We humans are a crazy lot!
Sometimes we want to blend in. Sometimes we want to stand out.
There are time, we want to belong. At other times we are okay to be the only one.
As a parent, I keep telling my son that it is okay to be different amongst his friends, at other times I tell him to overlook differences to go along with them.
The truth is, being lost in a crowd and standing out for who you are are both scary! One blends you into anonymity, the other puts the spotlight on you.
Think of all the times when you wanted to speak up in a group, but couldn’t because no one knew you had something to say. At another time, someone really asked you “What do yo think?”, and you had nothing new to add! You fumbled, repeated something that has already been said, and quickly shut up.
This morning I read Willian Arruda’s piece on Forbes where he talks about “How to Unearth your Differentiators so you stand out & shine.” While, each one of us is trying to carve out a personal brand, I am more curious about the process one follows to find what truly makes us unique. Knowing what makes you unique is the first step to leveraging your personal brand for influence.
The question is, can Storytelling help you find out what truly differentiates you from your peers, colleagues and competitors?
Let’s see how you find, what I call, your Unique Story Promise!
“Your Story is your biggest differentiator.
When you understand your story, you are better prepared to engage with your surroundings and be known for that unique story promise that enhances your personal brand.”
Awareness of the Backstory
We all have a story of our own & being aware of it, is extremely useful. Your origin story, where you grew up, learnt the early chops of your profession, the junior years of learning & insight, your mistakes, your failures, your revised learning’s….everything makes a backstory. The places you have been to, the people you have met, the conversations you have had with others, add stories to your backstory. Knowing your backstory & understanding how it has shaped the person you are today, is the first step towards owning your unique self.
Listening
If you know your backstory, then your brain will provoke you to jump into a conversation and tell people about YOU! After all, you have an experience to share, here is your chance to claim the spotlight with your story! Now, this is where the second most valuable gift of storytelling comes in….shut up & listen! You don’t want to come across as egotistical storyteller who hogs the limelight, you want to be the empathetic listener who cares for someone else’s backstory. Wait for your turn, be patient.Once the teller is done, ADD your insight, share your response to the story, align your experience and add a perspective that adds value.
Ask for Perspectives
One of my favourite activities in corporate events is to allow people to gather perspectives & stories about themselves. We live our lives consumed about what we think of ourselves, and a tad worried about others think about us. The only way to get over that is to really ask friends, family and colleagues – “Tell me about me. Who am I?” If someone describes you as ‘fun’, ask them to recall a specific story of when and how being with you was fun for them.
Push the Narrative
Are you impacting the narrative in any way? Whether you are a leader, a parent, a teacher, entrepreneur, marketer, running business development, social media or anything else…how are you impacting the narrative of what you are supposed to do. Are you following the trends, or are you making the trends? Are you challenging the accepted viewpoints or are you following what your peers, colleagues & competitors are doing? Are you easily swayed? Are you changing the story of HOW one lives, works and shapes the world. This is the BIG picture of life.
Carving out your Unique Story Promise begins with introspection. This is what I call, active story work, where you consciously work on gathering evidence to build your personal brand.
Your story is the biggest differentiator that lies dormant inside you!
And while I share the idea of a Unique Story Promise, I cannot but share the dangers of it. You see, the problem with standing out, is that it may be a lonely place to be. It may require you to firefight a situation, or have a response because people expect you to be different all the time. People may even turn to you searching for answers which are not easy at all times. Sometimes, not having an answer could be intimidating. It is like being stuck with an expectation that you are unable to meet every single time.
The trick lies in acknowledging your story and sharing it with humility and courage. Humility, because, you may not have an answer everyday. Courage, because your story has the power to draw people towards you.
Did you know Storytelling can build your Personal Brand?
I am talking about this on LinkedIn & Swell, so join the conversation wherever you are.
Ask me a question, and let’s get talking.
You can write to me on rituparna(at)yourstorybag(dot)com or connect with me on Tealfeed, LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter.
Happy Storytelling!
Rituparna
