“How did you do that?” My colleague Leigh sounded impressed. He had been working with a problem client for weeks trying to get design approval. Then I came along and was able to get signed-off in a single conference call. “Can you teach me how you did that?” he asked. I mumbled something about years of experience, but the truth was I didn’t have a clue. It just seems I can find design approval easier than most.
As I thought about it I realised there are actually quite a lot of things that have become second nature for me over the years. But I have learnt the hard way through many painful projects. Unfortunately because I started designing websites back in 1994 there was nobody around to teach me this stuff. I wish somebody could have just shown me how to avoid all of those endless revisions. Hopefully some of the advice I share with you here can help you avoid years of pain and suffering.
My first piece of advice focuses on the old adage — prevention is better than cure.
Prevention Is Better Than CureIn our enthusiasm to start a project we often don’t take the time to prepare the client. For many clients this will be their first web project. So they may not really understand what that involves or what their role is.
At our company, we pre-empt common issues and prepare the client by giving them a PDF factsheet about working with designers.
So before you leap into your next project, let me recommend you complete the following steps:
Educate the client about their role Take the time to explain to the client what you expect from them. I always make the point of telling our clients to focus on problems, not solutions. I encourage them to avoid making design suggestions, but rather to point out why they feel a design is wrong. The job then falls onto us to come up with the right solution for their problem.Take the client through a process Because many clients are not familiar with the Web design process, take the time to explain it. This has two benefits. When people are in unfamiliar territory they attempt to take control. This leads to micromanagement. By explaining your process you reassure them, giving them confidence. Second, explaining your process demonstrates you are the expert and puts you in the driver’s seat.Pre-empt common issues We all know there are certain issues that always come up. Things like “make my logo bigger“, “can we use comic sans?” or “put everything above the fold” have become standing jokes in the Web design community. Why then would we not pre-empt these issues? By talking about them upfront it makes it much harder for the client to mention them later. After all, none of us likes to be the person who is predictable, making the ‘dumb’ request. WeeNudge is a superb site for pre-empting common issues and educating your clients about the Web.
Even once your project is up and running prevention can still be better than curing. For example, when you complete a design and show it to the client you can do a lot to prevent problems from coming up.
First, you should always present the design. This is your chance to justify your approach. Refer back to previously agreed upon work. If you have used moodboards, point out how the design draws on them. The same is true for wireframes, personas or any other elements the client has signed off on. It’s hard for the client to reject a design built on elements they have already agreed upon. You must never hand over a design without explanation.
Never simply send a design to a client asking them what they think. Take the time to present the design and ask for specific feedback.
Secondly, be aware the client may show the design around. This is problematic. Although you may have been careful to explain the decision making process to the client, others will not have this background information. This inevitably means the third parties will fallback on personal opinion and potentially sway the client in the wrong direction.
The solution to this problem is not to present your design as either a static image or as a final webpage. Instead, record a short video talking the client through the design. This video can then be passed on to whoever the client wishes to show. That way whoever views it will get all the information they require to provide educated feedback.
Finally, control the kind of feedback you receive. Never ask a client what they think of the design. Ask them instead how they believe their users will react to the design or whether it meets their business objectives. You can even go as far as asking them whether the design reflects the signed-off moodboards or wireframes. If you can get them saying yes to these questions they will realize that even if they personally dislike the design it is still the right solution.
Of course, when I was able to get the design signed-off on Leigh’s project, I hadn’t had a chance to lay down any of this groundwork. So what other factors came into play that made me successful where he had failed? One was my attitude going into the discussion.
Get Your Attitude RightLeigh had been trying to get design sign-off for weeks. Both he and the client were frustrated. Battle lines had been drawn despite the fact both sides wanted the project completed.
This is a common problem. We start to see our clients as the enemy. In fact, there are many cases where bad past experience puts us on the defense from the outset. At every turn we start to build into our controls the limitations for the number of iterations and endeavors of the client’s influence. We even moan to one another how life would be better without clients.
Because of bad past experiences with clients we can often get off on the wrong foot with new clients.
It’s not surprising that design sign-off becomes a battle. We are looking for a fight even before we begin. It’s vitally important that we change this mindset and see every new client relationship as an exciting opportunity and not as a potential point of conflict.
When dealing with Leigh’s client, I had the advantage of not being on the defensive. My ego had not been bruised by rejection. You need to leave your ego at the door. Often it is worth picking your battles and letting the client win from time to time. This helps them feel their contribution is worthwhile and valued. It is when the client feels ignored or isolated from the process that conflict arises.
By getting your own attitude right, this goes a long way to establishing a good relationship with the client. This is key to successful design sign-off.
Get The Relationship RightWe would love to deny that the client is an intrinsic part of the Web design process. However, you can be the best Web designer in the world, but if the client isn’t on your side, you are wasting your time and ultimately the project will cost you money.
In theory we should all be experts in establishing good relationships with our clients. After all, we pride ourselves on empathizing with users and understanding their motivation and needs. We should then be able to apply these same skills to our clients. If we then understand their needs and motivations, it is much easier to establish a good relationship.
Working closely with them helps. The temptation is to hold the client at arm’s length and minimize their involvement in the project. However, if you want to get the client on board, you are better off working with them collaboratively. This means they will feel a sense of ownership over the design, and are more likely to sign off on it.
We find wireframing with the client is an excellent way of involving them in the process and building a better working relationship.
The other advantage of collaboration is that it makes the client feel important. It provides them with a sense of purpose in the relationship rather than just being a spare part to rubber stamp your decisions. I tell clients that it is their site and their decision, I am simply there to give advice on the best practice. This allows them the sense of control that is so important.
“But what if they make silly decisions?” you may ask. Often they will listen to you simply because you aren’t arguing with them. However when they still pursue an unwise course of action, I do not allow things to descend into a fight. Instead I make my position clear and leave the decision over to them. I have also been known to use phrases like “that is a brave decision” or “that’s an unusual approach” which is a less confrontational way of telling them they are being dumb.
Giving the client a sense of control doesn’t mean you are a doormat. In fact, I don’t believe clients want that. They want you to control the process.
Take ControlAlthough clients want to feel involved and have a sense of control, they don’t want to run the show. Most clients only interfere in the process when they feel you are out of your depth. It is important that we always appear to be the authority in the project.
I think this is the primary reason I managed to get sign-off on Leigh’s project. On our conference call I took control. I was careful not to be arrogant or push the client out, but it was clear I was in charge of the process. I achieved this using the following techniques:
I was confident Sounding confident can often be half the battle. Listen to the client and make a recommendation. Know what you think and communicate it confidently. If you sound like an expert people will treat you as one. However, be careful not to come across as arrogant. Just know your mind.I was willing to challenge When a client asks for something you disagree with, say so. That said, don’t immediately jump in with why it is wrong. Instead ask the client why they want to take a particular approach. Often the client hasn’t really thought things through and a few well placed questions will help them to conclude it isn’t sensible. Also by asking questions you demonstrate you have thought things through […]

