| Brands evoke responses. Talk to anyone who loves | | | | performance.Whether emails or hallway hellos, |
| their Starbucks coffee, or hates their car; loves their | | | | meetings or project plans, ideas or feedback, you |
| Apple iPod, or hates their internet provider. When you | | | | imprint your signature with each action. Every |
| think of your favorite or least favorite brands, certain | | | | encounter informs people what to expect from you. |
| feelings and attributes come to mind. These represent | | | | And these impressions, good or not so good, create |
| the brand. The same is true for people.When you hear | | | | brand "you" at work.Remember first grade when you |
| the name Joe, you have an impression of the | | | | proudly printed at the top of the wide-ruled paper your |
| Joe-brand, good or not so good. When Erin is assigned | | | | name so everyone could see it? We may not write |
| to your team, you may figuratively breathe a sigh of | | | | our names in big, bold crayon on our work anymore, |
| relief or roll your eyes. It's the Erin-brand that evokes | | | | but make no mistake, your name is on everything you |
| your response. What about your name? What | | | | do.People who are winning at working know that. |
| reaction does it elicit from your boss, coworkers or | | | | They're like great product brands. They're reliable, |
| clients?We expect brands to demonstrate their | | | | dependable and authentic. They deliver their unique |
| attributes, or brand promise, not once or twice, but | | | | brand attributes, not once or twice, but day in and day |
| every time we encounter them. Inconsistencies in | | | | out; not just on highly visible or politically aligned |
| performance can damage our brand relationships and | | | | projects, but on the routine, mundane ones, too. And |
| cause us to select other brands. With people-brands, it | | | | they're as personable with the person who can't |
| means we promote, fire, assign projects and | | | | promote them as the person who can.People who are |
| compensate based on that brand performance.Of | | | | winning at working understand they are a unique brand |
| course, we may forgive an occasional slip, seeing it as | | | | with specific gifts, talents and attributes. Their name is |
| an atypical hiccup from a brand we otherwise love. | | | | their icon. Their brand promise is delivering the best of |
| For me that happened with Disney. I'm a Disney fan, | | | | who they are. Want to be winning at working? Deliver |
| traveling to Walt Disney World once or twice a year. | | | | the promise in your brand.(c) 2006 Nan S. Russell. All |
| But a few years back, the magic was tarnishing. The | | | | rights reserved.Receive a copy of 21 Winning Career |
| parks weren't quite as clean, the staff not quite as | | | | Tips (a free download) at Nan Russell has spent over |
| friendly, the experience not quite as promised, or what I | | | | twenty years in management, most recently with |
| had grown to expect.Since Disney had the equivalent | | | | QVC as a Vice President. She has held leadership |
| of banked good-will in their brand relationship account | | | | positions in Human Resource Development, |
| with me, from years delivering on their brand promise, I | | | | Communication, Marketing and line Management. Nan |
| tried a few more trips. Happily it turned around. But | | | | has a B.A. from Stanford University and M.A. from the |
| brand relationships we once loved can be diminished | | | | University of Michigan. Currently working on her first |
| and good-will accounts can be overdrawn. It happens | | | | book, Winning at Working: 10 Lessons Shared, Nan is a |
| at work, too. Previously strong relationships can | | | | columnist, writer and speaker. |
| become bankrupt with inconsistent or poor | | | | |