i

This six-part challenge is designed to serve as a basic blueprint for the construction of a solid foundation for the future. Ultimately, the responsibility for this implementing these concepts lies with you. What you put into the process will reflect the rewards to reap. But, we all need encouragement, a sounding board for our ideas and the occasional pat on the back when we can identify progress - so, you are invited to share your thoughts, questions, obstacles and accomplishments with other readers through The Image Coach website.

Professional Development Series: Part 1

BRANDING

Creating an Identity, Personally & Professionally

Are you preparing to embark on your first career?

Building your own business?

Starting over with a second vocation?

Or do you just want to jumpstart the job you already have?

Why image? Image is at the core of each of these endeavors, but the definition of image is broader and more encompassing than you might imagine. The appearance we put forward, how we model ourselves on others, pictures we paint with words, impressions we make, our perceptions, visions we are passionate about and the roles we elect to portray are just a few.

Defining and reinforcing image in each form is crucial to determining personal goals, developing professional strategies, as well as enjoying both critical acclaim and financial success in any field.

Professional development is linked directly to personal growth. With careful planning, the influence of advancing both becomes the most vital and significant approach to engaging your career and your personal life - head on! Keep in mind, the skill sets involved in the overall process apply to any pursuit.

BRANDING = Who are you?

The concept behind the life you are striving for is your brand. Branding needs to be a clear, well defined extension of your vision, otherwise it will lead you into areas that you have no interest in and are ill-equipped for. The ideas must be thoroughly examined from every conceivable angle. This can only be achieved through extensive self-interrogation. What are the principles that your lifestyle is based upon? What is the value of your product, service or skill? How do you feel about the whole package representing you – private, public and fantasy? How do you want others to respond to what you think, say and do?

Consider how much we want to know about the celebrities we admire. What is the reason we enjoy a probing interview that moves the subject to reveal something beyond the surface story. Luckily, most of us don’t have to bare our souls in front of Barbara Walters and several million viewers, but in order to have a clear understanding of what we want we need to ask ourselves meaningful questions.

The answers to these questions are jigsaw pieces. They start to fit together and we realize those that just don’t fit belong to other puzzles. The most powerful brands are those which create pictures worth a thousand words. Visualize your favorite store, teacher, movie, etc. How do they stand the test of time? Are the colorful displays, dramatic lighting and lively music selections that keep you coming back? Or is it the friendly staff and great prices? How did a teacher inspire you? Did they employ gentle encouragement or tough love? What is it about a character or story line in a film that becomes more than real for you? You get the idea.

Ask questions until you see a pattern. It will be those recognizable rhythms in taste, behavior and dreams that allow you to trust natural instincts about everything from resume paper stock to website design or the environment that is healthiest and most conducive to growth for you. A brand is more than a logo, because it embodies among other things; emotional intelligence, creativity, a promise of how they can expect to be treated and what a person/business stands for.

PART 1:  Professional Development Assessment Page

Professional Development Series: Part 2

Research & Development

…that communicates!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. The picture you paint with your life should speak volumes. The only way to make that story rich and meaningful is to do your homework. The time and energy you put into research and development hones your understanding of who you are, what you value and where you want to go. Whether you’re hunting for your first job, striking out as an entrepreneur, switching professions or hoping to rekindle the passion for your current position – being your own dedicated R&D department is the greatest contribution you can make to your campaign for a better life.

“If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?” – Albert Einstein

Role Models

Modeling ourselves on those we hold in high regard is something we start doing in our childhood. Your parents, teachers and childhood heroes set the preliminary ground work for the choices you make as an adolescent. We listen to what these role models have to say but we also study their behavior. Observing and absorbing the essence of those we look up to helps to define our motivations. As an adult we must retain those skills and consciously utilize them whenever we set out in a new direction.

Reconnaissance

We are enthralled by the likes of super spies like James Bond, detectives like Sherlock Holmes or the investigators on shows like C.S.I. Their methods appeal to our natural curiosity not to mention the rush we get from gathering clues and making sense of them. Submerge yourself in all the information you can acquire and then start the editing process to find the elements that fit your big plan.

Tick Tock

One of the biggest wastes of time is fear. Fear that you will fail, be embarrassed, or even fear of success – which is more common than you might think. In the beginning of any endeavor it’s also easy to cling to what you know and as a result rely too heavily on just that. Successful time management is simply a strategy. It demands that you prioritize your schedule and be prepared to wrap things up when it’s time to move onto the next thing.

Organization

Keep track of it all once you collect the information you need. Find a place for everything and keep everything in its place. Commit to the system is that you put in place, so that it becomes second nature. Getting organized is a learned behavior, but unlearning bad habits is just as important.

Go Team!

Are you good with people? Do you see the big picture? Are you good with numbers? Building balanced teams is about addressing the elements that are missing. If you are starting your business you’ll want to hire a staff that compliments your skills. If you are pursuing the ultimate job you need to evaluate how you would fit on their team. What do you need in order to be a contributing factor to their success?

