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Personal and Professional Impact

Lesson Four:

Personal and Professional Impact

If people like you they will listen to you, but if they trust you, they’ll do business with you.
Zig Ziglar

 

Introduction

You are constantly presenting your brand to other people, both in your personal and professional life. It is important that you understand how your personal brand and your professional brand reflect each other. When you are able to integrate them successfully, you will be able to use your brand to further your personal and professional life.

Integrating Brands

It is easy to believe that your personal life is completely separate from your professional life. Your personal brand, however, will intersect with your corporate brand, and the values of each need to reflect each other. Consider how the reputations of professionals are ruined by personal scandals. If your personal brand conflicts with your professional, distrust for both your personal and professional brand will develop.

 

While you should try to integrate your personal and professional brands at all times, you must be particularly careful in certain situations. Behavior at public events, for example, needs to reflect your brand. Additionally, you should exercise restraint when using social media. No matter your privacy settings, nothing online is private. What you say on your personal Twitter account needs to positively reflect your company’s brand and your personal brand. If you must vent your frustrations, do so in a private setting that will not reflect poorly on you. 

Influence

Your personal and professional brands will influence each other. We are used to stories of a personal brand affecting a professional brand. There are, however, ways that your professional brand will influence your personal brand. While we are accustomed to stories of negative influence, it is important to remember that the influence may also be positive. For example, a CEO who performs a charitable act at work would influence his personal brand. People would view the personal brand in a positive light. You must be mindful of how each brand will draw influences from the other.

Be Professional

When developing your personal and professional brands it is important that you exhibit professionalism. Be a professional both in and out of the office. In order to behave professionally, you need to define professional behavior. Not everyone defines professionalism the same way. Some people are more rigid in their views and others are more relaxed. There are, however, a few different ways to behave professionally that most people would agree are professional.

 

Professional behavior:

  • Be dependable.
  • Be competent in your work.
  • Act with honesty and integrity.
  • Treat everyone with respect.
  • Be a positive example.

This list is not inclusive, but it is a good starting point. By behaving professionally in your personal and professional life, you will help create a brand that is respected.

Building Rapport

Part of personal branding requires building a rapport. When you build a rapport with people, you have the chance to develop a cross promotion between your personal and professional life that will lead to opportunities as you show your brand to potential employers, employees, and customers. 

 

How to Build a Rapport:

  • Consider your appearance: Dress professionally
  • Find mutual interest: Discover common ground.
  • Exhibit honesty: Be truthful in your interactions.
  • Show empathy: Connect with people on an emotional level.

Practical Application

Mitch always tried to behave professionally at work, but he completely relaxed when he was off of work. He went on a business trip with a couple of colleagues, and every night after work, he went out to enjoy himself. One night, he had far too much to drink and tweeted some questionable pictures. The next day, they were scheduled to travel back. One of his colleague joked that Mitch certainly knew how to relax. The other seemed unnerved. Mitch’s boss contacted him immediately after the plane landed and asked to see him immediately. At the office, Mitch was shown his tweets and told that his actions jeopardized the reputation of the entire company. He was on placed on final notice, and any further unprofessional behavior would cost him his job.