So it goes like this: we are ALL known for something. In fact, you can’t NOT be known for something. Ask anyone you work with and they will tell you what you are known for………..(a little bit scary I know).
In work this matters a great deal, and the team I was with last week realised that they needed to understand what they were known for with their stakeholders as this would affect how people engage with them going forward. So I shared this simple framework with them and they developed their simple ‘story’ to be able to influence those people that matter to get this major transformation project underway.
It also matters an enormous amount when it comes to your own career development. Ask yourself this: you have to take a risk on someone i.e. a large project, bigger role etc. You have narrowed it down to 2 people both of whom have good positive open communication styles:
- Person A seems to be part of successful projects, but it’s not clear exactly what they did and certainly they aren’t labelled with any unsuccessful projects.
- Person B has a very clear list of what they have done, and are currently doing, and could talk clearly and humbly about things they have done in the past that didn’t go so well but that they have learned from and grown as a result.
This is where you can get clear on your own story and tell it openly and concisely to people. It’s also a chance to correct any old opinions people may have or refresh their stories of you. So give it a try and start testing it with people…
by Jason Miller
