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Branding Yourself

We are all familiar with the power of the branding of products.  Instantly, when we think of soda, Coca-Cola will immediately come to mind.  When we think of online shopping, Amazon will immediately come to mind.  And, when we think of research administration, SRAI will come to mind.  However, branding is not an exclusive concept to organizations.  Individuals consciously or unconsciously brand themselves through their actions, their experiences, and their interactions with others.  Thus, branding becomes an important function in how one defines themselves and how others view them.  It is therefore valuable to consider the power of branding and to take an active role in branding oneself.

What is your brand?  Much of it has already been predetermined by your current role, your previous interactions with others, your competence levels in various areas.  What are you known for?  What do individuals think of when they think of you?  Examples may be:  you are the baker who brings in cookies to the office; you may be the expert in effort reporting; or you may be the individual who has worked in your unit since the Reagan administration.  In all these cases, what you are known for has become your brand.  Don’t know your brand?  Ask others what they think when they think of you professionally.  What are you good at?  What subjects do others refer to you?  If you had to name one thing about your work, what would that function be distilled down to?

It has been said that your brand is what people think about you when you’re not in the room.  Most do not actively consider their brand.  Yet, a brand is a powerful tool for recognition, networking, and advancement.  To start, take time to examine what skills you excel at. Ask colleagues what they think you specialize in.  What do people say about you?  What calls have you received asking questions about a topic?  All of these are ways to aid you in identifying your brand.  For example, you may find that that lazy Sunday reading the Uniform Guidance has paid off.  Your department defers to you on questions related to allowability and allocability of costs.  Colleagues from other units may frequently ping you with quick questions.  Faculty may ask you questions about expenses.  Thus, UG is your brand!  Another example:  let’s say that you enjoy volunteering your time on campus committees.  You are part of the staff development committee, the school annual picnic planning committee, and you were just asked if you could serve on a committee related to developing policies related to JEDI issues.  Hence, your brand is someone who aids in campus initiatives.

Branding is important because, while you do want to be well-rounded, it is valuable to be thought of as being outstanding for something.  That something is your brand.  It serves as a shortcut to defining your competencies.  It provides identity and self-value.  What are you outstanding at and how can you titrate yourself down to that?

Tips
Identify what you are good at and what you are not good at.  Look to others for their thoughts on you. Identify what makes you stand out.  Then, begin emphasizing that on your LinkedIn account, on your resume, or on how you network (“Why, yes, I am the guy who wears food-patterned socks every day”).  While some may view this as distilling oneself down to a single item, the intent of a brand is actually the opposite:  through the branding of oneself, you are sharing key competencies, which in turn help to expand awareness of you and your influence. The ultimate brand is to be known in your organization under a single name (like Beyonce or Madonna). For example, “Terry” may be known as the institutional research administration trainer, so that when someone mentions “Terry,” all know who is being spoken of.

Branding can indeed lead to power, influence, and fame.  Yet, in an organizational context, it is more a means to break yourself from the pack and key-in to your strengths.  In the end, your brand is your identity, your reputation, and your legacy at your institution. 

Authored by Mark Lucas, CRA, Chief Administrative Officer, Departments of Neurobiology and Computational Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine
University of California Los Angeles