WEBVTT 1 00:00:09.287 --> 00:00:14.172 Welcome, in this session, we’ll talk about two specific strategies you 2 00:00:14.172 --> 00:00:17.752 can use to build mutually supportive relationships. 3 00:00:17.752 --> 00:00:22.350 Developing your self awareness, and creating your personal brand. 4 00:00:22.350 --> 00:00:25.131 We'll begin with developing self awareness. 5 00:00:25.131 --> 00:00:27.760 Self knowledge matters for many reasons. 6 00:00:28.820 --> 00:00:29.880 Knowing our values, 7 00:00:29.880 --> 00:00:34.220 helps us make some of the most important decisions we face in life. 8 00:00:34.220 --> 00:00:38.250 Who to love, where to live, where to work, and 9 00:00:38.250 --> 00:00:41.760 how to spend the limited number of days that we have here on earth. 10 00:00:43.090 --> 00:00:46.880 Knowing our strengths and weaknesses helps us make the most of our talents and 11 00:00:46.880 --> 00:00:48.610 work on improving our limitations. 12 00:00:49.970 --> 00:00:52.580 Knowing how we're perceived by others helps us 13 00:00:52.580 --> 00:00:56.880 understand the consequences of our behaviors on others at work and at home. 14 00:00:57.970 --> 00:01:01.240 Knowing our hot buttons, and how we act under pressure, 15 00:01:01.240 --> 00:01:04.970 helps us manage ourselves more effectively in stressful situations. 16 00:01:06.730 --> 00:01:11.150 Researchers at the global consulting and executive search firm Korn Ferry, 17 00:01:11.150 --> 00:01:16.410 have found that leaders who are self aware are more likely to be high performing 18 00:01:16.410 --> 00:01:19.680 to meet their business goals and save on turnover costs. 19 00:01:21.060 --> 00:01:25.240 The cost of a lack of self awareness can be high. 20 00:01:25.240 --> 00:01:26.840 In one study, 21 00:01:26.840 --> 00:01:31.360 researchers collected data on the performance of 300 leaders in 58 teams, 22 00:01:31.360 --> 00:01:36.680 who were participating in a business simulation in an executive program. 23 00:01:37.810 --> 00:01:41.570 They also collected data on how well the leaders' self assessment 24 00:01:41.570 --> 00:01:47.180 of their personal contributions to their teams matched others' perceptions of them. 25 00:01:47.180 --> 00:01:52.400 The researchers found that when there is a large gap between the leader assessments 26 00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:56.850 and how others experienced them, the teams made worse decisions and 27 00:01:56.850 --> 00:01:58.590 had poorer coordination. 28 00:02:00.540 --> 00:02:05.400 Unfortunately, self awareness seems to be in short supply in organizations. 29 00:02:05.400 --> 00:02:10.590 In a study of almost 7,000 professionals in almost 500 publicly 30 00:02:10.590 --> 00:02:16.080 traded companies, Korn Ferry researchers, David Zess and Dana Landes, 31 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:20.610 found that nearly 80% of the professionals had at least one blind spot. 32 00:02:20.610 --> 00:02:25.610 Which the researchers define as a skill area that the leader perceives to be 33 00:02:25.610 --> 00:02:29.672 a strength, but others perceive as weakness. 34 00:02:29.672 --> 00:02:34.969 40% of the professionals they studied, had at least one hidden strength, 35 00:02:34.969 --> 00:02:40.800 a skill area that a person perceives as a weakness but others see as a strength. 36 00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:45.540 And having hidden strengths matters because it's hard to make the most out of 37 00:02:45.540 --> 00:02:49.630 a strength if you don't know you have it. 38 00:02:49.630 --> 00:02:52.580 Some of the biggest blind spots were in areas such as, 39 00:02:52.580 --> 00:02:58.100 making touch people calls, demonstrating personal flexibility, 40 00:02:58.100 --> 00:03:02.390 getting work done through others, being too narrow. 