A few years ago, a piece of legal history was made in Scotland. It centered around a Detective who had been implicated in a murder investigation which led to the defendant been jailed & then later released. This all came about as a consequence of the detective's thumb print being found at the murder scene. This led to the Detective being charged with interfering at the scene of a crime & later perjury & she was deemed to have lied under oath.
The Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO) who hold all evidence related to a crime scene were adamant that the fingerprint belonged to the detective. However, independent fingerprint experts recruited by the detective as part of her defense were united in stating that the fingerprint definitely was hers. The difference in opinion stemmed from the technology that both parties were using. The SCRO were using technology many years old as opposed to the independent experts who were using the latest technology. In the end this proved to be the deciding factor in the prosecution of the detective. After presentations by the independent experts the detective was found not guilty on all charges.
Its interesting how a few tiny lines on your thumb can the difference between innocence & guilt. Every fingerprint is unique & I'm sure the detective is glad that this is the case. Her relationships with family, friends & ex work colleagues hinged on the outcome of the thumb print analysis.
How does this story help us understand more about how we brand ourselves? Well firstly, our personal brand should be unique, just like our thumb print. It should help us stand out from the crowd, just like a thumb print. It should also tell us something about who we are as a person.
In today's. crowded marketplace, creating a unique personal brand is vital. It tells everyone who you meet what you stand for & what you want out of life. In the good old days of the late 90's, when the economy was booming and the Internet was in its infancy, there were no compelling reasons to create a personal brand. Jobs were plentiful & job security prospects were good. However, this has all changed. Businesses are throwing out employees like used Kleenex during a bad cold. Communication behaviours are changing. Just think of Text Messaging, Blogging & Instant Messaging. Everyone, it seems as a web site. Products are commoditising more rapidly than ever.
You can view these opportunities as a massive opportunity or a massive threat depending one whether your glass is half full or half empty. For those of an optimistic nature, there are many ways in which you leverage these developments to enhance your brand. If your not already consider getting actively involved in the following:
Public Speaking (At work or at community events. Consider joining Toastmasters.
Writing (e.g e-books or blogs)
Volunteer
Network (inside & outside the workplace)
Express (Thanks & Congratulations)
Hope this helps
Alex
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