How Will You Add Value To This Job?

‘How do you think you can you add value to this company?’ is a valid question that experienced interviewers may ask. It may be over-asked until it is a cliché, yet it has it relevance. In marketing, we call this a differentiator. How are you positioned differently from others?

Corporate headhunters will not call upon you unless you have made a mark in the ocean of professionals. What is your specialty, and have you attained expert-status and mastery? How do you stand out? How do you demonstrate that you are out-standing, while retaining your humility and humbleness?

Do a SWOT analysis. Identify at least three factors each for your Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. When applied from product branding to personal branding, the SWOT analysis reveals useful information about your value. Define ‘experience’ beyond the fact that you are aging, or spent more years in the company than the junior staff. What have you done to convert your years of loyalty to the company into the reputation as expertise, subject-matter expert, creative problem solver, and leadership?

In competitive sport, your results indicate your place in the universe of competitors. Your competency in one area of talent and development, leads to your competitiveness. By moving up ten ranks, and improving on your relative and absolute rankings, you will move up from amateur to elite status as an athlete. The podium-winners become a preferred choice for selection for interested and eager sponsors.

If you are not a leader in your field, then you are a follower, and, there are many of them out there. Mediocrity is in abundance. Mastery is rare. Re-position yourself a resourceful professional and prove your worth. Back up your talk and promises with results and resolve. Prove to them that you are worth it.

Leadership Lessons: How educated are you about marketing? How seriously do you apply Personal Branding 2.0? How do you brand yourself as a leader in your field? Distinguish what your worth is, how you can be valuable, how you add value and value-add, show your worthiness, and make it worth their while.

Branding & Your Personal Positioning

I just returned from an overseas trip. I conducted two sessions of branding workshops, focused on demonstrating brand values and delivering on the brand promise.

What is your brand promise? That is your mission statement to yourself, your customers and business partners. By boldly stating my cause, I have positioned my interests and intentions to others.

My brand promise to my sponsors and donors of my charity, Cystic Fibrosis for Kids (of New Zealand) is threefold:

1)    Commit to training for Ironman New Zealand

2)    Complete the 226K-triathlon race on 3 March

3)    Meet the family with cystic fibrosis kids, and the association that supports physical interventions for these kids.

IMNZ 2010: With 11:30 Ironman finisher, David Chambers at the CF4Kids fund-raisers celebratory-tent.

It has been a challenging journey so far. I have had my fair share of accidents, fatigue and tough days. However, I have benefitted from my commitment to a purposeful cause, and emerged stronger. I am more disciplined, determined and directed. Many lessons on leadership can be gleaned from sticking to a strategic plan. By thinking and acting long-term, I have learnt how to be more decisive, diligent and discerning. I am optimistic I can direct these lessons to larger goals and creating value for the strategic partnerships and alliances I will build.

The Need For Proper Positioning

Jack Trout and Al Ries – marketing gurus – wrote the definitive 1981 book ‘Positioning: The Battle For Your Mind’ which has become a must-read book for those practising marketing and branding. It can certainly be extended to leadership.

Positioning also shows you how to:

1) Build your strategy around your competition's weaknesses

2) Reposition a strong competitor and create a weak spot

3) Use your present position to its best advantage

4) Choose the best name for your product

5) Determine when, and why less is more

6) Analyze recent trends that affect your positioning

Battles may be won without seeing your adversaries. War of words can take place off-line as well as online. The digital domain has become a non-physical, yet honest platform for people to air their emotions and opinions. Each approach has its consequences and impact, and these must be considered for we leave our imprint behind.

Writers leave their indelible print behind. Noam Chomsky writes about his reaction to global news and questions our over-reaction and premature celebratory responses.

Leadership Lessons: How do you earn the hearts and minds of your team members? How does your staff view you in their mind’s eye? What is your status to them? How alert and aware are you of the impact of your messages on others? How do you lead the head, hearts and hands of your people?