41 00:03:02.390 --> 00:03:06.779 Doesn't inspire or build talent, and doesn't relate well to others. 42 00:03:07.970 --> 00:03:11.930 When employees lack self awareness, it hurts the bottom line. 43 00:03:11.930 --> 00:03:16.516 Zess and Landes tracked the staff performance of the 486 Fortune 500 44 00:03:16.516 --> 00:03:19.290 companies, over 30 months. 45 00:03:19.290 --> 00:03:24.725 They found that the companies that had the highest percentage of self aware employees 46 00:03:24.725 --> 00:03:29.860 consistently outperformed the companies that had the lowest percentage of self 47 00:03:29.860 --> 00:03:35.241 aware employees, on return on revenue and other measures of company performance. 48 00:03:35.241 --> 00:03:40.824 Benjamin Franklin once said, there are three things that are extremely hard, 49 00:03:40.824 --> 00:03:44.007 steel, a diamond, and how to know oneself. 50 00:03:44.007 --> 00:03:48.539 That said, there are several things you can do to develop self awareness. 51 00:03:50.550 --> 00:03:55.480 You can take self assessments, such as the Myers Briggs social styles, or DISC, to 52 00:03:55.480 --> 00:04:00.800 help you understand how you see the world, make decisions and interact with others. 53 00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:04.870 These types of assessments are useful, because they assume that we all have 54 00:04:04.870 --> 00:04:10.030 predictable and taken for granted ways of seeing the world, making decisions, 55 00:04:10.030 --> 00:04:11.980 and behaving in our everyday life. 56 00:04:13.050 --> 00:04:17.920 These assessments also assume that, if we can understand our preferred styles, and 57 00:04:17.920 --> 00:04:22.620 appreciate the preferred styles of others, we can see situations from a broader 58 00:04:22.620 --> 00:04:27.470 perspective, make better decisions and gain support from more people, 59 00:04:27.470 --> 00:04:30.530 than we could if we stayed stuck in our own world view. 60 00:04:31.630 --> 00:04:36.920 You can find many free assessments online, including a free Keirsey Bates Assessment, 61 00:04:36.920 --> 00:04:39.160 which is similar to the Myers Briggs framework. 62 00:04:40.690 --> 00:04:44.550 Another effective way to increase your self awareness would be to 63 00:04:44.550 --> 00:04:47.700 get 360 feedback in which your boss, colleagues and 64 00:04:47.700 --> 00:04:51.250 direct reports all complete an assessment for you. 65 00:04:51.250 --> 00:04:55.980 You can then compare how you're perceived by your boss or bosses, peers and direct 66 00:04:55.980 --> 00:05:02.060 reports and identify in which ways these groups see you similarly and differently. 67 00:05:03.380 --> 00:05:06.560 If your organization doesn't offer you 360 feedback, 68 00:05:06.560 --> 00:05:10.450 you can take it upon yourself to ask others to give you the feedback. 69 00:05:10.450 --> 00:05:13.360 You can ask them what your three greatest strengths are, 70 00:05:13.360 --> 00:05:15.710 as well as your three greatest weaknesses. 71 00:05:15.710 --> 00:05:19.460 And then compare their answers with your own perceptions of your strengths and 72 00:05:19.460 --> 00:05:20.160 your weaknesses. 73 00:05:21.430 --> 00:05:25.750 The point is, that developing self awareness is a critical life skill and 74 00:05:25.750 --> 00:05:28.990 it can be systematically developed with effort. 75 00:05:28.990 --> 00:05:33.345 Understanding your values, styles, strengths and weaknesses helps you be 76 00:05:33.345 --> 00:05:37.365 more appreciate of how you see and act in the world, as well as more 77 00:05:37.365 --> 00:05:41.318 appreciative of the many other ways of seeing and acting in the world. 