by Sze-Yen Chee, #SuperCoachYen
The painful truth is that many of us are suffering from whiplash.
One minute things were stable, business was humming along, and suddenly we are at the receiving end of escalated tensions and restructuring announcements. Much of it triggered by unpredictable politics, with the noise amplified and exacerbated by social media, and things changing far too quickly.
But I’m not here today to analyse the causes and assign blame. Consuming too much bad news leads us to worry about things that are out of our control, and that is highly unproductive.
I’d rather focus on the one element you can control, and that would help you maintain (and strengthen) your Career Agility.
Your Professional Brand
What is your Professional Brand? It’s slightly different from your Personal Brand, which is more about your personality, traits or values.
Your Professional Brand is a broader concept, encompassing not just your personal traits but your professional reputation, your career, and your field of expertise, which is crucial to your ability to earn an income.
In a volatile environment, your professional brand can be a strong foundation to support you when senior leaders make decisions. For example, if there’s a new team setup or a new product incubation and you have a reputation for innovation, you could be considered for it.
When senior leaders decide to restructure the organisation, your reputation as a subject matter expert in an adjacent area could see you being redeployed rather than retrenched.
Your professional reputation is also instrumental when organisations make hiring decisions. Hiring managers are unlikely to progress a candidate with a shady reputation.
Here are five ideas to boost it.
1. Audit Your Digital Presence
Look at all your social media and digital footprint, in particular your LinkedIn profile. Ensure that your headline clearly communicates your identity and value proposition, and that your summary highlights your experience, skills and strengths without sounding arrogant or self-important. Avoid humble bragging.
2. Differentiate, Don’t Disappear
While the instinct might be to hunker down and hope your work speaks for itself, do consider how you can thoughtfully stand out. Raise ideas on how you can help the company make better margins, reduce costs and save time.
Provide your leaders with the assurance that your capabilities will help stabilise the team and drive productivity during challenging periods.
3. Strengthen Your Internal Visibility
Do your homework, prepare for meetings, and speak up.
Prep your introductions and possible talking points so that if you do encounter senior management, you have something interesting to share about the business. Decision-makers should be aware of your recent wins and ongoing value.
4. Nurture Your Network Intentionally
Don’t wait until crisis hits to reconnect.
Identify three to five key relationships to deepen this month through meaningful outreach, offering help or insights rather than just checking in. If there are any unexpected transitions, you could mobilise these relationships for support.
5. Document Your Crisis Navigation Skills
Because the market is so volatile, it helps to highlight to senior management how you’ve helped weather previous storms.
You may have been pivotal in getting the team to maintain focus, or in helping everyone skill up.
The Plan
Review your professional brand and sharpen how you articulate your value proposition. It would also be a good idea to check in with your mentors and career coach.
If you have a more complicated situation you’d like to discuss, you can reach us at info@careeragility.org.
Keep Calm and Career On!
