Nine Ways To Update Your Profile

Profiles that are left idle, may affect your personal branding. By updating your online profile, you are keeping yourself fresh and contemporary. Otherwise, your presence is, at best, temporary. Remember the platinum rule in online marketing: Content is king. When face-to-face, your personality and character makes you royal and regal. Your profile is your summary of your comprehensive file (i.e. resume, CV, or biography). However, never attempt to over-inflate your resume even for the Head Honcho's position (especially in Yahoo!).

It is not difficult to update your profile:

1)    Keep in constant touch with your online community. Announce interesting developments. Only if INTERESTING or USEFUL.

2)    If your social media campaign is not useful, remove it. Having less is useful. You need not be on all popular platforms.

3)    Post regularly on your blog, especially when you have an established readership.

4)    Seek recommendations and testimonials, especially when clients are pleased with your work. Indicate awards and commendations, when you receive them.

5)    Housekeeping is vital. Which new developments are occurring in your profession or life now? Edit or delete.

6)    If it is too good to be true, it is probably too good to be true. Report factually. Avoid exaggeration.

Special mention of our blog by Dr Mok Ying Ren, Singapore's top marathoner & weekly columnist.

7)    Remove controversial or demeaning material, including photographs or remarks that may be deemed insensitive or inappropriate.

8)    If you are not comfortable with the details, tweak it.

9)    Sharing useful content to those that it matters to is a powerful approach.

Photo-credit & design: Dr Leow Jo Lene

Leadership Lessons: Which three things will you update to your online profile? When signing off on your e-mails, what would you distinguish yourself by? When was the last time you were recommended for your services?

Which Character Stands Out?

A colleague of mine describes her online profile as the ‘ENFP’ type; which gives away a lot of information if you appreciate the relevance behind the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) profiling instrument. There is much to glean from a person’s operative manual if you appreciate ‘Personality Types’, preferences, motivations and styles.

A current online poll urges readers to vote for their favourite character in the current Marvel Studios (formerly Marvel Comics) film ‘The Avengers’. It stands, at this point in time, that the leaders are Ironman and ‘The Incredible’ Hulk. Hawk and Black Widow who are not superheroes rank at the bottom, whereas Loki (Thor’s adopted brother, Loki who possesses extra-terrestrial powers is also companion to the former two).

What defines a character? Which inventory of indicators or measurements fleshes out a fictitious or real character? I personally enjoyed Stark/Ironman who is human, excessively intelligence and artfully narcissistic. Here is a ‘superhero’ that is living on borrowed time (shrapnel near his heart that can move and kill him), who has experienced an epiphany, and is determined to pit his annoying intelligence, humongous wealth, and cutting-edge technology against the Bad Guys. Each superhero has his/her demons with a personal point to prove, while attempting to exorcise their demons through good deeds. Dr Banner/Hulk clearly has anger management issues and has utilized a plethora of strategies to prevent another ‘incident’ that can be punitive for the taxpayer and town council.

Leadership Lesson: When selecting and recruiting staff, what are your criteria of choice? How much of a person’s initial character matters to you? Which values of theirs are you attracted to? Can you clearly discern between confidence and arrogance?