Inner Whizdom

I’m excited and energized by Donald Tapscott’s and Anthony Williams’ Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything. They explain how the principles of openness, peering, sharing, and acting globally define how 21st-century corporations compete.

It jazzes me for a number of reasons. I’m initially attracted to the wondrous technological possibilities of Web 2.0. But it also makes my heart soar to hear how trust and sharing are the way of the future in business. There is room for me and my values.

Kudos to the organizers and sponsors of A Brand You World Personal Branding Summit. It was well-run and informative.

While I still have some resistance to the language, and thinking of myself as a commodity, I get the point. Everyone on the brandwagon (I think I first heard Kirsten Dixson use that expression) basically says Personal Branding is “being yourself.” That’s all well and good to say it, but many of them give you some ways to know what that means and how to do it. And, while being yourself (and knowing what that is) is essential, the part that’s hardest for me is “selling yourself.”

What I took away from yesterday’s summit is that selling yourself = loving yourself and sharing your gifts. That is something I understand and enthusiastically support. My thanks to Susan Britton Whitcomb for my favorite quote of the day, “Your gifts are to be given.”

I’m learning about Personal Branding– reading Career Distinction, looking forward to A Brand You World– the all-day telesummit on 11/8.

I must admit I have a certain amount of resistance to the topic.

I’m slightly repulsed by the idea of thinking of one’s self as a product. I’m also not very good at it. While I recognize the success of these marketing efforts, I remain fuzzy and unable to communicate clearly what sets me apart.

My 360 Reach results describe me as “Communicative.” What does that mean? Clifton StrengthsFinder 2.0 says I’m strong at Connectedness and something they call “Individualization”– that means I’m intrigued by the unique qualities of each person. But that also means I imagine everyone having a different point of view about what Communicative means!

Do you see my dilemma?

I’m basically uninterested in what sets me apart. I care about you, and what we are together. Where are we alike? How might we co-operate for mutual benefit?

I understand that people want to know about me, learn my story. It’s helpful. I want to learn how to do it better. So I can be Communicative– whatever that means.