Julie Ann Reynolds, CEO of tompeters!company reminds us that Tom Peters popularized the idea of Brand You. She believes it encompasses creating a brand campaign that blends your company’s and your individual employees’ brands together. Brand You brings your brand alive!connecting everyone to values, purpose, and message—from the board room to the reception desk.
The Talent Era is here. The labor market has shifted. The Brand You mindset is needed more than ever. Both companies in their hiring and employees in the way they build and guide their own professional careers must use a Brand You approach. As one Organizational Development leader described, “Brand You is a compelling and concise leadership development framework that really gets at the heart of what it means to be an effective and powerful brand. It offers practical strategies that maximize your contribution to the organization, to your customers and most importantly to yourself.” Using this methodology, employers effectively identify what a job seeker has to offer and what sets him apart from other prospective candidates. This facilitates recruiting and retaining those with whom leaders will build the future of the company.
As we know, talent is a strategic asset. Some say this is the “ME Generation.” If so, those achievers who are serious about their commitment to their professional careers are building their own brand equity. They are Brand Yous. They want to perform and be recognized! The Brand You mindset is about maximizing performance when managers align employees with work they love, about which they’re passionate. Be proactive; ask yourself “How can I manage these Brand Yous the way that a coach would leverage talent on a team?” “Stretch goals” that extend beyond the job description can build expertise, brand awareness, and most importantly, customer loyalty.
Branding is all about transparency regarding who this company is and what the company and its employees stand for. Alignment of the company’s brand and the employees’ individual brands puts the magic into corporate performance—employee engagement and memorable customer experiences.
How transparent are you?
How transparent is your company?