78 00:05:41.318 --> 00:05:44.094 Self awareness can help you create a plan of action for 79 00:05:44.094 --> 00:05:48.232 leveraging your strengths and correcting your weaknesses that can hold you and 80 00:05:48.232 --> 00:05:50.650 others back from achieving important goals. 81 00:05:51.960 --> 00:05:55.863 You may appreciate this quotation from Persian poet Rumi, 82 00:05:55.863 --> 00:05:58.205 who said, yesterday I was clever so 83 00:05:58.205 --> 00:06:02.907 I wanted to change the world, today I am wise, so I am changing myself. 84 00:06:05.382 --> 00:06:08.713 Now, let's turn to creating your personal brand. 85 00:06:08.713 --> 00:06:13.177 In the late 1990s, management guru and former Mackenzie consultant, 86 00:06:13.177 --> 00:06:17.780 Tom Peters, propelled the language of personal branding into the main stream 87 00:06:17.780 --> 00:06:21.894 business press when he published the article, The Brand Called You, 88 00:06:21.894 --> 00:06:24.470 in Fast Company magazine. 89 00:06:24.470 --> 00:06:28.870 Long before social media made it possible to craft an online presence 90 00:06:28.870 --> 00:06:31.900 through web pages, blogs, LinkedIn, Facebook and 91 00:06:31.900 --> 00:06:36.850 Twitter, Peters reminded people that we each have a brand 92 00:06:36.850 --> 00:06:41.350 based on other people's perceptions of us, whether we like it or not. 93 00:06:41.350 --> 00:06:44.810 And we should take control over shaping how people perceive us. 94 00:06:45.820 --> 00:06:51.540 Today, there are over 300 books about personal branding listed on Amazon.com, 95 00:06:51.540 --> 00:06:55.250 all designed to help you create, package, and promote your personal brand. 96 00:06:56.930 --> 00:07:01.910 In his article, Peters boldly stated, regardless of age, 97 00:07:01.910 --> 00:07:06.470 regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, 98 00:07:06.470 --> 00:07:10.160 all of us need to understand the importance of branding. 99 00:07:10.160 --> 00:07:13.880 We are CEOs of our own companies, Me Inc. 100 00:07:13.880 --> 00:07:18.120 To be in business today, you're most important job is to be head marketer for 101 00:07:18.120 --> 00:07:19.840 the brand called you. 102 00:07:19.840 --> 00:07:25.360 You're every bit as much a brand as Nike, Coke, Pepsi or the Body Shop. 103 00:07:25.360 --> 00:07:29.620 His article, while controversial, was meant to be a wake up call for 104 00:07:29.620 --> 00:07:32.620 people who believed their work would speak for itself. 105 00:07:34.260 --> 00:07:38.620 Keeping your nose to the grindstone and hoping people will notice your good work, 106 00:07:38.620 --> 00:07:42.690 may have worked when people stayed in jobs for many years, long enough for 107 00:07:42.690 --> 00:07:44.740 others to get to know them well. 108 00:07:44.740 --> 00:07:50.530 But by the late 1990s, this was becoming an increasingly risky strategy 109 00:07:50.530 --> 00:07:55.230 because layoffs were becoming more common, pensions were disappearing and 110 00:07:55.230 --> 00:07:58.940 lifetime employment was becoming a thing of the past. 111 00:07:58.940 --> 00:08:00.940 Quietly doing ones work and 112 00:08:00.940 --> 00:08:05.900 hoping someone would notice, no longer guaranteed job or financial security. 113 00:08:07.290 --> 00:08:10.880 Now, if proactively crafting your brand doesn't appeal to you, 114 00:08:10.880 --> 00:08:15.890 keep in mind that you already have a brand whether you like it or not. 115 00:08:15.890 --> 00:08:20.700 If you're on Facebook, Twitter, SnapChat or other social media sites, you're 116 00:08:20.700 --> 00:08:25.550 already creating your brand by presenting yourself as you like to be seen. 117 00:08:25.550 --> 00:08:28.620 By choosing what to make public and what to keep private. 