Sizing Up The Competition

Who are you up against and what will set you apart? Understanding your rivals and evaluating your place in the market is a key factor in predicting success. Understand what the consumer or a prospective employer is looking for. Are you the best candidate to supply that? There is always someone with better qualifications out there. How will your outlook, personality or passion tip the scales in your favor?

Building Tools

Development will include among other things, the building of a working network and creating a model for a business plan with vision. The concept of networking has been abused to the point that most people cringe when you mention it. Building a network is about making real connections – not about how many business cards you leave with at the end of the evening. With that in mind think about what you have to offer rather than what you can get out of a new relationship. Business plans can also be misused and misguided. In this area above all others the focus should be on what you bring to the table – not what you want from it.

PART 2:  Professional Development Assessment Page

Professional Development Series: Part 3

Inspired Marketing:

Stories & Strategies

"To be nobody - but yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting."     

- E.E. Cummings
 

What do you want to say?

First impressions are made within seconds. An initial impact of a person, a company or product and how it is perceived by the public is based on a clearly defined story with a vision. It must also be delivered in a voice that rings true. Without this kind of clarity it would be very easy to get caught up in the torrent of messages in society and the media and accept any random prefab concept as our own. This is one of the worst ways to get derailed from living the life you were destined to live. Countless individuals buy into a someone else’s story of who they should be and not until later in life do they have the courage and determination to get back on track – and that’s if they’re lucky enough to realize it.

I have learned this at least by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. 

– Henry David Thoreau

How do you find your story?

Explore those parts of our lives where time disappears – in a good way. Personal and professional endeavors that we get lost in are where our passions live. Perhaps thinking back to childhood and considering not only what you were good at but possibly what you had a tendency to get into trouble for. I remember getting report cards in elementary school with high marks in all my subjects but in the comments section my teachers noted that I “talked too much in class.” Now I realize that communication is at the core of who I am.  

"I know quite certainly that I myself have no special talent; curiosity, obsession and dogged endurance, combined with self-criticism, have brought me to my ideas."

- Albert Einstein

It’s all been said before.

This is so true. Take comfort in the fact that almost anything worth saying has been said before and probably more than once. But, that’s not the point. The important thing to keep in mind is that what ever the message is it hasn’t been said by you – a person who has had a unique set of experiences and looks at the world like no other possibly could. Allow yourself to be genuinely fascinated by the world around you. Be persistent and never give up on your vision. If you can bend then you can keep your ground in the stormiest of times. Evaluate and re-evaluate how your choices – the people, the work and the schedule - serve your ultimate purpose.

Happiness is that state of consciousness which proceeds from the achievement of one's values. 

- Ayn Rand

PART 3:  Professional Development Assessment Page

Professional Development Series: Part 4

Production Phase

Establishing Evolutionary Environments, Events, Etc.

Something about your brand, the results of your research, the development of your product/skills or the marketing strategies you’ve put into motion have sparked an interest in you. You have their attention. Now what? If you can’t back it up you’re wasting their time and yours.

Appreciate what you’ve accomplished but don’t get too comfortable. Resting on your laurels is a sure fire way to a rude awakening down the line. In business, on the job, socially, in relationships or at home it is up to you to make a good impression. Even more important -- have everything about any situation that involves you imply that it is filled with promise. This makes you a natural magnet for opportunities.

Setting the stage for any endeavor, you should be sure to consider how your message will be received. The environment you choose to communicate includes everything that your target audience will come into contact with – the space, lighting, music, the staff you select, what you’re wearing, even the tone of your voice. The event element is about timing, organization and the quality of the experience.

Delivery is everything. How do you want to say it? If you’ve done your homework you know exactly what will inspire and motivate others to get on board with your vision as well as having a clear understanding of and respect for boundaries. The job may be the same but every business has a culture and you need to know the rules. Protocol is a vital part of moving beyond simply surviving. If you identify the parameters then you can learn how to grow in any climate or make an informed decision about initiating a change.

Aesthetics are important but they should reflect your personal outlook. They say writers should write about what they know and the same is true of anything you do. Some intangible sources of ‘truth’ include your values, feelings and energy. Building perceptions that do not mirror the fundamental essence of what you are about, force you to serve a system that will become a cage no matter how gilded. 

Create a program that delivers on many levels. Most people do judge a book by its cover – at least initially. The break down of your message - cover, table of contents, introduction and chapters - is invaluable. The accessibility and navigation of your design speaks to how well your audience will be able to utilize your talents and services.

Honor the relationship with clients. Make sure that each point of contact speaks to your vision. Provide a “take away” as a reward – something extra that keeps them engaged. A presence in cyber space can serve that purpose and casts the broadest net - projecting your basic information, overall concepts and specific ideas on your terms.

PART 4:  Professional Development Assessment Page

Professional Development Series: PART 5

The Hook

A Tool Kit for Press, Public Relations, Promotions & Packaging

You have a new business idea for a product or service. You decide you’re going to make a career change. You secure an interview with a company you’d like to work for. Why should anyone care? How is your dream relevant to what the market needs. How do you measure up and stand apart from the competition?

