Your Brand Promise

Brands evoke responses. Talk to anyone who loves their Starbucks coffee, or hates their car; loves their Apple iPod, or hates their internet provider. When you think of your favorite or least favorite brands, certain feelings and attributes come to mind. These represent the brand. The same is true for people.

When you hear the name Joe, you have an impression of the Joe-brand, good or not so good. When Erin is assigned to your team, you may figuratively breathe a sigh of relief or roll your eyes. It's the Erin-brand that evokes your response. What about your name? What reaction does it elicit from your boss, coworkers or clients?

We expect brands to demonstrate their attributes, or brand promise, not once or twice, but every time we encounter them. Inconsistencies in performance can damage our brand relationships and cause us to select other brands. With people-brands, it means we promote, fire, assign projects and compensate based on that brand performance.

Of course, we may forgive an occasional slip, seeing it as an atypical hiccup from a brand we otherwise love. For me that happened with disney. I'm a disney fan, traveling to walt Disney world once or twice a year. But a few years back, the magic was tarnishing. The parks weren't quite as clean, the staff not quite as friendly, the experience not quite as promised, or what I had grown to expect.

Since disney had the equivalent of banked good-will in their brand relationship account with me, from years delivering on their brand promise, I tried a few more trips. Happily it turned around. But brand relationships we once loved can be diminished and good-will accounts can be overdrawn. It happens at work, too. Previously strong relationships can become bankrupt with inconsistent or poor performance.

Whether emails or hallway hellos, meetings or project plans, ideas or feedback, you imprint your signature with each action. Every encounter informs people what to expect from you. And these impressions, good or not so good, create brand "you" at work.

Remember first grade when you proudly printed at the top of the wide-ruled paper your name so everyone could see it? We may not write our names in big, bold crayon on our work anymore, but make no mistake, your name is on everything you do.

People who are winning at working know that. They're like great product brands. They're reliable, dependable and authentic. They deliver their unique brand attributes, not once or twice, but day in and day out; not just on highly visible or politically aligned projects, but on the routine, mundane ones, too. And they're as personable with the person who can't promote them as the person who can.

People who are winning at working understand they are a unique brand with specific gifts, talents and attributes. Their name is their icon. Their brand promise is delivering the best of who they are. Want to be winning at working? Deliver the promise in your brand.

(c) 2006 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved.

Receive a copy of 21 Winning career tips (a free download) at http://www.winningcareertips.com Nan Russell has spent over twenty years in management, most recently with QVC as a Vice President. She has held leadership positions in human Resource development, Communication, Marketing and line management. Nan has a B.A. from Stanford University and M.A. from the University of Michigan. Currently working on her first book, Winning at Working: 10 lessons Shared, Nan is a columnist, writer and speaker. visit http://www.nanrussell.com

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How to Make Wedding Planning More Enjoyable For Everyone Involved

When a man and woman decide to spend the rest of their lives together, it is a magical moment. For many, that moment is followed by months and months of extensive planning. All that planning can be a long and stressful process but it does not have to be. As a wedding floral designer, I have met with hundreds of brides and have dealt with every kind of expectation, insecurity, opinion, space limitation, budget restraint, and family member.

My best advice is to have fun. Some of my favorite brides had a great time planning their wedding. They remembered why they were working so hard and they had a great time doing it. Some brides were so much fun to work with we became close friends over the course of the planning. Also, be open to new ideas and trust your vendors. We are here to elaborate on your ideas and offer creative ideas based on our expertise. Please take advantage of our years of experience after all, that is why you are paying us.

Here are some tips that will help make the planning process more enjoyable for you and everyone involved in the planning process:

1.Keep Things in Perspective - Its your wedding day not a major film production. 2.Remain Calm Budgets may need adjusting, some flowers may not be in as expected, the exact linen color you wanted does not exist in your price range, or mother nature may not cooperate with the weather. Trust the professionals you hired to create a magical day - they will make adjustments as problems arise. They want your wedding to be as beautiful as you do that is probably why you hired them. 3.Know What You Want Make decisions and stick to them. Making major changes at the last moment may increase costs and could cause undo stress. 4.Remember Its One Night It will be a beautiful and memorable event, but dont let it rule your life. 5.Smile You are in love and have found the man of your dreams! Its your wedding day - now let your team of experts do their jobs.

Hopefully, these tips will prepare you to take on the next steps in planning. It is important to hire experienced, reputable vendors who will listen to your ideas and expand on them. Delegate where possible and concentrate on the areas most important to you such as gown, dcor, seating arrangements, and honeymoon plans. Hire a great team, make timely decisions, make necessary adjustments, smile, and have a great time!

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