#BeINTENTIONAL: 10 Things You Can Do to Enhance Your Career and Personal Brand in 2020!

Happy New Year! Happy New Decade! I hope that you had the opportunity to rest, spend time with loved ones, reflect on the past and start thinking about the future over the holiday season. I know I did, and I am starting 2020 in a good place, feeling energized and excited!

One of the things I did over the break was watch the recording of my dear friend and frequent professional collaborator Paula Edgar’s (https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/paulaedgar/) Metropolitan Black Bar Association of New York (MBBA)

 “#MBBALearns Goal Setting to Start the Decade Right with #CoachPaula Webinar”: https://lnkd.in/eWAhQkT

I found it to be a very helpful and practical road map for setting goals for the new year.

One of Paula’s recommendations was to decide on a theme word for yourself to guide and inspire you for the year. I’ve chosen the word Intentional and, for my social media use, the hashtag #BeINTENTIONAL. What intentionality in this professional context means to me is to be more thoughtful and deliberate about how I use my time. There are always lots of things that you CAN do, but what SHOULD you do? What is the highest and best use of your time in furthering your goals? Especially if you are seeking a new job or other professional opportunities, fear of missing out (FOMO) can make you feel that you have to accept every invitation and attend every event, so that you don’t miss a single opportunity to make a connection. This leads to burnout and is actually counter-productive, as it dilutes your brand, as well as saps your energy (which you need to conserve as much as you can for when it really matters). As my mother always used to tell me, “You don’t have to run and go every time somebody says, ‘C’mon, let’s go!’” I am trying hard to more consistently take her wise advice. After all, all we really own is our time and, unlike events and other opportunities that can and will come again, time is a precious resource that they are not making any more of!

One of the most important things that I try to be intentional about in my professional life is my personal brand.

What is your personal brand? Why is it important? How do you get one?

To me, your personal brand is your reputation, what you are known for professionally. Ideally, what you *are* known for is the same as what you actually *want* to be known for! It’s important within your organization (even if you don’t think you’ll ever want or need a new job or to develop new business) because you want your colleagues to know you, trust you, turn to you for advice and counsel, and want to work with you, and to encourage others to do the same.

Your brand is also important outside of your organization both because your internal reputation can in part be influenced by your external reputation and also because you may come to need or desire another role outside of your current organization someday (and/or you may need to develop business as a law firm lawyer or other professional service provider). Having a strong internal as well as external personal brand is critical to success in this arena, and it doesn’t happen on demand or overnight.

Your personal brand can also be thought of as your origin story (if you like comic books, which I do), mission statement, value proposition or, that overused chestnut, “elevator speech.” It should evoke the brief Pavlovian response that you want your network (and your network’s network) to have when they think of you so that you easily spring to top of mind when relevant opportunities are being discussed and referrals for those opportunities are being made. This is incredibly important for being considered for executive roles, Board positions, and other high-level assignments that you will NOT just find posted online somewhere. Information about these opportunities is spread by word of mouth and decisions as to who actually gets them are made (or influenced) the same way. You have to know and be known by – and liked, trusted and respected by – the right people. Not ALL of the people,but enough of the right people for your purposes. Again, #BeINTENTIONAL

When I was a practicing attorney, I used to say that I could always find another job if I needed one as long as I had my license. Better to lose the job than the license, better to lose the battle and win the war. Now, as a non-practicing attorney who advises attorneys and other professionals (especially women and minorities, as Diversity and Inclusion is central to everything that I do professionally) on their career paths for a living, I note that, yes, you need a license, but your personal brand/reputation and network are equally important to support you throughout your career. Consider your brand (and network) the “license” that you carry with you throughout your career that will give you entrée into every professional opportunity.

So, where do you begin to create, nurture and utilize your personal brand (and network), in this new year, this new decade? Here are my top 10 tips for 2020 and beyond:

1. Self-Assess: Take a look in the proverbial mirror. Who am I? How am I known? What are my strengths and weaknesses, not just as I see them, but as others see them? Google yourself. Ask people what they think of you—people who know you well from different parts of your life, people whose judgment you respect, who you know will give it to you straight, and who you feel confident have your best interests at heart. Tap into select members of your network—your personal “Board of Directors” or “Brain Trust”—for their insights. Once you are clear on who you are, get equally clear on what you want. Then you can #BeINTENTIONAL about the steps you take in furtherance of your goals that are consistent with who you are and what you want to accomplish.

