MindTree Blog Archives
This past week, I continued to work on a possible brand re-launch for MindTree. And I started thinking the importance on managing one’s personal brand. Personal brand is important, regardless of the industry you’re in, but I suspect it’s particularly important in a services industry, where there is no product attributes to position against the competition. What we position (sell) at MindTree is the intellectual capital of our 9,000+ MindTree Minds (what we call our employees). So to a CXO, our buyer, the collective brand of a MindTree project team is probably more important than the brand of our organization as a whole.
What does this mean? Well, for starters it means that everyone within the Company should be asking themselves what they want to stand for. i.e. “What is my personal brand?” What do their clients and partners think about them? What do they want their clients and partners to think about them? In essence, it becomes an individual positioning statement. And it’s important that one’s personal brand is in line with the brand of the Company.
MindTree’s brand through the years has been as the “best mid-size company out of India.” But yet if a majority of the organization does not exude behavior to substantiate this, the brand (positioning) will quickly be lost.
Does everyone at MindTree—from engineer to business analyst to sales professional to marketing and finance team member —think about this? And if they have a personal brand aspiration, have they thought about what actions will and won’t help them get there? The answers should help give someone clarity on the behaviors, actions and efforts required to manage their brand…..and successfully execute their job.
For example, does ‘Joe the Project Manager at MindTree’ aspire for his brand positioning statement to be as “the best project manager at MindTree” And do his behaviors align with this statement?
What about you? Have you thought about your brand? And is it in line with your organization’s brand?
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Aijaz Qaisar says:
It’s a very good thought; people make the company/organization and each employee and associate is the brand ambassador of the company.
Geetha says:
Dear Joe,
Heartiest congratulations to all the MindTree Minds on MindTree’s 11th Anniversary today!
Thank you for a great post.
Every morning, the moment I slip on the lanyard with my ID Card around my neck and step into my office, I realize, even more than usual, that I am a brand evangelist for my Institution and that I am proud to be associated with it. It is only when each and every employee defines his/her brand, which is essentially the expression of the organization’s vision and mission, company positioning and cultural values that an organization becomes great. That alignment has to be absolutely perfect if the quest for excellence has to bear fruit.
Thanks and regards,
Geetha
John Jim says:
Dear Joseph,
Good thoughts…
Why the emphasis on being “Mid-size company”. How is it relevant to your customers…
Prayers
Jim
Aijaz Qaisar says:
Dear Mr. Joseph,
Thank you for such a great article – your article has triggered my thoughts on Personal Branding.
As I earlier said people make company therefore each individual in the company is the brand ambassadors of the company. People directly interacting with customers must have the innate desire to leave a customer pleased, if not always satisfied. Because, it’s only the good will that makes a person suggest small but very valuable improvements and who can be the best adviser than your customer. People interacting with customers should treat every customer as if he was their best friend, for not giving a discount but providing the best advice and care they would offer to a friend. Offering to return a call, instead of asking customer to call back, finding a zip code in the Internet, instead of asking to visit the website or complete a form or come again – all these simple additional steps can be undertaken by employees themselves without special policies or permission from the boss. It doesn’t take too much time but adds a great value to a company’s image.
As we all must have observed that customers drive to a facility of FedEx – even if a competitor is across the street, they take a Lufthansa flight with connections – even if a competitor has a direct one, they select trusted IT service provider – even if a competitor one is cheaper. Brands are built on trust and care – through human connections. If the former is mostly up to the company’s policy and strategy, the later is mostly up to the company ambassadors i.e. up to each employee to create the right perception.
Joseph King says:
Geetha:
Thanks for the anniversary wishes and for your kind remarks on my blog. Your organization is lucky to have someone like you having a brand evangelist mentality.
Joseph King says:
Jim:
being mid-size is very important to our clients, but that’s a story saved for another blog! But as it relates to the personal brand, it does not matter: large or small companies should instill this mentality within their teams.
Joseph King says:
Aijaz:
Thank you for your multiple posts to my blog. I hope you continue to read and comment.
I agree with your thoughts and the examples you give. Your employer is lucky to have you!
Geetha says:
Thank you, Joe!
I found this interesting in yesterday’s issue of Brand Line:
http://www.blonnet.com/catalyst/2010/08/19/stories/2010081950070300.htm
Ramprakash says:
Joe,
Personal brand in line with the company’s brand is a great thought. This can lay a foundation stone for other exercises like team building, leadership thoughts and so on.
Also, Geetha in her comment above had mentioned that the organization’s vision and mission statements incorporated at the individual are very essential. I totally agree because these sense of belonging all sums up and create an opportunity even at the individual level to be part of that organization’s big picture.
When this mindset is in place, not only team work begins to add productivity but also conflicts as they all strive for the success of the company and carry that brand sense in them. Then, It’s is up to the leadership game in order to harness this energy to grow the company exponentially. This is irrespective of how big or small the company, like Joe had mentioned. But, individuals of small companies do have the advantage of being with the top management of the company quite often; hence even an informal environment can create this sense of brand and help sustain. The mid and the larger ones need to adopt more of a corporate communication as strategy or have exercise to remind the individual in order to sustain the company’s brand.
Ram
Software Services India says:
The blog is really good. It is very informative and knowledgeable. Thanks for sharing such information.