118 00:08:29.780 --> 00:08:32.140 But even without social media, 119 00:08:32.140 --> 00:08:35.860 the people you interact with are already making assumptions, true or 120 00:08:35.860 --> 00:08:40.810 not, about your interest, goals, knowledge, skill level, integrity and 121 00:08:40.810 --> 00:08:45.660 readiness to handle a promotion or a challenging career opportunity. 122 00:08:45.660 --> 00:08:49.430 For example, researcher Susan Fisk and her colleagues found 123 00:08:49.430 --> 00:08:52.690 that people are likely to make assumptions about your warmth. 124 00:08:52.690 --> 00:08:56.070 For example, your kindness, your friendliness, your helpfulness, and 125 00:08:56.070 --> 00:08:59.850 your trustworthiness, as well as your competence, for 126 00:08:59.850 --> 00:09:03.320 example, your intelligence, knowledge, and abilities, 127 00:09:03.320 --> 00:09:07.882 within the first few minutes, even seconds, of meeting you. 128 00:09:07.882 --> 00:09:12.900 Given that people make assumptions about you within seconds, 129 00:09:12.900 --> 00:09:16.960 it's worth considering whether you want to leave people's impressions of you 130 00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:21.940 to chance, or whether you want to take some control over how you're seen. 131 00:09:21.940 --> 00:09:26.740 Creating your personal brand is a way of clarifying your values, your aspirations, 132 00:09:26.740 --> 00:09:31.420 your character, your expertise, and how you add value. 133 00:09:31.420 --> 00:09:36.290 Your brand can be an anchor in a sea of change and opportunity. 134 00:09:36.290 --> 00:09:40.840 Your brand helps you understand which jobs bring out the best in you and 135 00:09:40.840 --> 00:09:43.630 which jobs are best filled by someone else. 136 00:09:44.800 --> 00:09:49.390 You don't want to be the best kept secret in your organization or field, nor do you 137 00:09:49.390 --> 00:09:54.510 want to make people guess what you want or what your interest and strengths are. 138 00:09:54.510 --> 00:09:58.630 It's your responsibility to let people know where and 139 00:09:58.630 --> 00:10:01.400 how you can make your best contributions. 140 00:10:02.700 --> 00:10:08.360 And your brand, if it's authentic as it should be, reflects the story 141 00:10:08.360 --> 00:10:13.350 of your life, your hope for your future, and the source of your strength. 142 00:10:14.460 --> 00:10:19.320 Listen to what Dartmouth professor Ella Bell has to say about authenticity. 143 00:10:19.320 --> 00:10:23.824 Although she's speaking to a network of women, her lessons are useful for 144 00:10:23.824 --> 00:10:24.547 everyone. 145 00:10:27.226 --> 00:10:32.066 As Professor Bell notes, our authentic come not only from understanding 146 00:10:32.066 --> 00:10:36.124 our strengths and our weaknesses, what she calls our good and 147 00:10:36.124 --> 00:10:40.200 bad, but also from our struggles, which she calls our ugly. 148 00:10:41.450 --> 00:10:44.260 Other researchers agree that every leader, and 149 00:10:44.260 --> 00:10:47.695 I'd say every person, has their crucibles. 150 00:10:47.695 --> 00:10:52.400 Their periods in life where they face intense, sometimes traumatic, 151 00:10:52.400 --> 00:10:57.490 often unexpected moments that test their strength, their resilience, and 152 00:10:57.490 --> 00:10:58.290 their values. 153 00:10:59.470 --> 00:11:02.960 It could be the death of a beloved friend or family member. 154 00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:05.950 It could be a particularly rough childhood. 155 00:11:05.950 --> 00:11:07.330 It could be an illness. 156 00:11:07.330 --> 00:11:09.240 It could be a bankruptcy. 