One of the most common business initiatives today is being a team player. In fact, I was recently questioned about this at women's leadership conference at Emory University. How do you stand out from the crowd when the company wants you to be a team player? It's an important practice used by today's companies, and it is considered a negative if you are not a team player. The thing that most people dont understand is that you cant lose sight of the ME factors either. Teams are great. They build consensus, share the workload, and come together for a unified purpose. But where does individuality, initiative, or just plain ego in the team concept? When I say ego, I don't mean the typical appellation the big heads that are full of themselves. I mean the M for "ME". Looking out for numero uno. We all want to be successful and today it's becoming increasingly difficult to find the right path toward that success. Job uncertainty, information overload, and balancing work and family issues -- it goes on and on. Whether you work for yourself or work for someone else, don't lose sight of the fact that you need to look out for you. If you were self employed or worked as an independent contractor, you would spend 50% of your time marketing for the next job. Aside from good eating, exercise and other regimens to take care of your body, are you doing anything to enrich your mind? This needs to be as firmly entrenched as an exercise program. Every day you need to set aside some time for "ME". Whether it's reconnecting with old friends or making new ones, you need to satisfy and nurture that inner person. That's the person who says, "I'm important, I count, I can make a difference." The critical part is to take some time to make that difference too. The largest numbers of calls I get are for help. But usually they come when it's too late. The caller just lost their job. Their company was sold. It is the day of their performance evaluation. These people aren't practicing "ME!" They go along with the flow and don't think beyond the day-to-day survival issues. I have been accused many times of having a big head (read Big Head Bio article) or being full of myself. So what? I know where I'm going and I do something about it every day. I accept most challenges and always looking for new ones. I'm tireless in my efforts to promote myself. I share my knowledge and expertise to enable both men and women to reach their full potential. This should be your mantra too. I can't emphasize it enough. Don't wait until it's too late to make that call to share your resources and your network. People will be much more willing to help you when you have established an ongoing line of communication. Not when you call out of the blue and want some help. So plan a campaign to enhance your "ME Factor" as part of your spring personal branding initiatives. Some ideas to consider: Give a speech that you have to do research for; Accept an assignment that you consider a challenge; Contact someone who you consider to be a role model or who you admire; Reestablish ten old acquaintances; Plan to attend a conference or seminar for personal enrichment; Take a mini-vacation (long weekend) no cell, or laptops; Treat yourself to something you have always wanted. (It could be anything that makes you feel good about yourself); Invest in yourself for the long haul. Continuing education, training, learning more about your industry or business field. The important thing is to take action, even just a small thing can make a difference. Remember to think about your "ME" factor at least once a week. Bring out your best "ME" and you will get the support of everyone's "WE." |