2. Mine your Past: Don’t have a personal “Board of Directors” or “Brain Trust”? Don’t even know who is in your network or who should be? LinkedIn is a wonderful tool for getting your arms around this (Other social media sites, each in their own unique ways, can also be great crayons to have in your crayon box, of course, but LinkedIn is currently the gold standard, must use, professional social media site). Make lists of your classmates, former colleagues, former clients, people with whom you have participated in groups and associations, met at conferences, etc., and connect, connect, connect (and reconnect, reconnect, reconnect). They need not have been your best friends in the past in order to be potentially valuable members of your professional network (and you of theirs). And you never know when or which one of them could hold the key to your professional future (or you to theirs). 

3. Tend to the Garden: Once you have built a strong LinkedIn profile flush with many professional connections (aim for 500+), selected appropriate industry and alumni groups to join (and participate in), filled out your profile using keywords and added awards, recognitions, articles, appropriate links to your other web presences and a professional photo (essential to have a professional headshot that looks like you – you *currently*, not 20 years ago - at your best and which you can use across multiple platforms so people can recognize you when they meet you in person), your job is not done. Your job is never done. You must regularly tend to the garden, prune the weeds of stale information and plant fresh seeds such as continually adding new connections, occasionally posting status updates and otherwise regularly interacting with others. Mentioning interesting articles you have written, co-written, or read and panels or events in which you will participate (or in which you have recently participated) in your status updates is a good way to remind people of you and your brand. Congratulating others on their successes shows that you are a giver and not just a taker/self-promoter—which is also good for your brand. 

4. Develop Your Voice and Use It: Once you have decided what you want your brand to be and who you want to be in your network, avail yourself of opportunities to develop your voice and use it. For example, I want my brand to be that of a “Connector,” especially for women and minority professionals, known and valued as a connection to executive jobs, board positions, other professional opportunities and to other connections—and I speak on many panels and write/am interviewed for many articles in furtherance of this goal. When I practiced law, I wanted people to think of me as a skilled legal practitioner, so I wrote and spoke frequently to develop and use that voice in my chosen practice area. Now, as an executive search consultant, I want people to think of me with regard to the connections between attorneys and other professionals and employment opportunities, and their career development, so I have redirected my thought Leadership efforts over the last decade accordingly. Don’t have time for thought Leadership? For in-house counsel/other corporate professionals, consider how you might selectively collaborate with your outside counsel or other trusted, external service providers on developing targeted articles and presentations for your mutual benefit. 

5. Engage: Social media is terrific, but it is a supplement to and not a substitute for real world engagement. You’ve got to go out and see the people – make eye contact, break bread together, share the same air and space. Certainly there is neither the time nor the energy (nor the need) to go to *every* event (#BeINTENTIONAL).Being selective is a must to conserve your time and energy as well as to strategically advance and preserve your brand. Prioritize scheduling lunches, coffees, breakfasts, dinners and drinks with valued connections on a regular basis - this is key to strengthening those important ties. Decide which industry conferences and events are a “must do” for you and plan to attend year after year to continue to grow those key relationships. (I am personally a big fan of the National Bar Association, Hispanic National Bar Association, and Metropolitan Black Bar Association of New York’s annual events, to name a few). If you are shy about attending a meeting or conference on your own, consider using the buddy system: Find a “wing person” to attend the meeting or conference with you who will help hold you accountable for walking into the room—but don’t just stick by your buddy’s side the entire time. Plan to connect with old friends and try to speak with at least a few new ones. Connect with everyone you meet on LinkedIn as soon as possible to help stay in touch. If you mentioned in your meeting that you would later send the link to an article, make an introduction or, yes, send your resume – follow up! You never know when one of these interactions will lead to your next great career opportunity. 

6. Be a Mentor and Sponsor: Much is made of the importance of receiving mentorship and sponsorship in your career, both from within and outside of your organization, but I submit that being a mentor and sponsor is equally as important. There’s a definite karma element, but I also find that I learn a lot and grow through the process of supporting others. And, no matter how young or inexperienced you are, there is always someone younger and even less experienced (To a law student, a first-year associate seems to have it all figured out. To a law firm lawyer, someone who has been an in-house counsel for a year is a sage) who can benefit from the lessons learned on your path. And older/more experienced people often crave and benefit from the insights of younger generations. Being known as a supportive person and team player can be a valuable component of your personal brand. 

