Brand clash

It’s a delicate balance when you have a strong personal brand and you volunteer with an organization. I’ve been working in many capacities at my university. Much of the volunteerism initially facilitated by the university is now fueled by the momentum of my personal brand. I’ve worked hard, made myself available to a variety of events and people, and helped wherever I could. If the notes of thanks and friends that have resulted are any measure, I have added value. I have become a go to brand. It’s not unlike a company that is defined by key employees and this brings into question loyalties and allegiances.

But while the recognition feels great, this is not my goal. I need to transfer these brand perceptions to the organization, and have the organization I belong to share many of these my personal brand attributes. I am just an example of the value one might get from this organization.

So now I begin a journey I have done before. Putting people, processes and expectations in place so that service delivery is seamless. So that the workload is balanced and the thanks or positive feedback is ascribed to the collective. So the organization’s brand is lifted and distinguished from mine. So that I can move on leaving the organization stronger than when I started.