Before we talk about how to build your professional brand, we need to go somewhere more fundamental.
Why do you do this work?
And can you give me a real answer to this one. I’d encourage you to dig deep and actually figure out how you got here. I often joke I started in this career looking for money and fame, and whilst I’m waiting for that to materialise I’m enjoying myself helping people. In the video above I explain why I think I’m here, but those soft-ball answers of ‘to make a difference’ can ring a little hollow for some people listening. It’s ok to find this work interesting, it’s ok to be attracted to challenge, or believing that you can do it better than the status-quo.
That’s good!
In my opinion, there’s a bit of a sick and twisted martyrdom in this sector, nobody is allowed to be ambitious or be successful. For some reason we need to be in it ‘for the right reasons’ and I don’t think that really matters. I know amazing workers who actually aren’t too attached to their jobs or even this sector, and I know support workers of 40 years who I wouldn’t let babysit my goldfish. It’s a services industry, be really good at what you do and treat your customers well. That’s all. So. I’m giving you permission to want more for yourself than ‘giving back’, so I’ll ask you again;
Why do you do this work?
Simon Sinek got this right
This video is an oldie but a goldie, worth a watch!
‘People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it’. This is as true for professional brands as it is for organisations.
You’d be surprised just how well people will respond to honesty. I used to be worried that ‘calling out’ the industry for its hypocrisy or its old-fashioned approach to things would ostracise me, but all it does is bring people to me. The right people anyway. Real answers and motivations are powerful and compelling. Your ‘why’ doesn’t have to be pretty or humble, it just needs to be yours.
Your why is your competitive advantage.
The problem with the disability sector
In my experience, most people in this sector have a powerful why. A personal experience with disability. A moment that changed their trajectory. A conviction that the system is broken and they’re going to do something about it. And most of them never talk about it (except after a few drinks maybe).
They hide behind their organisation’s list of services, their job history, their qualifications. They lead with what they do instead of why they do it.
The result is a sector full of passionate people who sound exactly the same. However we all know that this sector is a trust economy. People are desperate to trust you, and if you’re invisible or not saying anything remarkable, they won’t be able to make that leap. This sector needs fresh perspectives, new voices, bold ambitions and exciting opportunities. It needs you to stop censoring yourself.
Finding your why
Your why usually lives at the intersection of three things:
- A formative experience: something that happened that shaped how you see the world
- A belief: something you know to be true that the industry doesn’t talk about enough or at all
- A commitment: the change you’re working toward
It doesn’t have to be a super dramatic origin story. It just has to be true.
Exercise
Write your why in three sentences or less. Don’t edit it yet, just write the honest version. We’ll refine it as the course progresses, you’d be surprised how many of the original words aren’t actually needed (less is more).