Are You Delivering On Your Promise?

'Business With Personality' proclaims the masthead of 'City AM' the daily paper serving London's financial community. 'Fresh Business Thinking' shouts the website for the conference of the same name.

Nice promises - I like both of them.

The problem. Well, ‘City AM’ is hardly ‘Fast Company’; apart from a couple of lifestyle pages it doesn't have much personality to me. And sure, 'Fresh Business Thinking' had some decent speakers but there was nothing 'fresh' or different about the conference, it was like any other I’d been to.

There’s often a disconnect between a brand’s promise and what it delivers. Business owners get excited by the *idea* of a great market position or the allure of a new look and feel, but they don’t have the right mindset and offering to deliver.

I see it my local high street. Each month seems to bring a new estate agent office promising a new, different offering. They may have a fresh looking office and logo, but if it’s the same offering once you walk in the door, what’s the point?

So if you’re going to promise your business is a game-changer, different or radical, you’d better make sure it is.

Make It Your Own

I’m often asked by people working in full-time jobs how can they start to reinvent their work lives. They want their work life to better reflect their talents and desires, but they don’t know where to start.

I always tell them to start by making the job their own.

We all have the potential – whatever career level we are at - to shape our jobs in a particular way, to put our personality stamp on it. Sure, you need to ensure you deliver the requirements of actually doing the job, but around the edges there’s huge potential for making it your own. Whether you are the CEO or the 65 year old greeter at the door of the local Asda supermarket, you can inject your personality to bring a distinctive approach and style to the role.

I never just filled a job. I always reshaped it, re-invented it and made it very much my own, reflecting my style and also my desires to get involved in other projects and ventures. You may not feel that your admin or sales role has much scope to be reshaped. But try taking on other tasks that reflect your talents. Organise the team social, be the company blogger, take photographs for the company newsletter. Whatever it is that is ‘you’, put some of that in to the role = it’s all in pursuit of the Work You being the Real You.

There is no one-size-fits-all career plan or job spec. Each person brings a unique approach that has the potential to take the role in a different direction.

So whatever you do, don’t stick with the job spec, start reinventing it.

'Is The Work You The Real You' ?

It's a simple question.

I know people who answer 'yes' and 'no' to that. A guy who works in banking, but when his suit is off the real him is the passionate windsurfer, that's where he wants to be everyday, his job does not drive him. Then there's the bloke I know who's marketing director of a global car brand. He's passionate about cars, always has been. He loves them. And he loves his job 150%. Whether he's driving to work or entertaining clients at the Grand Prix, he is his job. A woman I know is a senior manager but still lets her personality shine; there's no mask - what you see is what you get whether how she dresses, her business style or sharing a joke with her team.

But inevitably we've all had times where we've put a suit on, performed a role, put on our best voice and tried (too) hard for a presentation or job interview. We all have (I used to).

But with time and experience comes the confidence to JUST BE YOURSELF. Total authenticity. No pretence, no having to put a 'work mask' on, no stuck-in-a-rut doing something you hate. If you're stuck in a dead-end job and you'd love to be outside teaching and playing tennis, maybe it's time to become a tennis coach? The fulfilment and passion of being true to your desires is very liberating; it's at the heart of my book 'Juggle! Rethink Work, Reclaim Your Life', the notion that if you love what you do, you'll be more productive and successful.

Remember, the goal is for 'The Work You' to be 'The Real You'. So re-craft your job or role to make sure it reflects your talents, personality and desires.

Personality On An A-Board #2

Full marks to this cafe in D'Arblay Street, London W1.