When our dreams manifest themselves in our lives as goals, we need to consider how they reflect the demand for that particular product or service in the real world. Once we move outside of the idealized version of what we want in our own minds -- the venture capitalist, loan officer or human resources director will mirror our vision based on their interpretations and the company’s standards, not ours. In order to have the best possible advantage so that the odds are in our favor we need to do our homework.

Passion is not enough. Developing a tool kit of skills based on building relationships with the press, creating a public relations strategy and considering the part that promotions and packaging play in the success of any venture provides you with an advantage. Each plan you set into motion should have a campaign built around it. The two primary considerations should be that it provides protection from, as well as access to the system that will help you achieve your objectives.

The press, or the messenger, is interested in what will be meaningful to their audience. An HR department for instance has to consider how you will fit within the job environment, as well as whether or not you have the appropriate credentials. Most people want to buy into the result rather than the process. Dismiss the outdated concept of networking -- securing business cards in volume and evaluating what each of those professionals can do for you -- and redefine it to mean you becoming a conduit for building alliances with others and trying to establish how you can be an asset to them. For instance, if you research a publication’s editorial calendar and establish when the best time to pitch a story idea to a writer based on their lead time you have already improved the potential for success several fold.

The effectiveness of any public relations effort will speak to your street credibility. At the root of publicity is ‘the public’ and no matter how simple or sophisticated, the general public can spot insincerity if not instantly then eventually. This might be intimidating because there is a natural instinct to feel like “who am I to say that …my product is better? …I’m the best person for the job? or ”…I can start a whole new career?” This fraud factor can be silenced once we can back up our message with good old-fashioned hard work, experience and education. This makes the difference between conceit, bravado or arrogance and a healthy dose of confidence.

Promotions are about getting your skills or products into the hands of who will be utilizing them. Samples of your work provide a frame of reference and allow you to place it in context -- testing the usefulness of a product, evaluating a service, establishing your credentials or applying past experience to a new endeavor. Once you are ready to make the case for your idea in the court of public opinion, realize that first impressions count. Wrap it up and tie a big bow around it. Make the end result appear effortless and seamless. How you package and present your ideas (and yourself) will not only be an indicator of the respect you have for the one on the receiving end but also for yourself and your work. With each of these areas addressed you can have a reasonable expectation of engaging your target market and closing the sale.

PART 5:  Professional Development Assessment Page

Professional Development Series: PART 6

Shifting Gears

Defining Success & Alternative Career Paths

You have done your research & development. You understand and can communicate your brand. Production is underway and a marketing plan is in place. Your strategy for interacting with the press, publicity, public relations and packaging your product or service has been put into action.  It’s all in place but the law of averages may lead you to unexpected conclusions.

Perhaps you realize that this endeavor is not what you want after all is said and done. Financial and/or critical success might still be eluding your grasp. Is it time to alter the course? Or is it time to tap into your reserve of perseverance? The directives described below speak to the groundwork that needs to be done when re-evaluating a situation. In order to move from good to great we need to avoid the ‘band-aid’ approach. Sometimes it’s not about a fix, but instead it’s about a fresh start.

Who are your role models? Make a list of the first ten people who pop into your head when you read this question - family, friends, teachers, celebrities or fictional characters.  Next to each name jot down descriptive buzzwords that define what about this person you identify with the most. What makes them heroic in your eyes? This list is of muses and their traits can serve as an indicator of what we personally aspire to. Use these characteristics as a gauge for the professional aspirations you have set for yourself. They may provide you with the perspective to realize you’re not on the right path or strengthen your resolve that this is what you’re meant to do.

If you find that a new approach is necessary, one of the best resources you have to work with is you. Don’t shy away from exploring all facets of who you are. Think new and improved. Re-imagining and re-inventing who you are is not about putting up a façade. The concept is successful when you retain the elements of your life – both professional and personal – that work, and simultaneously allow for a constant flow of new and exciting opportunities to discover hidden talents and develop new skills. This kind of dynamic and perpetual growth makes you a magnet for change on your terms.

Business and interpersonal relationships are about exchange. What do you have to trade? Being clear about what you bring to the table arms you with confidence and commands respect. Clarify this for yourself by creating your own self-diagnostics tools – assessments – ask questions that make you think, hit a nerve and motivate you to take action. Don’t forget to take into consideration the emotional quotient of any interaction. Keeping this very human element in mind creates the wow factor for everyone you come into contact with. People realize when you’re providing them with quality, a reliable commitment and an attitude that engages them as a person and not just a dollar sign.

Each person’s definition of success varies according to their priorities. Creating your own ‘life handbook’ is a good way of looking at what ‘our life’s work’ means to us – each decision being a part of the bigger picture. A slogan, catch phrase or motto – no matter how cliché – is also a useful device in declaring loud and clear what you’re all about. When it comes to pursuing a dream two of my personal favorites are about as cliché as you can get but they do get to the heart of the matter. “Everything happens for a reason”. AND “Just do it”.

PART 6:  Professional Development Assessment Page