« What is your why »?
What is a (personal) brand?
Workshop at Google Atelier:
This afternoon, I attended a workshop with the following title: « How do you present yourself online as a person or freelancer? »
It started with the question « why do you do what you do? »
Interesting whether you are a person, a freelancer or a brand.
In the room, we were seven participants. Three women, four men. What I found striking to hear from the guy leading the workshop was that most participants he faces, have no answer to that question. It is a though one and people do not know their ‘why’. He added that « something occurs today with having this generation seeking for a purpose, a bit different from the previous generation, because we have access to different things, different sources. »
As a model, he mentioned the Ted Talk by Simon Sinek: « Start with Why« .
If you are not familiar with that talk, Simon Sinek argues that people do not buy « what » you do but « why » you do what you do.
This afternoon, I was the only one with a why. I articulated it like this:
My why is to change society (society is a big word), to make sure that the next generation(s) of people who look like me, born here, have better access to opportunity and that they can be living their life and career to their full potential. That’s my why.
Visibility:
How are you perceived by others?
One participant shared how she is struggling with removing some content about her from the internet from a few years ago. She does not want to be represented only by this. « it is unforgiving » she stated.
So,
- Do you ‘own’ how you are perceived by people (recruiters, potential partners, associates…) when they search for your name online?
- Which channels do you use for visibility to introduce yourself with your personal name and/or brand name?
Interested to read your reflection about your « why you do what you do » if you feel like sharing.
Best,
« Say what you do. Do what you say. »
G.
The author
Grégory Luaba Déome
Contributing to more inclusive workplaces
Follow: Twitter @cvs_congo | Blogs: LinkedIn and Talent Has No Race
More from me on Ethnostratification and Talent Strategy:
The State of diversity challenge in corporate Brussels
Multiculturalism in Europe failed?
People Analytics when the N is too small
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Born in Congo, I am committed to developing more inclusive workplaces. My passion is to enable others to achieve their potential and to advance equity in corporate Brussels.
About eight years ago, a friend told me something like « in my company, they consider me as a high potential. I participated to the annual event of our industry, 500 people – la crème de la crème – and I was the only non-white in the room. A journalist even came to me and discreetly asked « what about upward mobility »? The problem is that in our industry, the majority of the workers at the bottom of the pyramid are non-whites. The higher you go in the hierarchy, the whiter it becomes. »
What is systematically happening in the mid-to-senior executive levels that you’re not reflecting the cultural diversity of the city that you’re in?