  I used to think the beginning of a website design project was the best part. Hopes are high. People are full of great ideas. Nobody is disappointed yet. But as I gained experience, I found that learning about a client’s brand, competitors and customers doesn’t always give clear direction about design goals.
Brand discussions can generate goals like “be modern,” but they don’t necessarily determine how to accomplish those goals. Competitor reviews can devolve into cherry-picking sessions that spawn “frankencomps” rather than provide helpful feedback. And mood boards, which communicate a general feeling, don’t help to articulate or prioritize design goals. With a design matrix, you can guide discussions and establish clear direction.
Hey, You Got Math In My Art…Sometimes the abstract nature of design is enough to make you envy the people over in accounting, with their definite answers and proven formulas. While the beauty of design is that it transcends the world of definite answers, introducing a little math in the form of design matrices can help you create better websites by providing a clear picture of where the website design is today and where it should go tomorrow.
Design matrices don’t require any serious math skills because they’re based on the coordinate system. Chances are you’ve seen a competitor matrix that ranks brands according to two key attributes on X and Y axes (for example, value could be plotted against profit margin). A design matrix is essentially like a competitor matrix but ranks the client’s website against competitor websites, and it uses design attributes (“clean” and “warm,” for example) instead of other points of competitive comparison.
A typical competitor matrix ranks brands according to rational factors. (This example, which compares a few car models, was created for illustrative purposes only.)
A design matrix ranks website designs according to design attributes. (This example, which compares airline website designs, was created for illustrative purposes only).
Design matrices are powerful tools for determining the path of the website design process, because: they force you to determine two design attributes to focus on; they build consensus within a team; they guide the clients’ perception of competitors; and, most importantly, they lead to differentiated website designs.
The Art (And Math) Of Building A Design MatrixStep 1: Gather InformationTo build a design matrix, you will need to know the client’s core brand attributes and main competitors. You should also have a broad understanding of what the redesign aims to accomplish (from a design perspective): “the website is cluttered” or “our website is not engaging.” The good news is that information gathering is a normal part of the discovery phase.
A design matrix should not be the only piece of work involved in the discovery phase, but it can replace some other approaches. Creating or documenting a brand’s position and defining the key redesign goals are essential. However, a design matrix could potentially replace mood boards. A mood board is a collage or grid of images that capture the “feel” or “tone” of a brand. They are valuable tools for providing direction to new brands, but they provide a less concrete direction than a design matrix. If the brand is in its nascent form and needs broad high-level direction, then mood boards work well; but if you are working with an established brand or a client who prefers a concrete approach, then a design matrix is the best bet.
Document the brand’s position before creating a design matrix. (For illustrative purposes only.)
Image Spark is a great resource for creating online mood boards—particularly useful if you are working with a company that requires high-level brand definition.
Another common discovery activity that design matrices can replace is the “competitor website review.” Looking at competitors’ websites can generate lively discussion, but too often it either shifts the focus to feature sets instead of design direction, or it becomes a cherry-picking session for disparate design elements from a variety of websites that the designer is somehow supposed to mash together into a single coherent website design.
Create a design matrix that shows the current website in relation to competing websites. This way, you are less likely to get distracted by feature sets or be expected to combine all sorts of design elements. That said, if you are looking for an energizing group activity, competitor reviews can generate more brainstorming than a design matrix. Doing both is an option, but if you do that, then do the matrix after the walk-through of competitors.
Delta Airlines’ website.
United Airlines’ website.
Looking at these individual airline websites, rather than comparing them on a design matrix, can lead to a less design-oriented and more feature-focused conversation.
