Brand YOU: 21 Questions to reveal your personal brand
How much attention are you paying to the personal brand you already have? To help understand perceptions of your personal brand, ask yourself these questions…
Your personal brand is often said to be:
What people think about you
How you make them feel
What they say about you (especially when you’re not in the room)
How they remember you
Whether you choose to care about it or not, you already have a personal brand. Personal branding is choosing to be intentional about what it represents. But, to work on your personal brand, you must first understand what you’re working with.
So, to help you understand the personal brand you already have, let’s play 21 questions. And pinpoint the perceptions of your personal brand:
1. At a party, what do people’s ears prick up at about me?
People are less interested in us than we think. But, on some rare occasions, they are. Learn to pay special attention to those times.
2. What are people often asking me for advice or help with?
If people seek you out for a certain topic, they associate you with that thing. Notice what you’re being engaged for. This is part of your personal brand.
3. What does my boss often say about me?
Being a boss can sometimes feel like being a parent. Your boss is one person who probably is thinking more about you than you realise. Pay attention to the impressions your personal brand is leaving on them.
4. What do my teammates always say about me?
Your colleagues can sometimes feel like grown-up high school peers. You likely spend as much time with them as anyone. How would they describe your personal brand?
5. What have former colleagues said about me?
The daily grind is busy. Sometimes former bosses and teammates are better at giving feedback at farewells. What have they said about you during goodbyes?
6. What do my customers say about me?
Customer feedback helps you understand the personal brand experience your brand is delivering. Don’t have your own business? You still have internal ‘customers’. What are key stakeholders across your workplace or industry saying about you?
7. How have my family members described me?
Our family usually know us like few others do. Plus, they’re usually more forthcoming with their feedback. Pay attention to the personal brand you’ve created in your personal life. Your personal brand personally and professionally is likely more alike than you think.
8. What are three adjectives my friends would use to describe me?
Your friendship circles are likely more diverse than your family. When you think about how friends describe you, what are common themes you can identify?
9. What do my birthdays tell me about my personal brand?
Birthdays bring out our best feedback. Our friends and family usually express gratitude for certain attributes. So, what are they saying? Take a second look over old birthday cards and birthday messages.
10. If I weren’t in the room, what might my colleagues, customers, friends or family say about me?
Your personal brand is also what people say about you when you’re not in the room. Some might say this especially represents your personal brand.
11. What strengths do personality profiles always tell me I have?
Decades of research have gone into understanding personalities. Finding your strengths doesn’t need to be as soul-searching as you might think. Use Myers-Briggs or the Via Institute on Character to help pinpoint your strengths.
12. When I look at my wardrobe, how would I describe my overall style?
Humans have been conditioned to attribute certain styles to certain meanings. Clothes communicate for you. More than a superficial display, it’s the outward expression of what’s within. So, what’s your personal style saying for your personal brand?
13. When I look around my personal spaces, how would I describe my style?
Your personal spaces - at home, work, online (maybe even in your car) - are the shop front window of your personal brand. What is your shop window saying about you?
14. How does Grammarly describe my tone of voice?
One of my favourite features of Grammarly is the weekly reports. Because it assesses your tone of voice. Robots care less about your feelings. So, it’s hard to dispute their evidence-based feedback on your tone of voice.
15. How did my teachers describe me?
Your life has likely changed a lot since school. But, your personality likely hasn't changed as much as you might think. The school system is structured around regular feedback, like report cards. Review the clues your teachers left you.
16. What have my bosses or mentors told me I should work on?
What feedback have mentors shared? If you’re part of a mentor programme, you perhaps haven’t known your mentor long. This could be even better than someone who you already have a relationship with. Their feedback is based on your first impressions. It’s likely the experience many have with you.
17. What skills do I often receive compliments on?
Learn to take compliments at face value. What have people told you they appreciate about you? Or what you’re good at?
18. What have I often felt criticised for, personally and professionally?
Our friends, family, partner or children are less filtered than our colleagues. What common themes can you see in their feedback? You likely have blind spots for your personal brand. Our nearest and dearest can often help highlight them.
19. Am I a lurker, consumer or leader on social media?
Leadership, or lack thereof, online can say a lot about your personal brand. So, are you a lurker, consumer or leader? While some voices are more vocal, silence also speaks volumes for your personal brand.
20. Do I lead with my title or personality when I meet someone new?
First impressions form within milliseconds. And they’re lasting. What first impressions do you create? Lead with your title and that’s how you’re defined. This is problematic if you don’t have that title anymore. Lead with personality and create emotional connections.
21. What habit or topic are people always remembering about me?
Sometimes when you see someone again, it reveals an earlier conversation that resonates with them. What have people remembered most about the previous time you met? It tells you something about what’s memorable about your personal brand.
Now you know more about the personal brand you already have to embrace. Start also being intentional about the one you want. Learn more in my previous blogs.
