The Importance of Personal Branding to Career Growth

The Importance of Personal Branding to Career GrowthPersonal branding is a vital parte of a successful job search. It can have long-term effects on your career path as well as your earning potential. I cant emphasize enough to my clients the importance of positive personal branding. Before you can build your own personal brand, you must understand what it is and how to wield it to your benefit in todays career market.What is Personal Branding?Personal branding is the practice of people marketing themselves, their talents, and their careers as a brand. It is how youre known or thought of by other people. We think of it mostly from a professional or career standpoint, but it spans across your career and personal life. It is an ongoing process where you establish a professional image, leaving an impression on others about who you are, what you can do, and why they should want to work with you. Personal branding is about what people know you for professionally, how people view you, and t he value you bring to others.Getting StartedFigure out your personal brand now if you havent already. Start by visiting Reach Personal Branding online and taking a few of the branding assessments. I recommend sitting down and mapping out what you believe youre best known for and what you feel like your best brand attributes are. If you need help, Reach Personal Branding has a free brand attributes quiz to help you get started. Utilize Your ResourcesOnce youve discovered your brand attributes, find out what those closest to you believe your brand is. Your personal brand is in the minds of those who know you best and they can help you uncover what it is so you can best market it for your career benefit. Reach Personal Branding also has a great 360-degree brand-assessment tool you can send out to your network to gather insights into your own brand image. I was very surprised at what my network had to say about my brandand it helped me to recognize my strengths and better market those t o my target audience. Youll be able to see what does and does bedrngnis resonate with those around you so you can make appropriate adjustments to your own personal branding.Figure Out WhyTake some time to sit down and think about why you absolutely love doing what you do. Many people know what they do, but few know why they do it. Make a list of two or three things that drive the passions behind your work. This list will help you to define your personal brand and plan ahead for further career growth.Be Authentic in All CommunicationsMost people arent expecting perfection. Be genuine about who you are and why you love what you do. Forget the idea of a 30-second elevator pitch. To me, that seems forced and too sales-like. Instead, just be very down-to-earth when talking to others about what youre passionate about and why you love what you do. Just being yourself can go a long way.Send a Consistent MessageRegardless of the platform, keep your message consistent. Whether youre posting s ocial media updates, writing your resume, or youre sitting in an interview, carry the same message across all channels about your personal brand. Are you an eternal optimist who loves to inspire others to learn and grow? Great Share an example during interviews of how youve done that, keep your LinkedIn status updates positive and inspiring, and share opportunities with others to help them learn and grow.Be a Thought LeaderShare your expertise and thoughts with the world. Dont worry about saying what everyone else is saying or what you think everyone wants to hear. Give people your advice and your thoughts on your industry and position. What has worked for you? Write articles or blogs to share tips with your network about whats worked for you in your industry and what has not.Learn and GrowContinue investing in knowledge of your industry, new trends, what works, and what doesnt. Never stop learning and growing. I advise clients to find subject matter experts and thought leaders they admire and follow them. Read their blog posts, sign up for their webinars, enroll in their online courses. Locate organizations thriving in your industry that are staying at the forefront of trends and learn from the best. This can mean taking classes, attending conferences, or earning a new certification or credential. Knowledge and wisdom gained from those whove walked the road before you is never a bad investment.Be ProactiveManagers love proactive employees who are always one step ahead and have a solution to a problem without being asked. When a promotion opportunity arises, these are the people who are offered promotions first. As an employer, my employees who are willing to learn and grow, graciously accept feedback, and who are proactive in resolving issues as they arise without being asked are the first ones I think of when new growth opportunities come up within my company. They are also the first ones I will create new roles for because I can trust them. I know theyre lo yaland I am mora willing to invest in their ongoing training and development within the company.Assess YourselfLook back over your career in 2016 to assess your performance, growth, and goals. Are there any areas of weakness or opportunities for improvement? Pursue training in those exact areas. Invest in yourself and your long-term career growth by keeping a teachable mindset and being a lifelong learner. Employers will take note of your enthusiasm and effort to learn, grow, and improve.The Do-Nots of Personal BrandingThere are a few things you should avoid when building your personal brand. Keep the following in mind*Dont stagnate. Keep learning, growing, and getting better at what you do.*Keep it positive. Negativity will hurt you more than a lack of experience.*Culture fit is king. People report higher levels of career satisfaction when there is a culture fit.*People want to hire employees with a great attitude and terrific character. Prove you have those two qualities plus the experience and you have a golden ticket to success.Help Is AvailableIf you need expert help, there are many certified personal branding experts who can help you discover, define, communicate, and market your personal brand for your career growth. For example, I completed the Certified Social Branding Analyst program through Reach Personal Branding where I was able to use all of the tools I recommended above to help me define my own brand attributes and tap into my network to gather insight.The Changing Landscape of Social MediaWhen it comes to personal branding, the biggest changes are in the world of social media. Today, people feel like they must have a presence on every social media platform and should invest hours updating, reading, and networking. This can become all-consuming and overwhelming. It simply doesnt have to be this way.First, put your social media on auto-pilot using a platform such as SocialOomph or Hootsuite. Who says you have to be on LinkedIn all day? Invest 10 minutes a day catching up or touching base, then take a break. Dont feel like you have to be everywhere all the time. You dont. Choose one or two social media sites that support your brand, career goals, and industry and invest your time there.When youre online, focus on building your subject matter expertise. Write about what you know and share that insight with the world through your professional blog, LinkedIn, or other medium.I tell my clients that when it comes to job searching, personal branding, and networking, LinkedIn still rules the roost. It is the first place recruiters source top talent, which, coincidentally, is not where talent goes to find work. Surveys overwhelmingly reveal job seekers use Facebook to find opportunities. If you are passively open to new opportunities, turn on the Open Candidate feature of your LinkedIn account, which will confidentially signal recruiterswithout notifying your current companythat you are looking for a new position. Glassdoor is anoth er popular site for job seekers you can learn about companies that are hiring, as well as their culture.The Final ThreeOverall, I believe there are three things that can help you to advance your personal brand and careerwhether youre staying where you are in 2017 or youre ready for a career change. Become an expert at what you do, be kind to everyone (it matters more than you think in your career growth), and be others-centered. We often get so wrapped up in advancing our careers that we forget one of the best ways to advance is to focus on helping others, too.

