This is a question that's currently being asked of me by clients and friends. In part, I believe it's symptomatic of the current economic climate. Change is afoot, both in society and culturally. We live in a different world than we lived in before the financial meltdowns occurred across the globe. Now we need to be more aware of the new ethos about being happier, expressing gratitude, and generally being less all about us minded. We live in a world of more confusion and uncertainty and in order to find our sense of self, we must unlearn habits, attitudes and actions that are no longer relevant. And we must now learn how to be truer to ourselves. Here is where reinvention can take place.
Perhaps you work in a business where things are done in a way that's currently inappropriate to your way of thinking. For example, the business says, "We put people first." However, in your personal experience this is not accurate, or even true; it's just talk, nothing more. You are not the kind of person who normally speaks out, that's not your style. However, now, you want to have your say. This means you will need to adopt a new attitude and to reinvent your Personal Brand. You do not wish to be a big mouth, in equal measure, you do not wish to remain tight-lipped about something that you feel passionately needs to change.
You will need to adjust your communication skills, learn how to be heard, not by raising your voice, but my raising your presence. This means adopting upbeat body language, enhancing the timbre of your voice and expressing passion, not emotion. Passion draws people in; emotion excludes them. Remember, you are not changing who you are; you are going to enhance aspects of yourself that work really well and edit anything that doesn't serve your purpose. I might add, it's important that any reinventing you do is authentic, it must convey the real you. It needs to be the parts of you of which you are most proud.
I coached a man who worked for a big corporation. He wasn't happy. His colleagues were extremely loud, egocentric and arrogant; he was the reverse. So when it came to extra perks, salary increases, and recognition, this guy wasn't in the running. In saying that, in these challenging times, business owners are beginning to realise that it's not how loud you are that makes you valuable to the business, it's how you behave, how able you are to engage and build rapport that matters. Also, it's becoming important that you are a fine standard bearer for the company and that your presence, both at work and otherwise is always upbeat, optimistic and enthusiastic.
My client managed to raise his profile considerably, and by doing so, he became far more effective. We worked on increasing his EQ, (Emotional Intelligence), which helped him to engage with greater ease and to be able to build rapport. We discussed the impression he makes on others, both in-person, by phone and via email. He learned how to make a greater impact by speaking with more confidence, which gave him more gravitas. By developing a Personal Brand that he felt proud of, he was able to raise his profile considerably. Also, his intention and purpose were now clear - to be more visible, so that he could feel better about himself and worry less. You don't need lots of money to reinvent yourself. You need desire, an ability to take action, be that by reading, attending seminars or workshops, or researching how you can make shifts that will reflect who you are at this stage in your life.
I think it's important to remember if we do what we've always done, we'll continue to get what we've always got. And if our history is such that we no longer want to continually repeat it in our life, reinvention is the key. To begin your journey to reinventing yourself, I suggest you consider how you want others to treat you and talk about you. In addition, consider what you are really good at, and focus on enhancing those skills. Also, when you discover what it is you are passionate about in life; use those passions to inform your actions. It's said that if we are fully aware of our passions, and can harness them, they will lead us to a path that will bring us more joy. I agree.