7. Be Your Authentic Self: Many will tell you that you have to force yourself to play golf, etc., if you want to get that new job, promotion or client. I disagree. If you feel that you can truly, enthusiastically throw yourself into the new activity, then go for it. If you were always meaning to learn more about football and this new opportunity to build a relationship just happens to provide a convenient opportunity to do so, have at it. But if you are not going to genuinely, enthusiastically embrace the activity, you run the risk of ruining the pleasure of the people who do genuinely enjoy it—resulting in the opposite impression from the one you want to make. I have developed a fair amount of business in both my career as a practicing attorney and in my career in executive search and consulting, and I have always focused on engaging in activities for which I truly have an affinity. By participating in diversity groups, engaging in social media (Follow me @SonyaOldsSom on Twitter and @Sonya_Som on Instagram) and pop culture, going to the opera and Broadway shows, I have formed many strong professional relationships with people who enjoy what I enjoy. It is an age-old truism that people like to hire and do business with (and refer opportunities to) people who they feel they know, like and trust. With whom they feel they have a genuine connection. Your personal brand is positively impacted by being authentic and suffers if you develop a reputation for being a fake, a phony, who only pretends to like people and things strictly in the hope of receiving a benefit. Plus, if you change yourself completely to secure an opportunity, after the initial relief/thrill of victory has worn off, can you sustain this fa?ade? Will you really be happy? Do you really want to spend the next 20 years of your career – of your life, because we spend most of our time at work – pretending to enjoy things that you don’t, pretending to be someone that you are not? Remember, “cultural fit” is a two-way street. Have faith that “your” people are out there – you just have to find them! #BeINTENTIONAL

8. Create Your Own Platform: In addition to your organization’s website bio of you and your own well cultivated and maintained social media profiles, especially if you are actively in the market for a new job or other professional opportunity (like a board position), consider creating your own personal website (or hiring a professional to create and maintain it for you) as a one-stop-shop destination with links to your professional social media profiles, blog posts, events, activities, etc., and which provides you with your own professional email address. There is no better way to stake a claim to your unique personal brand and show that you are actively engaged in the business of you 24/7. (I still need to do this one myself.) Similarly, don’t just wait to be invited to others’ activities and events – create your own and pull together the people YOU want to see!

9. Invest in Yourself: We’ve all seen the profiles of business and entertainment celebrities that claim that a little hard work and a lot of luck was all it took to make them a success. Don’t believe the hype! Behind every CEO, Board Director, General Counsel, rainmaking law firm partner or Hollywood star there is a “squad” -- some combination of an executive coach, a nanny for the kids, a personal trainer, a personal shopper, a hairstylist, a therapist and a nutritionist. It takes a village to raise a success (however you choose to define “success” for yourself) and some personal investment in yourself where needed to help you reach your goals. Don’t feel guilty about this (I’m looking at you, especially, working parents). In the event of an emergency on an airplane, you must first put on your own oxygen mask before assisting anyone else—even your own child. You can’t help anyone else breathe if you can’t. You can’t just live a life of the mind and your personal brand certainly consists of more than just your intellect, credentials and work ethic (assume everyone has those as a base line barrier to entry; you don’t even get an interview if you don’t have these “table stakes”). Your physical and emotional well-being reflects on your outlook and how you are viewed. They contribute to things like your perceived “executive presence,” “cultural fit,” “leadership acumen,” and “EQ skills.” Ignore them at great peril to your long-term brand cultivation and success. 

10.  Smile: I promise that this last one is NOT directed specifically at women! And I don’t even literally mean “smile,” rather, be conscious of the energy that you exude. I am reminded of a conversation I once had with a retired male CEO who was told by his team that it was making him seem perpetually angry or concerned about the state of the company (and, by extension, their jobs) that he appeared to always look so pensive and upset when walking the halls. I also know of several, recent situations in which candidates for executive positions just didn’t seem as happy and enthused about the opportunity (and, by extension, about the company, the culture – about the people doing the interviewing/decision making and how they have chosen to live their professional lives!) as the other finalist, and that ended up being the tie breaker on who received the offer. For lawyers and other professional service providers, too, this can have a negative impact on internal or external client relationships as well as peer and staff morale. Gravitas is important, sure, but instilling confidence in others and helping to foster a positive work environment is important to professional effectiveness as well. Rarely (if ever) is a reputation for low or negative energy (which is *not* the same as having a reputation for being calm and methodical – you can be known for being quiet and measured at the same time as for exuding positivity) going to enhance your personal brand, network, and career opportunities. #BeINTENTIONAL about how you want to show up, about the face that you show to the world, and see it reflected back at you!

 Happy 2020, Everyone! Let’s brand the year early and often as a great one!