The Engaging Brand

Childhood Dreams Can Come True for Business

Career choice is such an important part of motivation and personal satisfaction. I was speaking about social media to a group of people I asked

"As a child what did you want to do when you grew up?"

I asked the question because I think we lose track of our childhood dreams and I believe business is a lot more like our childhood dreams than we think..Let me explain what I said to their answers

Train driver - Absolutely. Choose your journey and keep the people on track for safe arrival at your destination!

Astronaut - Absolutely. Each day we should be shooting for the stars and making experiences that are out of this world.

Pop Star - Absolutely. Each day it is about connecting with your audience....consumers, employees, peers. Give them the "hook" of your business song so that they can talk about you and your company.

A mum - Absolutely. As leaders we need to give birth to ideas, nurture them through their life and guide our community through the highs and lows of life.

Nurse/Doctor - Absolutely. Business is about diagnosing problems and solving them. It is about taking the pain out of life. To be an effective leader monitoring those vital signs of pressure and energy are important so that you can address issues before they become fatal!

Business is a chance to live out our dreams - for me it will never be just a job, not when in my own small way I can help change the world.
My childhood dream was to be a golfer, though I was a scratch golfer I chose to go into business as it was "more sensible". But the skills I learned through golf...importance of rhythm, emotional self control (!), practice, the shortest route is not always the best, imagining the perfect shot before you hit it and of course no matter how well you play, you can always improve....have all helped me in the business world.

What was your dream?

10 Ways to be a Great Employee

I believe that you can build a great personal brand at work, one that can help you achieve the success that you want. Here are some tips on how to be a great employee

1. Be clear about your aspirations with your boss.
2. Take responsibilty for understanding how you can help your boss achieve their objectives.
3. Live by the values of the company, day in day out.
4. Develop your knowledge of the company by creating links around the organisation, by talking to people at breaks, across lunch, at events.
5. Develop your knowledge of the market and the competitiors - subscribe in your blog reader to key words, competitor stories, trend sites.
6. Be positive about change. Change is inevitable and a positive attitude will ensure that you both stand out from the crowd and also stand the best chance of benefiting from the change.
7. Volunteer for projects to extend your network and your knowlege/experience.
8. Take responsibility for your own development including seeking mentors for areas that you want to improve upon.
9. Always think about how you can help others - ask "What can I do to help you in your role?"
10. Be a knowledge sharer rather than hoarder - power lies in sharing information, not keeping it to yourself.

Top Ways to Use the Web for Your Career

I was not someone who grew up on the Web, I came to it late. But I believe the web is a fantastic tool to build a career. Here are some tips that I would share on how to use the Web to improve your career prospects

1. I believe blogging is a fantastic tool to market your talent. Blogging allows you to share your ideas, share your talent, share your thinking in a honest and authentic way. Remember many large companies are using blogging to search for new talent, using it as a recruitment tool to spot the talent that will grow their business. So why not put your talent, your personal brand on the web?
2. A "feed" reader is a must. I use Google Reader to keep up to date with the conversations on the web, to stay up to date with latest thinking and ideas that I can use in my day to day work.
3. Networking sites. Great ways to make new friends, new contacts that both expand your mind and also your network. I really enjoy LinkedIn, especially the ability to post a question that you are seeking help with and also Google Groups on areas that I have an interest in. Again it is like having a free online support group that can inspire and develop you.
4. Google Alerts. Another free tool that allows you to watch key phrases. I have them set up for my clients, my company and my industry topics - easy to keep up to date without having to read several papers and magazines.
5. Podcasting is my key tool for my personal development. I have a list of areas that I want to build upon and learn about.....I can then find podcasts that deliver my own tailored development.

There are many sites that you can use, don't worry about which site - concentrate more on what you are trying to achieve and then using the site regularly to achieve that goal. The key point is that you need an online presence - both so that you can be found, that you can find the companies that you want to work for and also so that you understand the new technology and how it is changing the workplace.

Aim Ahead of the Rest

The old saying goes that

To shoot your target, aim at it, then move ahead and shoot at where it is going to be not where it is now.

This is true for your talent. If you have a target or a legacy you want to create, to make it happen then think forward rather than staying in the present.

• Concentrate on where you want to be not where you are now. Create a picture in your mind of what your personal success will look like, and what it will feel like. Keep that picture in your mind.
• What are the market trends, what are the emerging themes in your marketplace? How do you use this knowledge to move forward quicker or even get ahead of the trends to stand out from the crowd?
• What is the vision of your company and how can you create help create that success? How can you use the direction the company is going to help you in your career - fill out the CV, expand your knowledge, increase your network of mentors? Search out opportunities, search out people you can help, search out uses for your talents in the future.
• What development do you need to do now to be ready for your success in the future? Be honest with yourself but also ask others.....contact people who you admire, who are in roles that you want to do and understand what skills, what knowledge etc that you will need when you get there.
• What do you want your legacy to be at retirement - no matter how long there is to go - then use every second of every day to start creating your legacy now. If it helps write the legacy now, record a legacy, share your legacy....by doing this you are making it real and holding yourself accountable for its achievement.

Think ahead to get ahead, think forward not to be passed over.

Tom Tom Development and Career Management

It never ceases to amaze me how many people now need a satellite navigation system for their car...I love maps and find them easier than trying to work out how to program in the gadget where I want to go! Maybe this is dependence on gadgets is spilling over to the workplace as people want direction, want to get their as quickly as possible, and if they hit roadblocks then an alternative route. Here is my TOMTOM career plan for leaders to use with their teams!
T = Take time to find out what your employee wants from their working life and career. What do they want their legacy to be?
O= Offer coaching sessions to help them decide on their career goals
M= Map out the journey and what they need to do to get their with them. Remember this map could be written, audio or visual - whichever style works for them eg project milestones or mind maps for example.
T= Track progress...how is the journey going, estimated time of arrival, do they need a rest break.....track to ensure that their expectations are in line with yours.
O= Offer development routes to achieve their goals. Can they lead a project, take on more of your work, do an assignment, secondment, qualifications which will help them.
M= Make your role a dream maker, unleash the talent and delight in the fact you have helped someone progress towards their legacy. You need that talent to be successful, make sure the talent needs you to create their success!

Be your team members TOM TOM and see the motivation rise in them....you invest in them, they will invest in you...