The Simplicity Edge

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Focus on What’s In Front of You

We have all been there—work is humming along and yet you wonder: Is there something better out there? That place in which you think “is their greener grass?” and question if things are better or different somewhere else.

Unfortunately there is no perfect project and no perfect group. While it is important to see what else is out there it is equally important to get the work done in front of you. Often staying focused (and doing great work in your current role) is the best way to lead you to a new project.

A few questions to think about before you go in search of greener grass:

1.       What do you like about the current work that you are doing? What is missing? Are you curious? Or are you just feeling bored? Exploring these questions helps you get to the root of your questions.

2.       Talk to other consultant and gain a perspective. By simply chatting with others you may realize that your grass is actually pretty green. J These conversations can help you explore if you are indeed missing out on other opportunities and the actual job landscape (vs. perceived landscaped).

It is so easy to get distracted. My theory is to focus on what you have to get what you want. That is when the golden opportunities present themselves.

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Narrow your story

Telling a good story is not easy. Telling your own story is even harder.

Last weekend I taught my personal brand course at Bellevue College. Whenever I teach this course one thing stands out: your personal brand is only as strong as your authentic story.

Your authentic story is what motivates you and what you really want to do.   Narrowing your personal brand to what it is you really want feels uncomfortable for most people. It is hard work to get narrow in what we want because we like to leave our options open. However when we tell a vague story about what we want, we get vague in return which can lead to frustration.

I find when I ask people to talk about their personal brand it becomes very clear what is authentic to them through their enthusiastic tone and mannerisms.  One of my favorite things to do is reflect what I hear someone say where I hear their natural voice inflections.

Most of us really do know what our personal brand is, that’s not the challenge; it’s choosing to own it.

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2013 Marketing Talent Trends

Seems like everywhere you turn there is a new marketing prediction list for 2013. Being that we work with corporate marketing teams daily on their talent needs I thought I’d share what I see clients asking for in the marketing space.

·         Communications. The trend around story telling is colossal as businesses look for fresh ways to tell their tale in an effective, compelling way to a host of new audiences (i.e. social media). This trend is not only external yet includes internal needs.

·         Campaign launch. Getting a campaign “right” is critical and we see clients needing extra help during these times. Not just “warm bodies,” corporations need smart consultants to come in (immediately), jump in and make the campaign a smashing success.

·         Project management. For most marketing teams there are several projects that need to be effectively managed. Clients consistently tell us that they need a strategic-doer. A consultant that can think about the big issues yet can roll up their sleeves and make sure everything works.

·         Business Analytics. Clients need numbers experts not only to crunch the numbers but make sense of them, be able to tell the story *with* the numbers.

·         Digital/Social. This is a trend that evolves daily. Clients are asking which channels to leverage to drive their business and how to be “found” on-line.

One prediction I am confident in is that help (to make a business a success!) is needed— and a consultant is a great (low risk) way to make it happen!

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Making Analytics Personal in the Role of Marketing

2013 is in motion and I love to read the stories on the predictions for the year. From Mashable to Entrepreneur people are placing their bets on what the year will offer.

One prediction I unswervingly agree with is the role of analytics in marketing.

As more companies use data to drive product decisions to new customer audiences—analytics have become indispensable. Yet what is more important than the actual tools are the people doing the analysis. For many marketing teams the data sources are multiplying at lightning speed as new channels (i.e. social media) crop up daily. Teams need the right marketer to jump in and make sense of all the data to achieve their goals.

Data for data sake is worthless. The right data in the right context is powerful.

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Keeping Up: The Right Talent When You Want

The recent CES news makes me dizzy. From newfangled TVs to life-like robots the hustle of innovation is blinding. For many companies the real question comes down to –how do we keep up?

The secret for many is in the speed, nimbleness and excellence of their talent to move things forward. This is why I am placing a big bet on how the role of a consultant can help businesses thrive.

Having the right talent is not static. As companies are in constant motion enlisting the right talent (as needed) is dynamic. I hear from clients “I need someone for several months to help me launch a new product” to “I need someone full-time to help me build a new channel.” Each company is different as is each need. And it changes daily which is why having a variety of talent options is so important.

Options from skill set to part time/full time, location, experience and more.  Thinking about a flexible team made up of the right talent when you need it is the way to keep up.

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Your Fan Club

It’s a new year and many of us are pondering what resolutions we want to make.  For consultants, it may be thinking about what kind of work we want to do, how much we want to work and what new exciting projects are out there.  The next question is usually who do I know that needs my services to do the work I love?  This is where your fan club comes into play.  We all need a fan club and the bigger fan club, the more opportunities.

How do you build a fan club?  Consistency with the ABC’s in your current project.  Here are the ABC’s of what clients want:

Attitude – Passion for client success, go-getter and strategic doer.

