In a competitive work space, it’s important that we as individuals develop and build our personal brand. Bringing our “best self” to work each day and showcasing our strengths, passions and accomplishments is a way that we can define ourselves and our success. In our professional lives, it’s one thing to bring our skills and leverage our education but building our brand goes beyond this and should incorporate what really drives and motivates us each day. These are those elements that are typically evident when we hit early adulthood and continue to develop over the course of our lives.
When I was younger, my mother worked all sorts of various jobs and was never truly happy and always felt something was missing in her professional life. She was at her happiest when she was making things and being creative. Years later my mother started her own business as a fashion designer and later designing furniture. This is when she flourished…doing not only what she loves but she is inspired, motivated and driven to work each day. I began my career working for my mother’s business and this was where I developed my passion for connecting with people, building relationships and being the go to person to provide support and solve problems. This was the foundation to building my personal brand and developing a sense of my “best self”.
Finding the relationship between your personal brand and your career success is a valuable tool. I always struggled with the question “what do I want to do?”. But once I switched my mindset and stopped thinking about “What I want to be” to “What motivates me? What am I truly passionate about?” then how to develop my “best self” became clear. What energizes me is when I have opportunities to make connections with people, build relationships and collaborate with others on projects. Developing this sense of self awareness in my current role and the fact that MCG Partners invests in their people has allowed me to develop my career and explore what I need to be my “best self”. The first step to investing in your people is to ask them what they need and to provide space and support for the answers to those questions. As you reflect upon your current role and self, you should be asking “What do I need to be successful?”.
It may not be crystal clear to know exactly what motivates and drives you at work. An effective tool that we use with our clients to provide some clarity and offer insights is called the Predictive Index® (PI®). PI is a highly effective, science based assessment that measures workplace behaviors and motivating needs. Taking this assessment helped me focus on building my personal brand and to realize and reinforce what really drives and motivates me at the workplace. Everyone is unique. Our behaviors and motivators are different and building self-awareness as to what these are will not only make you more effective but more fulfilled and content. Using tools like (PI®) can help your build your brand and develop key insights and understand your career success as you leverage your motivators and drives allowing you to bring your best “self” to work.
To learn more about how tools like the Predictive Index® can help with self-awareness, selection, employee engagement and much more, visit mcgpartners.com.
About the Author: Ryen McGinn
About MCG Partners
MCG Partners a woman-owned, Greater Boston-based consultancy specializing in executive coaching, leadership development, talent management, and organizational development solutions. We help businesses optimize success through the entire management life-cycle. MCG Partners is also a Predictive Index® (PI®) certified partner.
To learn more about MCG Partners’ services or The Predictive Index®, contact John Griffith at [email protected] or visit mcgpartners.com.
