck and frustrate the eagles.” Even Jim Collins, in his best seller, “Good To Great”, touts that the most important step in forming a team is to “have the right people on the bus”. There are times, in the personal branding process, that a person discovers they’re not in the position that is the ‘right fit’ for their strengths. The key phrase is ‘right position’. Could there be another position in the company that would deliver value to both employee and employer? Could that position adjusted to be a better fit for all? We know that when people are doing what they’re authentically good at and they are positioned to do that then great things happen. Look at Tiger Woods!

• Irrelevance - they don’t feel fulfilled. We all want to know that we’re making a difference.

Personal Branding Answer: When an employee is in the right position, with the right tools that match what they’re best at they’ll feel like their important and making a difference.

1. Personal branding is a fantastic way to engage employees at a core basic need - to feel like they belong (according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs).
2. It also begins a powerful process of connecting the company brand to the employee’s personal brand and vice versa. This is the building block to create employee brand advocates. And, don’t you want your employees speaking positively about your company?
3. Engaging your employees and their sphere of influence (people who know, like and trust them) is critical to building a strong corporate brand. It IS the people who are in contact with your customers (those who are belly to belly) that ARE your company brand - not some lofty mission statement on a plaque in an office nor a tagline on the back of a brochure.
4. Employees are the NUMBER ONE overlooked source of word of mouth. Understand - word of mouth the MOST POWERFUL form of advertising and engaging others (who doesn’t appreciate a recommendation from a trusted contact?). Yet, keep in mind, word of mouth is a double edge sword. While positive word of mouth, will gain you credibility quickly; negative word of mouth can tear down a great reputation in SECONDS.

• Immeasurement - employees (along with team members) like to know “how they’re doing” and be recognized (even if it’s just a smile or good word) for doing a good job.

Personal Branding Answer: While accolades, certificates and gold stars, are not what everyone needs - having a way to know, to communicate and to measure that they’re making a contribution or have some importance is.

1. Personal branding gives them a way to assess their importance. From internal communication tools to having a ’say so’ in company activities, all help nurture brand advocates to brand evangelists.
2. While most appreciation is “one interaction at time”, a personal branding effort in a company outwardly and consistently shows that employees are important, that they individually and collectively make the company and empower them to see how their authentic brand is a part of the company brand overall.

Synergy, as opposed to ‘command and control’ and even worse the “seen not heard” mentality abound in a company where personal brands and company brand are working in tandem.

People Are The Brand-
Maria Elena Duron - click my name to Google Me!
www.buzz2bucks.com - grow your personal brand today
“dedicated to helping executives & entrepreneurs connect strategically through a compelling personal brand”
Buzz To Bucks Connections | personal branding agency