It’s not CHANGE that stops you…it’s the FEAR of that change.
So many of us are actively going through change or are looking at making changes in our careers, our businesses, services, packages, work environments. There are very few of my clients not going through some sort of pivot whether they choose to or not.
WHAT’S STOPPING YOU?
How many times have you sat back thinking I’d love to position myself for promotion, partnership, launch this new service/package, step up to the next level of reputation management, go back to work after maternity leave but something has stopped you. Take a second now to think, exactly what stopped you doing that thing? Be honest with yourself…
CHANGE VS FEAR
Was it the risk you were about to take, the change you were about to make? Or was it the FEAR of what might happen if you made that speech, sold that package, put that idea out there? What would “they” say? What would happen if you weren’t successful?
Change is never easy. I’ll be the first to agree with that. BUT the FEAR of change is always, always, always so much worse than the change itself.
We have a tendency to fear what MAY happen, what people MAY do, what friends MAY say. “I have this great idea but what if no one buys it”. “I think I’d be great in that new position but what if I go for it and don’t get it”. We become almost paralysed by the fear of what MAY happen.
CONTROL
We can’t control the result of the change we’re about to make. We can’t control people’s reactions, the uptake, the sales levels or the overall outcome but we CAN control our fear of that change and our own reaction to that change.
GUARANTEES
Make the change you want in your career or business. Stop over thinking, stop the negative internal chat, the doubt, the self questioning. I guarantee you, the fear of that change is SO much worse than the change itself!
GET HELP
If you’re struggling with your positioning, your messaging, personal branding or strategies to cope while you’re either looking at making a change or actively going through change, you are not alone. Come and have a chat with me and let’s see where you’re at and how I can get you where you want to be.
Who needs to hear you? Who needs to know the value that you bring to the table – Every . Single . Time
People often think very rigidly about their Audience Segments. “It’s my buyers”, ‘It’s my manager”, “It’s SMEs with <100 seats”… So, let’s shake that up for you now! I always advise clients working with me to be fully creative and wide in their thinking. You can always cull these audiences.
THINK WIDE
Have a look at your career, your business, your future plans, career goals, yourself. Who can move a needle for you right now? There is a key audience segment right there. These people may not be decision makers for you, they may not purchase from you or have a direct role in your development. BUT this is often a segment that is ignored while often being the most effective for the popularisation of your Personal Brand. Think of your promotion plans, there is a project that would give you huge visibility, why would the project head bring you onboard? Because the team already knows they need you.
Key Influencers
Make a list of the people who will advocate for you, or could advocate for you if they realised how remarkable you are and clearly understood the value that you bring. Be clear who are your Key Influencers. Think creatively and think widely.
SPECIFIC CONTENT PILLARS
Next, craft a “Content Pillar” just for these “Influencers”. (No, not Social Media Influencers 😍) List all the things about you that they would find valuable and craft specific and clear messages directly to them. Get their buy-in to your Personal Brand. Create Champions who have you Top of Mind.
GET CREATIVE
A little bit of creativity will get you in front of these people and a little thought will have them actively supporting and engaging with your brand.
Very little effort for massive and hugely valuable rewards…
Here’s an Action Question we’re working on with a busy Strategy client today… “How do I get away from busy un-productivity?” The busier we are the harder it becomes to prioritise and stick to it. We need to get real clarity on the goal and from that, clarity of plan – tune out the distractions, last minute requests and everyone else’s priorities and demands. Know the next step to take, be really clear on what you need to do to get to that goal.
WORK PROJECTS
If it’s a work project, how often do we get “busy in the weeds”, when we really need to ensure the next key steps are 100% clear to you and agreed upon by everyone on your team. Make sure everyone understands the “Why” behind what you’re trying to achieve and knows who is responsible for which elements.
