Broader Reach, More Innovation

2010-07-02T08:32:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Dale Carnegie Training of San Antonio's Blog Site

2010-01-26T14:44:00.000-08:00

Welcome! This blog site is intended for thought leadership that keeps you informed, motivated and challenged to bring the best out in you. As a student of leadership and agent for change I also look for feedback that will challenge my thinking as well. The blog is intended for people interested in seeing the possibilities and who lives their vision and their values. Along with espousing proven principles that are time tested and work, I will be scouring the wires, so to speak, for issues and challenges that we all face, gain a dialog and see how we can all learn and grow from people who are thinking about how to improve on bottom line performance.

Let's talk about "Branding." What does branding mean to you? In simple terms, it's a way to get noticed. Some people get noticed more than others. That shining star, that top performer, the up and comer. We all know these people. What makes them different from anyone else? Why do they seem to succeed in most everything they do, drive the nicer cars, wear the nicer clothes, and get noticed by senior management more frequently then others? Why do people like them? Is their a noticeable Logo that stands a top their heads flashing colorful lights? We all know certain logo's just by looking at them and these signatures evoke thoughts in our minds that suggests traits, characteristics, quality and service. Things like food establishments, auto manufacturers, or appliances, all suggest in our mind that they represent our interpretation of positive or negative experiences or just what we think is true, just because.

It's true of people too. We walk around our companies and take notice to people and that impression we have drives our thinking and our beliefs about an individual. Right or wrong, we form opinions based in many cases by how that person is "branding" themselves. Out spoken, nutty, quiet, reserved, or maybe not too friendly. The impact can be helpful or harmful to our working relationships, and ultimately to our productivity, our mental and physical well being and this can be noticed by people around you, by your supervisor, a senior manager, your spouse and friends, but mostly it is noticed by you. Yes, it's true. Who knows us better than ourselves? Johari Window fans can have an argument with this, but generally speaking, we know how we feel and we know how we react, mentally and physically.

The challenge is to be able to manage our thinking and our actions in ways that are not detrimental to our mental and physical health. They say stress can kill. I believe that. Stress is a powerful force that can guide us down a path of destructive thinking and actions. How we handle stress on the outside is a type of "branding" and that can not only impact you but those around you. We can begin to see a pattern here of why some people seem to be more successful than others, and discover what their magic is for that success.

I can tell you from direct experience and from observing people over the years in my classes that their success eludes many people because they don't have the right "brand" that suggests to others that you are; a team player, a good communicator, a problem solver, a happy person (or at least that smile is glued to your face), and someone who isn't afraid to take control of themselves and is a leader without the title. Those who do the same thing over and over again the same way, expecting different results, are of course - insane, but the truth is, this does not have to be your reality. You too can have a "brand" that says, yes, I am the go-to person, I am in control of my actions and my thoughts. Who ya gonna call? It ain't Ghost Busters, it's you.
Yes the agent for change, the person whose "brand" says - despite all doubt, despite fear, despite rejection and even ridicule, I am the person that can be called on to git'er done!

It's hard for a lot of people to think this way or to take action. I see it everyday. The good news is that it doesn't have to be that way. There's hope, there's opportunity to "brand" yourself as not some phoney put on, show-off, but a genuinely excited and enthusiastic person, ready to challenge yourself and those around you just by how you act - or - "brand" yourself.

What brand are you? How are you seen in the public eye, by your co-workers and your bosses. Maybe you are the boss, and maybe you lay in bed at night wondering: "What do I have to do to engage my employees?" "Why can't I get them to think like me?" Here in lies the holy grail of engaging yourself and others. How we "brand" ourselves is how people are going to react to us.
If we are unable to connect on a deeper level with people, if we show our negative emotions, if we can't handle stress or communicate effectively, you will get the same results everytime. Guarenteed. What you won't get is people who are willing to take the hill with you, who will find excuses not to do what you need or expect to get done. It's called "Leading by example." Live your vision, live your values. Brand yourself as someone who can be trusted and depended on, whether you are the boss or not. Be the agent for change, don't worry about what people will think and that logo over your head will glow with a richness that all will come to embrace.

Skip Reynolds
Dale Carnegie Training of San Antonio