Step 2: Determine Your X and Y AxesNarrowing down a design direction to two attributes can be uncomfortable for those of us accustomed to creative briefs that list a litany of brand attributes to guide our design. How often have we heard that a design should be “clean,” “inspiring,” “warm,” “engaging,” “approachable” and “trustworthy”? How do we even accomplish just two of these attributes? And if we must choose only two, how do we decide?
Understand that a design matrix is not intended to limit the final design to two attributes. That would be almost impossible. It is intended to illustrate the two most important attributes for taking the website design to the next level and differentiating it from that of competitors.
To determine your X and Y axes, ask yourself the following questions:
Of all the brand’s attributes, what will make this client stand out from the crowd? Which design traits reinforce those brand attributes?What are the competitor websites’ strengths and weaknesses?What does the design need to do better in order to accomplish the website’s goals?The X and Y axes should not be nearly synonymous (for example, “warm” and “engaging”), nor should they be mutually exclusive (“innovative” and “traditional”). There should be a slight tension between the two attributes.
The airline websites, for example, are ranked according to how “clean” and “personable” their designs are. There is a slight, but not negating, tension between these two attributes. Clean websites can come across as cold if they don’t have a distinctive voice or warm color palette. Personable websites are often less functionally organized. Achieving a high ranking for both attributes is a worthy challenge, and stepping up to that challenge will definitely create a distinctive website.
You might find that you change the labels of your axes as you place the websites on the matrix (see step 3), but the above process should get you pretty close to determining what the final axes should be.
Step 3: Play a LittleYou know the competitors. You have a clear idea of what is important, brand- and design-wise. You have determined your x and y axes. It’s time to try some things out.
Place all of the websites on your matrix as you would rank them off the top of your head. As you begin to place them, you will most likely rearrange some as you compare them to others. This is a natural part of the process because the matrix shows relationships as well as individual rankings.
I was influenced by Jet Blue’s overall branding and so originally ranked its website’s personality fairly high. Later, when I compared it to the Delta and Virgin America websites, I revised the ranking.
Design matrices do not have to be limited to ranking competitors. They can also show a client’s website’s position among affinity brands (i.e. brands with a similar “feel” and customer base). Mini USA and Apple, for example, might be considered affinity brands because they both exemplify modern design and appeal to similar customer types.
Step 4: Get SeriousThings will take shape fairly quickly, but there is a final step before declaring your design direction matrix done and dusted. Before sharing the matrix with the client team, make sure you can defend it. Show it to others in your agency and see if they agree with your placement decisions. Ask these key questions:
Do my axes represent the two most important design attributes?Can I clearly articulate why I placed each website where I did?Will the redesign be able to get the website to the top-right corner? If not, what is holding it back?If you answered yes, yes and yes (or yes, yes and yes if we do a certain thing…), then your website design direction matrix is ready to share with the client.
Creating Buy-In With Design MatricesEveryone loves talking about design, but with everyone talking, we don’t always hear other ideas. If you show a client a design matrix before creating the initial comprehensives, then you will visibly and quantifiably show that you are on the same page; and because of that, you’ll likely be successful in the long run.
The design matrix will clearly show which websites you think best capture the desired attributes and where the current website falls into the mix. It is a tangible foundation for a conversation about design.
Invite the client to participate actively in this stage of the design process. Clients usually want to feel like they have had direct input in the design, and designers always prefer that the input comes sooner in a high-level, directional form (“The design feels cold”), rather than later in an overly specific form (“Make that element blue”).
Discuss the following questions:
Does the matrix address the two most important design attributes?Do we all agree on the placement of competing and/or affinity brands?Do we all agree on the placement of the client’s brand?If we end up in the top-right corner, are we where we want to be?Using a d[…]