157 00:11:09.240 --> 00:11:12.470 It could be escaping a war torn country, or 158 00:11:12.470 --> 00:11:15.740 it could be a period of extreme self doubt. 159 00:11:15.740 --> 00:11:18.590 It could be anything that tests what we're made of. 160 00:11:19.800 --> 00:11:23.760 It's these traumatic periods that teach us important lessons 161 00:11:23.760 --> 00:11:27.480 about how to face the inevitable challenges of life. 162 00:11:27.480 --> 00:11:32.280 Our crucible moments can teach us wisdom, judgment, strength, and compassion. 163 00:11:33.910 --> 00:11:36.100 Although we may not explicitly discuss or 164 00:11:36.100 --> 00:11:40.200 present our crucible moments in our brands, an authentic brand reflects 165 00:11:40.200 --> 00:11:44.430 the hard earned lesson from these crucibles, and these lessons are how 166 00:11:44.430 --> 00:11:49.220 people connect to the most important parts of who we are and what we believe. 167 00:11:51.110 --> 00:11:55.250 Whether you want to consider yourself a brand is, of course, your own decision. 168 00:11:55.250 --> 00:12:00.430 But one thing is certain, how you present yourself to others matters, 169 00:12:00.430 --> 00:12:05.150 because people's perceptions of you will determine whether you have an opportunity 170 00:12:05.150 --> 00:12:09.440 to make your best contributions, add value to your organizations and 171 00:12:09.440 --> 00:12:11.060 reap the rewards of your efforts. 172 00:12:13.030 --> 00:12:17.460 Your brand is a promise you present to others based on an honest 173 00:12:17.460 --> 00:12:21.010 assessment of your values, character, knowledge and expertise. 174 00:12:22.500 --> 00:12:24.002 To create your brand, 175 00:12:24.002 --> 00:12:28.359 Tom Peters recommends that you answer the following questions. 176 00:12:28.359 --> 00:12:30.570 What do I do that I'm most proud of? 177 00:12:32.090 --> 00:12:38.021 What do I do that adds remarkable distinguished, distinctive value? 178 00:12:38.021 --> 00:12:42.716 What do my colleagues and customers say is my greatest and clearest strength and 179 00:12:42.716 --> 00:12:45.390 most noteworthy personal characteristic? 180 00:12:46.860 --> 00:12:51.860 What I have done lately, this week, that added value to the organization? 181 00:12:53.610 --> 00:12:56.300 Do people view me as a dependable colleague and 182 00:12:56.300 --> 00:12:59.030 team member who is interested in the success of others? 183 00:13:00.290 --> 00:13:01.940 Are my skills difficult to copy? 184 00:13:03.620 --> 00:13:07.850 Is my work clearly aligned with the organization's goals, strategies, 185 00:13:07.850 --> 00:13:08.679 and priorities? 186 00:13:09.740 --> 00:13:14.490 And am I doing what it takes to make sure that my brand is not at risk 187 00:13:14.490 --> 00:13:15.910 of becoming out of date? 188 00:13:18.120 --> 00:13:23.340 Clearly a thoughtfully crafted brand is not the same as style over substance. 189 00:13:23.340 --> 00:13:28.020 If there's a gap between the brand you present and who you are, sooner or 190 00:13:28.020 --> 00:13:32.650 later people will recognize these inconsistencies between what you promised 191 00:13:32.650 --> 00:13:37.240 and what you deliver, and your brand will lose its power. 192 00:13:37.240 --> 00:13:41.520 Remember that your brand is build on what other people say about you, 193 00:13:41.520 --> 00:13:43.390 not just what you say about yourself. 194 00:13:44.860 --> 00:13:48.660 So now you know more about the importance of developing self awareness and 195 00:13:48.660 --> 00:13:50.550 creating your brand. 196 00:13:50.550 --> 00:13:54.610 In the next session, you'll learn how to be an energizer. 197 00:13:54.610 --> 00:13:55.931 I'll see you again soon.