JUST FOR YOU
Just for you – Take Time To Reflect – schedule a couple of minutes at the end of each day and each week, to consider what went well and not so well. Mark yourself for effective use of time, especially billable time. Where did you lose time and why? Where/why/how were you distracted? Were you procrastinating, and if so, what caused you to do this? For me, I know I procrastinate when I don’t know what the next step is or if I do know it, I don’t know how to do it. This now goes straight on my “Fix It” list… I either learn it, or I find an expert (and build my network at the same time!).
Which of these two options is most you? The sugar sweet, gentle woman or the beer swilling, adventurous, fearless one?
Be completely honest with yourself and I’ll be completely honest with you too…
The true answer is this… it doesn’t matter in the least which one you identify with!! The fastest and best way to make a real impact in your career is to be YOU! Be clear that you’re proud of being YOU. Make your messaging about YOUR strengths and their value to clients. If you’re adventurous, be adventurous. If you’re sweet, be sweet. And be anywhere in between that is fully you. There is huge value in whatever personal brand you create. Don’t force yourself into a box you “think” is more valued.
WHICH IS BEST?
It matters not a damn whether you’re sweet or adventurous but it truly does matter that you know which you are and that you very cleverly and strategically craft your Personal Brand around that authentic personality.
I had a very pressurised conversation with a client I’m working with who is going forward for a huge Partnership position. Her feeling is, she sees what other women are doing, that they are being successful and getting credit, they are moving in the “right circles”, sometimes cutting corners and frantically scrabbling to get into the decision making clique. But she hates everything about it, it all goes against her values, her style, her self. It’s simply just not her. So my question to her this morning was “should you copy behaviours and values you see or should you craft your own strategy taking into account your influencers, your audience and your truth?”.
SUCCESS LEAVES CLUES
But should you follow them all? Should you play the politics even if it is detracting from your own value of yourself. I work with a huge number of female leaders who (I believe, wrongly) feel they have to play the politics or lose out. But that is not the decision at all. The decision is, how can we all package our brilliance in a way that is quickly understood and valued by key decision makers. How can we be clear about the enormous impact we make as leaders while never crossing the line into pretence.
you BE YOU
You need to fully understand yourself, your brand and your positioning. It must be consistent, strategic, kind and value filled. But to make a Real, Valuable and Sustainable Impact, it must be YOU.
If you are a female leader going forward for promotion, partnership or directorship why not chat with me on a Discovery Call and let’s see how much messaging clarity and transformational value we will add to your Personal Brand.
As most of you know, I’m always talking about, and chasing you, on your “Descriptor Words” – words that you personally use to make you simply a slightly better, stronger, braver version of yourself. Have you thought about those words yet this year? I know a lot of people choose a “Word of the Year” that acts as their overall driver. So, let’s start with that! We’ll move onto your Descriptor Words next week… Have you chosen your word of the year yet? Will you share it with us in the comments below?
I’m also a huge fan of “Discomfort”, “Becoming Uncomfortable”, or as the US Navy Seals say getting “Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable” get used to it! You’ll always achieve SO much more in every aspect of your life when you move out of your comfort zone. Most people choose a positive word for their year, understandably. Words like Flow, Synergy, Ease, Collaboration (taken from a client training I delivered last week)
BUT what happens if you choose a different slant in 2022? The world is already on its ear and has been for a while so maybe if we look at everything a bit differently, we’ll get different results? How about choosing a word that challenges us? A word that forces us out of that warm comfy space we spend so much of our lives in? A word that stretches us…
As James Clear author of Atomic Habits asks…
“Are you willing to be uncomfortable for 5 minutes? Exercising is easier once you’ve started the workout. Conversation is easier once you’re already talking. Writing is easier once you’re in the middle of it. But many rewards in life will elude you if you’re not willing to be a little uncomfortable at first.”
So, I challenge you to pick a word for 2022 that makes you uncomfortable!!
Carol is a very hugely respected, award winning, keynote speaker in the areas of Personal Branding, Strategy, Communications, Executive Presence and LinkedIn. She has a huge passion for what she does and for the clients she works with. From C-Suite Personal Branding work to Communications Strategy projects and her Advisory roles, she brings all her energy, enthusiasm and focus to her work.