How to achieve your goals is a guest post by Jaime Tardy.

“By setting goals and measuring their achievement, you can focus on what is most important, waste less energy on noncritical tasks, and achieve greater results. “ – Harvard Business Essentials

Most of us have heard the statistic: People who set goals are more successful. You know how to set goals. But do you know how to achieve them?

As a entrepreneurial coach I have seen a lot! I've used my clients’ successes and failures to set up a system for actually achieving goals.

Set Your Destination: One Year, One Goal
Pick one main goal. We get WAY too caught up in wanting everything now. Yes, I want everything now too! But if we don't put a laser focus on our goals, we will water things down. Choose only one focus in 2011 for your business.

I love Erica's idea of choosing a #themeword to describe your year. I do a similar thing by picking the one goal that will define my year.

In order to pick that one goal, you need to first figure out the priorities in your business.

Priorities. What is the #1 most important thing in your business? What are numbers 2 and 3?

If you don't know what is most important in your business, you cannot effectively make decisions about the year ahead. Is customer retention the biggest factor in your success? Is it improving conversions on your online campaigns?

Once you have chosen the one goal that describes your year, answer these questions:

How would you feel in 5, 10 or 20 years if you never reached this goal?
Is it bold enough?
Do you believe you can achieve it?
Does this conflict with any other goals?
What obstacles will be in your way?
What people or groups will you need to work with to achieve the goal?
What knowledge will you need to complete this goal?
Are you willing to pay the price? Are you 100% committed?
What are the benefits of achieving it? What pain will there be if you don't achieve it?

