one is the loneliest number, originally uploaded by horizontal.integration.
If you’re like most ambitious careerists and entrepreneurs, you’re probably involved in many activities that span both the professional and personal areas of your life. It is tempting to take on a host of responsibilities as you attempt to enhance your reputation.
However, spreading yourself too thin poses a threat not only to your mental and physical health, but also to the health of your personal brand.
Your personal brand is the unique differentiating value that you bring to the table in any situation and should reflect the strengths and contributions for which you are best known. If you are not careful and focused in your project selection process, you may risk diluting your personal brand as you become more and more involved in your own and others’ ventures and activities.
One way to tell if your personal brand is being diluted is to ask your family members or friends to describe what it is you do in just a few words or sentences. While every case will be different, their responses should give you a relatively clear picture of how your personal brand is coming across to others. If they find this request challenging, or their descriptions don’t accurately express or align with your personal brand, then you may not be communicating your personal brand effectively.
How do you avoid the ‘kiss of death” that is brand dilution? Your best bet is to stick to the Personal Branding Rule of One. Consider the following principles of this Rule of One:
Identify your strengths – Write down your strengths and areas of contribution and then ask your family members, friends, co-workers etc. to do the same. Compare them and find the crossroads of your and their perceptions.
Create one brand – Choose your greatest strength or find a creative way to combine or link your top two or three into one communicable and differentiating value. You can be many things to many people across multiple areas of your life and still communicate one distinct brand message.
Don’t pigeon-hole – While it’s important to select one unique and differentiating value in order to stand out from the crowd, don’t go overboard in over-specifying/narrowing down your niche. Make sure that your personal brand can still effectively encompass the activities that are most central to your personal and professional life.
Be consistent – When taking on new projects, be mindful of how they align with your personal brand and whether they reinforce your communication of that brand. If you believe you are currently over-extended or unfocused, consider scaling back to emphasis only those activities or projects that comprise the core of your career.
Whether you are creating your personal brand for the first time or giving your current one an overhaul, by observing the principles of the Personal Branding Rule of One, you are helping to ensure that your personal brand is both powerful and sustainable.
Chris Perry is a Gen Y Brand and Marketing Generator, a Career Search and Personal Branding Expert and the Founder of Career Rocketeer, the Career Search and Personal Branding Blog.
