Читать книгу Reinventing You - Dorie Clark - Страница 8

“Hi Dorie,” read the message in my inbox, from an executive I’d been hoping to interview for this book. “I’d be happy to talk with you, but I’d prefer to remain anonymous. I’m afraid it might hurt my personal brand to be seen talking about my personal brand!” His message was only half-joking (I did eventually interview him), but it highlights an important truth. Again and again, as I’ve talked about the book in business school classrooms and corporate boardrooms across the country, I’ve heard from professionals who recognize the need to reinvent themselves, but still have qualms. Won’t it look calculating to think too hard about my reputation? Shouldn’t I just focus on doing good work?

The idea that it’s somehow sleazy to manage your reputation is, of course, what the anonymous executive who e-mailed me was getting at. We can all think of examples. I know one executive who is legendary for her ability, within minutes of meeting any new person, to inform him or her that she’s the graduate of two Ivy League schools, drives a BMW, and makes six figures working at a prominent firm. Sometimes, if several months have elapsed and she’s forgotten she’s already met you, you’ll get to hear her spiel again. No one likes her.

I am in no way suggesting you should start spouting your credentials to passersby or puffing up your résumé. This book isn’t about spin or presenting yourself as something you’re not. It’s not about “foghorning” your way into other people’s consciousness and telling them how great you are. Instead, it’s about taking control of your life and living strategically. Who do you want to be? And what do you need to do to get there? This is a book about defining your goals, working hard and ethically to get there, and then making sure that people notice once you do.

I come from the world of media relations and marketing, so I’ll admit, I’m biased. But I’ve also seen firsthand that there are always plenty of talented, qualified people out there. If you aren’t strategic about getting the word out in a thoughtful way that adds value, then other people will win the accolades instead of you.

That’s why, unfortunately, it’s no longer possible to sit back and count on getting noticed for your hard work alone. Years ago, the successful Wall Street investor (and former US Treasury Secretary) William Simon declared, “I have never been interested in merchandising myself or perpetuating a public image. Indeed, it is always difficult to ascertain just what your image is and it is almost impossible to improve or diminish how people view you other than through direct personal contact. I simply work hard and try to be successful at what I do.”⁴ Simon perfectly captures the classic upper-crust ethos that it’s tacky to take an interest in anything so shallow as a mere image. And certainly, he’s right that what matters are your actions and your character, rather than the spin you put on it.

But his response, which may have been perfectly appropriate for a child of the Depression who died in 2000, just as the internet era was rising, no longer makes sense for any professional who aspires to excellence. The idea that you can just keep your head down and work without any regard to office politics, for instance, has been thoroughly discredited (just look at the profusion of networking books, workshops, and seminars). Even the office wallflower knows he should hit the company holiday party or risk missing out on the connections he needs to advance. So why should it be any different for taking control of your personal brand?

Sure, you can take a chance that perhaps you’ll be noticed, and perhaps all those hours slaving at your desk will pay off. But why risk it? Why not take the time to think about how you’d like to be seen in the world and then work strategically to accomplish that, rather than waiting for life to happen to you?