After you answer these questions, you should have a general feeling if this goal is big enough to be scary, hard enough to matter, and exciting enough to really commit to–no matter what. If you don’t feel strongly enough about your goal, change it.

Plan Your Trip: Set Measurements and Objectives
Many of my entrepreneurial clients have so many ideas on what they could be doing and what might bring in revenue that they can't figure out where to start. The solution? Work backwards. Break it down! Break your Big Goal into 3 month, 6 month and 9 month goals so you know where you need to be to reach your goal at each point in the year.

For example, let’s say you want to earn $8,000 per month by the end of 2011. Right now you earn $4,000 per month. So within 6 months you need to earn $2,000 more per month. And within 3 months you need to earn $1,000 more per month.

In order to make the goal of an extra $1,000 per month by March 31, you need to make $250 more per week.

Translate into products or services. Let's say you are a graphic designer. If you average about $250 per client, you need 1 more client each and every week.

So you set the objective "Get one additional client each week". That's a bit intangible. How do you get one more client per week? You may be thinking, “If I knew that, I would be making more already!”

The key is to know your numbers. If you are keeping track of your metrics already, you should know your closing rate–how many prospects you need to talk to in order to sell one person. If you don't know, start keeping track.

Let's say your closing rate is 50%. That means you only need to speak with two qualified prospects to gain one new client.

But how many people do you need to talk to if you want to find two qualified prospects? If you don't already know at this point, look at your history of sales and make an educated guess.

Let's say you average one quality prospect for every 6 people that you speak to. That means you need to have twelve conversations each week.

To meet your goal, brainstorm a list to accomplish just that one objective. Ask yourself: “How can I have twelve conversations each week?”

If you have conversations by networking events, how many do you need to go to? If you have conversations via email, how many more visitors or subscribers do you need to your website?

Fill out what your new goals are each quarter and write down the tasks you will need to do to accomplish them.
Date: 3 Month Goals – Earn $5,000 per month by March 31st 2011.

Get one additional client each week

Have twelve conversations per week

Go to two more networking events per month
Create four guest posts to bring in traffic to the website

Set up a system to keep in touch with qualified prospects.

Date: 6 Month Goals – Earn $6,000 per month by June 30th 2011.

Date: 9 Month Goals – Earn $7,000 per month by September 30th 2011.

Date: 1 Year Goals – Earn $8,000 per month by December 31st 2011.

Right now, commit to just the first three months. Decide that you will achieve your three-month goal come Hell or high water. Declare that you will still be pursuing this goal in March.

Most resolutions for the new year fail. In fact, the New York Times shows that over 80% of New Year’s goals have failed by Valentine's Day. Commit to the goal until March 31st, and afterward you can decide if that goal is right for your business. If not, modify it–but stick with it long enough to decide.

Takeoff: Now I have objectives, how do I achieve them?
You are never going to know exactly what you are going to do every single step of the way. At the pace small businesses change, there is no way to predict what information you will need to know 9 months from now.

You can, however, set up a system to figure out what to do next.

System for Achieving Objectives:
Look at your objectives! You need to consciously bring attention to your goals each week. I've had clients who set aside time at the end of the week to look at their objectives and rate their progress.

Keep your objectives in an easily-visible place. Some people keep their objectives written in their bathroom!

Set weekly priorities. Begin each week by determining what three things are most important to accomplish in your business. This means you will accomplish them even if you have to work late into the night.

Figure out your priorities by setting aside time to plan your week. Your week should not only be about putting out fires. Your tasks each week should be bringing you closer to your goals.

Find a mastermind group, coach or another business owner who can hold you accountable. You can create a great business without a good support network, but why would you want to? There will be tough days this year–days when you throw your hands up and say, “I'm frustrated! This isn't working!” Set up a support structure that can talk you off that ledge. Your accountability partner/group can also help by giving you their experiences and expertise.