Build trust – Being adaptable to clients’ needs with a proactive approach.

Communication – It’s all in the details. Crafting concise and effective emails, creating powerful and impactful presentations, strong relationship skills and cross-group collaboration.

The more you are consistently demonstrating the ABC’s with your current client, the higher likelihood that your fan club is increasing which allows you to achieve your resolution. Happy 2013!

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The Why before the What

A recent LinkedIn article, the #1 Career Mistake Capable People Make, discusses how having a broad set of work skills is essential. Yet the author claims that the mistake most people make is being everything to all instead of determining your highest point of contribution: “developing greater discernment about what is distinctive about us can be a great advantage.” The article is another solid example on why defining your personal brand is a critical part of your success.

As we start the New Year this is a great time to dig deep on where you really want to make a difference. The why before the what.

What kind of impact do you want to make? What differentiates you from others out there? As the personal brand topic becomes increasingly more important I look forward to further dialogue in 2013. If you are in the Pacific Northwest please join me at Bellevue College this month as I teach Personal Branding for Professional Success.

Here is to a new year!

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Tip #5: Be Kind

In order to really own your personal brand you have to believe it in your heart and soul before anyone else will.  This is why tip #5 is about being kind to you.

We are creatures of habit. Our thoughts drive our actions and our thoughts come from our life experiences that shape the way we see the world and ourselves. Many thoughts that may have served us well earlier in our lives are still playing as continuous soundtracks in our mind and it’s very common that we become unaware of them. They have become part of our subconscious, part of our daily life and we may be blind to see that perhaps these thoughts may not be serving our personal brand.

Everyone has their own inner critic and often several of them.  Recognizing those negative thoughts that hold you back and choosing not to listen to them is being kind to yourself.  For many of us such saboteur thoughts could be thinking I’m not smart enough, successful enough, pretty enough, or confident enough.  Become aware of what that negative soundtrack in your mind is saying and when you experience it make yourself aware and choose not to believe it. Choose to believe your personal brand.

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What’s Not Going to Change by 2022?

Does it feel like the moment you get use to something it changes? From technology to health, so much has changed in the past decade as people explore new limits. Yet many things have not changed. For example, buying holiday presents is still the same yet the way we buy them (i.e. Amazon prime) might have changed.

As an entrepreneur Jeff Bezos is a true inspiration. In a recent fireside chat I like a comment he makes about change. He says that he’s always asked what will change in ten years yet the more important question is “what’s not going to change in 10 years?” What will customers continue to need?

One thing I am certain of is that the right talent in the right roles will always be a necessity. Hence I will take a lesson from Jeff—listen to my customers, continue to evolve and always provide them the things they value!  

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What is the New American Dream?

This blog article is the first in a series on the subject of adjusting our life strategies to the realities inherent in what can be termed the ”New American Dream”

The American Dream is about the opportunity to build a better life than your parents but as a society we have become focused on external things as a sign of success. We all know that having things does not make us happy.

The NEW American Dream is about looking inside ourselves and defining for ourselves our unique personal brand in order to have success as we define it. It may not mean things, but time or experiences. It’s about being true to yourself, your strengths and passions, based on where you are right now in your life.

When you find the intersection of your strength and passion you are unstoppable.

What is your definition of the New American Dream?

Lisa Hufford

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2012 Goal Setting in 5 Easy Steps

As the new year approaches its time to think about goal setting for 2012, whether you are a dedicated business consultant responsible for managing your personal brand or a business owner responsible for managing a major product launch. The most important rule of thumb when setting goals is making sure they are realistic and achievable.

Accomplishing your goals should enable you to reach successful milestones that inevitably bring about positive change in your life, both personally and professionally.

Just as I have outlined 5 easy steps to identifying your personal brand*, I take a similar approach to setting and achieving goals. Simplicity is at the heart of everything we do so remember, keep it simple and take the first step.

Kick Start Setting & Achieving Your Goals in 5 Easy Steps:

1. Close your eyes and visualize yourself a year from now. Where are you? What do you look like? What are you doing?

2. Now open your eyes and write down one goal for each major area of your life (personal/professional/family & friends)

3. Now choose one of those goals that is the most important to you

4. Make a list of the things you must do to achieve your goal

5. Commit to achieving your goal by marking the actual date that you plan to achieve your goal; mark the date on your calendar

Now, go do it and achieve significance and success in your life!

Want to keep going?  Write down the most important to-dos for all of the goals that map back to each of the major areas of your life.  Be sure to check-in on the progress of your goals on a monthly basis.  The most important thing about goal setting is getting crystal  clear on what success looks like so that you have a clear path to achieve success.  Goal setting is important but nothing is more motivating than actually achieving success in the process!

Good luck and heres wishing all of you a very happy and productive 2012!

