We recently attended a presentation about a Career Success Formula called P.I.E. – Performance, Image and Exposure; a theory introduced by Harvey J. Coleman in the 1990’s. Coleman’s theory suggests that success is derived from spending a mere 10% on Performance, 30% on Image, and a whopping 60% on Exposure.
While a lot of the presentation and discussion was around taking active ownership of your career, overcoming gender bias, and doing the right tasks to help yourself succeed; the part of the presentation we enjoyed the most was about Image, Branding and Strategic Self-Promotion.
60% of the time sounds like a lot to spend on exposure, but as Brand Ambassador at Beyond Recruitment, we often speak to our colleagues about personal branding and how “everything” we post, say and do is linked to our personal and company brands. The same thinking applies to how we are seen in our careers.
Harvey J. Coleman in his P.I.E. formula for career success refers to the branding piece as “Image” and “Exposure”. People describe us in a certain way, often referred to as a “brand”, and this brand is built on the back of the image that each of us creates, and the exposure given to that image.
Here are some simple questions to ask yourself to see if you are making the most of branding yourself within your career:
- Do you know how people see you; have you asked them?
- In your opinion, does your brand align with your personal values?
- What do you do every day to contribute to your brand and how you want to be seen?
- How wide is your brand exposure (how well are you known)?
- Do you have a big network who are talking about you and recommending you?
- Do the managers in the business know who you are?
- Is your manager aware of the great work you do and contributions you make? If not, are you willing to speak up and tell them?
Do you feel like you make the most of branding opportunities within your current activities? If not, then trust me: it’s much easier if you are doing what you love and if you are aligned to a company that has the same values as you do! Branding is weaved into every single thing we do; every conversation we have, every advertisement we write, every event we attend, and every time w're out representing our company. It didn’t start out as a personal branding activity, but when you constantly look for ways to add value to your audience and you’re proud to share the successes of your team and company, great things will follow! If you’d like some help elevating your personal brand or finding a company that aligns with your values, then feel free to get in touch.