A new year is a great time to really set yourself up for success. Take the time now to make sure 2011 is your best year ever!

Jaime Tardy is an entrepreneurial coach and blogs about growing your amazing business at Eventual Millionaire.

Erica’s note: Thanks, Jaime! I wrote about this system of thinking backwards from your goals to now in my earlier post True Visionaries Think Backwards. Take some time each week or even each day to say, “Is what I am working on now helping me achieve my goals?” If it’s not, consider outsourcing it, hiring it out, or dropping the task altogether. And don’t forget to drop by Jaime’s blog at Eventual Millionaire.

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  A strong personal brand is beneficial on many levels. At the core it differentiates the designer, developer, marketer, etc, from the rest of the pack within crowded disciplines. It functions as a self-promotion agent that works for the practitioner 24/7/365 ultimately ensuring this person becomes a magnet for new and interesting work opportunities.
The foundation of a personal brand is initially created by consistently doing good work. From there, commenting, interacting and reacting in public discussion forums, blogging, Twitter, Facebook and the publication of articles and even books further solidify an individual as a thought leader.
However, “the idea of personal brand is often associated with independent practitioners”, as David Armano puts it. And for independents there are typically no conflicts as they are in the business of promoting themselves, their skills and knowledge. However, for practitioners working within corporations and interactive agencies, the challenge becomes balancing their personal brands with the corporate brand.
Many opportunities for frictionAs a corporate employee you don’t represent “you” out in public — you represent the company. The opinions, theories and expertise you present publicly all get attributed to your employer. If you say something controversial, the story that will propagate is not “John Smith said…” but “John Smith, Lead Developer for Company X, said…”  Add to this the risk of disclosing proprietary or sensitive financial information and it’s no surprise many corporations aren’t interested in promoting individuals (outside of C-level executives) externally.
These same corporations are only now beginning to comprehend the power of the social web and don’t understand the need for external “corporate ambassadors”. Colleagues within the organization can also be points of friction as they begin to question whether the now-public practitioner is actually a “work horse or a show horse”, as Christian Crumlish, Director of Consumer Experience at AOL, puts it. If it’s not clear that the company is getting more benefit than the individual, resentment can build causing the individual to start defending their activities.
Crumlish also suggests some companies are concerned that making their star employees visible exposes them to competitive employers looking to poach talent. This alone may make an organization reticent to promote individuals externally.
Finally, if the practitioner works for a less-established brand, there is a risk the personal brand will ultimately outshine the corporate brand. While this is certainly not an issue for global corporations, start-ups who have one or two star employees could face this challenge.
Overcoming these hurdlesThe challenges may seem risky but there are some specific ways to mitigate these risks. By following the guidelines featured below, you will be able to convince your employer to not feel insecure or threatened about you strengthening your personal brand and encourage you to participate in public events.
Make your employer the starTo alleviate any concerns that you are attempting to promote your brand more than your employer’s, make it obvious who that employer is and that you’re speaking on their behalf. Any public facing documents you present must have company branding. This includes white papers, conference posters and slide decks. In addition to branding your thought leadership, all online profiles (Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, et al) and blogs should clearly disclose where you work. Finally, all client associations should also be disclosed to minimize the risk of perceived conflicts of interest or favoritism.
Luke Wroblewski, former Chief Design Architect at Yahoo! and Lead Designer at Ebay, who is a popular speaker at many design conferences, ensured all his presentations were branded with the Yahoo! and Ebay logos. Like Wroblewski, Crumlish, a mainstay on the design conference circuit, also made sure he was seen as a “Yahoo! Person” in all of his public efforts.
Participation in conferences is a good way to strengthen your personal brand and solidify yourself as a thought leader. Image source: Fronteers conference
Make your colleagues smarter, bring back learningsConferences, meetups and other professional extra-curricular activities provide tremendous learning opportunities. As much as you are a presenter at these events, you must also be an attendee. The opportunities for learning and growth are tremendous. It’s important to capture that knowledge and bring it back to your organization to share with your colleagues.