-Lisa Hufford

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#FF: Some of our favorite thought leaders

#FF (a.k.a. Follow Friday) is a beloved and very well used Twitter hashtag that allows individuals to show their network who they follow.  We love gaining insight and inspiration from a variety of writers daily. We would like to share just a few of the sources that inspire us and hopefully you too!

#FF @tom_peters

Tom Peters - http://www.tompeters.com/

A long-time thought guru in organizational management; Tom Peters was one of the first to espouse the philosophy of personal branding and personal excellence in the workplace.

Here are a couple great books to check out: Brand You 50 and The Little Big Things

#FF @GuyKawasaki

Guy Kawasaki - http://blog.guykawasaki.com/#axzz1e55cqYGk

Guy Kawasaki was the chief evangelist of Apple and now is the co-founder of Alltop.com which is a great aggregation of popular topics on the web.  He also is an angel investor through his company, Garage Technology Ventures. Kawasaki’s top publications include: Enchantment and Reality Check.

#FF @jeffbullas

Jeff Bullas - http://www.jeffbullas.com/

Sydney-based Jeff Bullas is a prolific blogger on social media marketing. His blog features articles on the latest features to the top social networks.  He also highlights the best social media marketing campaigns featured on Facebook. Also, please check out the Marketing Resources tab for a great list of additional marketing articles (http://www.jeffbullas.com/marketing-resources/).

There are several other amazing blogs out there and we’ll highlight more in the weeks to come. What are you favorite writers/blogs to #FF?  Who inspires you?  

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Your Personal Brand: Top Questions to Consider

“Personal success is achieved by understanding your unique personal brand and choosing to live it. As Oscar Wilde said, ‘Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.’- Lisa Hufford, founder and CEO, at Simplicity Consulting, Inc.

In this competitive employment environment, it’s important for you to differentiate yourself from others.  What skills, experiences, and passions make you a unique candidate?  What makes you, you?

Lisa outlines the questions to consider when developing your personal brand in her book, “Be You. Five Steps to Living Your Personal Brand.”

Be aware. How are you showing up now and how do you want to show up?

Be unique. Is there something in your life that you do and that others consistently tell you that you are great at?

Be confident. Confidence is about remembering what you have done well in the past and owning it in your future?

Be teachable. What are you doing to expand your world and your skills?

Be kind. Become aware that you may be your own worst critic with negative self-talk.

Interested in exploring these issues more and developing your personal brand? Please consider attending our January 10th class.

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Clients don’t care how much you know….until they know how much you care.

David Ogilvy

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Confidence is within our control

The recent Today Show segment, After years of staying at home – moms return to work, reminds me of what I do every day which is help people build their confidence to find work.  Here is the solution. Remember your success story.  We all have had moments when we feel like we are on top of the world.  Write down what that time was for you. Where were you? What were you doing? What attributes made you successful? Instead of saying you have a great attitude and that you are a team player show your hiring manager these skills by telling them your success story.  If you want a simple guide then check out my book “Be You, five steps to living your personal brand”

Wrap up your gifts

Our unique skills and talents are our gifts that we offer to others. Sometimes people don’t want our gifts and that is OK.  Your personal brand is the one thing that is completely within your control and when you take the time to uncover it and own it you realize that your confidence soars and you will attract those who value your gifts.  Get clear on what you want and if you need a little help then join us for our next personal brand workshop.

Show your value

Your value is directly proportional to other people’s perception of the value you are providing to them. This takes some pressure off of you if you feel like you have to sell yourself.  It’s not about selling yourself.  It’s about listening and understanding other people’s pain points and helping them solve their problems. When you help others get what they want then your value increases which leads to your success.

Lisa

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Why Social Media matters

Gary Vaynerchuk, author of “Crush It”, has completely changed the way I perceive social media.  He talks about the future of marketing as one to one relationship marketing with a variety of social media tools to support it.  He claims there is really only one reason why businesses should invest and care about social media because it sells stuff.  We are social beings and the most powerful form of marketing is word of mouth.  Social media takes word of mouth to the next level and the companies who succeed in social media marketing understand that it’s not about content, but context will win.  The web has made it easy for anyone and everyone to create content and now every 48 hours there is as much content being created as from the dawn of time to 2003.  How does your content relate to the audience you are speaking to?  What is the right context? The winners will deliver on the unique needs of what their clients are saying about themselves using social media.

Lisa

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Resilience

We are all mourning the loss and remembering the legacy of Steve Jobs today.  It’s truly amazing the impact one man had on technology, pop culture, communication, music and essentially how we do our everyday tasks.  Of the many things to admire about Steve Jobs, I most admire his resilience and determination to be true to what he felt was right no matter what obstacle was thrown his way. As he said in his famous Stanford commencement speech “Your time is limited so don’t waste it living someone else’s life”.  

Lisa