This shared learning can take two forms. The first is sharing the specific things you learned while at the event. What did the other presenters discuss? How does it relate to the challenges you face as a team? How can it be applied? These are the domain-specific elements you picked up from the other presenters.
The second is sharing with your colleagues how to become more successful and active within these external communities. You’re likely not the only person in your organization who is interested in furthering their personal brand. Bringing this education to your colleagues who did not attend the conference and sharing your techniques on how to become more active on that front helps minimize any jealousy that may develop in your colleagues and positions you as a mentor.
Your employer is now a thought leaderWhen attempting to convince your superiors to allow you to participate in public forums on behalf of the company, it’s imperative to remind the organization the benefits the corporate brand gets from this exposure. Active engagement in industry-specific forums and conferences gives the company the chance to stand in front of peers as a thought leader and, in many cases, frame the conversation on a particular topic. Brand perception of your employer improves as adjectives like cutting-edge, innovative and supportive (of new thinking) are associated with it.
In addition, both your business development and talent acquisition departments benefit from the corporate brand enhancement you’re facilitating. Every interaction that is publicly available from the employees of a company provides an opportunity to strengthen that company’s public persona. Tweets and blog posts about the kind of work or processes taking place there humanize the company and increase the attraction of higher caliber employees as well as potential new customers.
This may not be obvious at first to your employer. It’s imperative that you showcase these successes internally. Positive mentions for the company in tweets, blogs and post-conference meetings should be forwarded to the organization’s management. When employment candidates express interest in the company, try to make sure that they are asked how they heard of the company. Each time a candidate mentions a public appearance or some thought leadership showcased in an industry forum, make sure your superiors are aware. If possible, quantifying (in dollars) the value of these appearances should further your cause.
High-level talent that is acquired through word of mouth is significantly less expensive than talent acquired through staffing agencies. Also, have your business development team assess the source of new leads and customers to see how many were driven by the company’s public presence. Each one of those leads and customers has a monetary value which, when tallied, can justify the expense of sending you to the next event to present.
Be bold, yet humbleIn some companies, your superiors may not see the immediate value of your personal brand. In these situations it may prove more successful to ask for forgiveness rather than permission.  Write a blog post on an industry or domain-specific topic and share it publicly. If it drives discussion and positive perception of your employer, tell someone.
Attend the next local meetup and present a quick deck on your latest thinking.  Did someone tweet about it? Share that with your boss. Was there a strong discussion on your blog that reflected well on your employer? Point your PR person to it. Showcasing the success of a low-profile activities or blog posts should engender some level of support from your boss. One word of caution though: ensure that you’ve consulted your company’s policies on such activities, as Crumlish advises. You don’t want to end up violating corporate policies that could put your job at risk.
Choose the right employerIf creating and maintaining a personal brand is something you value then it’s imperative to view your employer through that lens to understand if your goals align. As your personal brand has been developing and growing, has your employer been supportive? Is there a broad corporate understanding of the benefits you can bring through promoting your thought leadership externally? If the answer is ‘No’ then it may be time to evaluate new opportunities.
Becoming an independent practitioner is the easiest option but may not be viable for everyone. In that case, how much do prospective employers “get” the concept of employee empowerment? This is a discussion that should be clear from the outset with a potential new employer. Set the right expectations in your interviews and, if possible, have public-facing activities that grow both your personal brand and the corporate brand written into your job description. There’s no more effective way to balance your personal brand as a corporate employee than to actually have it as one of your position’s responsibilities.
ConclusionUltimately, for the personal brand to grow, the “company should get more value than the individual”, as David Armano said. If that balance is off, then you should consider becoming independent. That doesn’t mean that you cannot create, cultivate and curate a personal brand within a corporation. In fact, a personal brand can be crucial to your continued […]