Getting Paid More What Job Skills Do You Need

Getting Paid More What Job Skills Do You Need Whether youre actively looking for a new job, or simply interested in browsing whats on offer, its important to keep your finger on the pulse of the job skills and career experiences that the job market demands. This way, no matter what job youre doing, you can be aware of the areas where your resume or skills-set could use an extra boost. Improving your skills in behauptung areas could be the key to a future promotion, or simply mora pay in your next role.Unsurprisingly, the areas to invest in improving your skills depend on your role and industry. Recently, Payscale released a helpful report showing the top 3 skills for approximately 17 different job types that correlate with a higher-than-average salary for those job roles.For example, Payscale found that if you work in management, IT risk, mergers and acquisitions and SAP Business Intelligence are areas where employees seem to command a premium salary. Conversely, in the arts and medi a industries, Autodesk, UX and UI design were some of the most highly compensated skill sets.If youre just starting out in the job-market, Payscale also found that certain skills were highly valued by hiring managers, but not prevalent among recent graduates. If youre recently out of school or planning your entry into the workforce for the first time, it might be good to keep these hard-skills in mindWritingPublic speakingData analysis (Excel, Tableau, Python, R, etc)Industry-specific software (Salesforce, CAD, Quickbooks, etc)MathematicsDemonstrating your proficiency in these areas might give you an edge in your job search or job application process. However, you may have to think creatively about how to demonstrate these skills because many of these eintrags will never appear on your resume (or will not mean much as a line item without further proof). For example, if youre a strong writer, consider publishing a few posts on your personal blog, website, or on your LinkedIn page and linking to the post on your resume. That way, your writing skills will have a chance to shine.But how do you improve your market value and skills if youve identified a gap or area for improvement? You can take a class or do some reading, for starters. Many employers offer online training courses for employees and there are endless online class options these days. However, time to take webinars may not be realistic, or that simply may not be your preferred style of learning.There are also more hands-on, practical approaches to learning. You can volunteer to work on a project that might lead to more experience in area of interest, or tell your manager about your desire to acquire a specific, new skill. Showing initiative and interest in self-improvement is a sign of an engaged and valuable employee, and even if no new project or assignment is immediately available, your manager will have filed away a mental note about your initiative-taking for future opportunities.Regardless of what you do, thinking about how to demonstrate your existing skills and acquire new, valuable ones is an important part of making sure youre maximizing your salary and advancing your career.Fairygodboss is committed to improving the workplace and lives of women.

Ignore! Is Social Media Hurting Your Employee Engagement

Ignore Is Social Media Hurting Your Employee EngagementWhen you think about social media in the amtsstube, the first thing that comes to mind is an employee stealing some time to check their Facebook news feed or send out a few tweets. But this certainly isnt the only form social media is taking in the workplace, thank goodness.While employees using social media might seem like a productivity drain, sometimes it can lead to greater employee engagement and information sharing. It depends heavily on how your office chooses to utilize social media tools.Its clear your company ignores social media at its own risk. While lost productivity and disengagement costs the U.S. economy $370 billion every year, a 2008 study by The Aberdeen Group showed social media tools in the workplace can actually lead to an 18 percent improvement in employee engagement.Compare this number to the 1 percent increase in employee engagement for companies without social media tools, and you can see social media ca n actually be more than an office distraction. This might be why 39 percent of companies (as of 2011) have embraced social media technology to engage with employees.Instead of viewing social media as a way employees goof off when youre not looking, here are some ways to use social media in your enterprise in order to increase both productivity and employee engagementShare KnowledgeSocial media can be a great tool for sharing knowledge internally and helping current employees learn new things from coworkers. Social media tools can be used to create question and answer documents as well as company wikis everyone in your workforce can access. Just like Wikipedia is a great place for common Internet users to share their knowledge, your company can establish a wiki where employees can add and develop an ongoing, evergreen source of information and training.By encouraging workers to share their knowledge, employees can become more connected to each other and more engaged in the company. Y our company is empowering workers to share their expertise and grow their knowledge.Connect Across DistancesInternal social networks can keep even disparate branches of the company in contact with each other on a more consistent basis than face-to-face meetings or teleconferences. It can be tough to get everyone in the saatkorn place at the same time, which means these big meetings are often postponed or shoved into small gaps in busy schedules.Using social media, companies can connect across time and distances with ease. Now employees can become more engaged with even far away coworkers, leading to a greater feeling of community with the whole corporation.Finding TalentSocial networks from Facebook to Twitter can actually help employers find the best talent and engage with them online. Many candidates take to the Internet to share advice, thought leadership, and submit video resumes for open positions.Your company can use these networks to develop a talent pipeline to quickly sourc e candidates for future open positions.Then, when the perfect fit comes along you can invite the talent youve engaged with on social channels to speak with you in a video interview.Is the new reality of increasing social media technology hurting your companys employee engagement? It might in fact be doing the oppositeWhat are some ways your company uses social media to improve employee engagement? Share in the commentsIMAGE Courtesy of Flickr by ivanpw

Coast Guard Fraternization Policies

Coast Guard Fraternization PoliciesCoast Guard Fraternization PoliciesUnited States Coast Guard fraternization policies are contained in chapter 8 of the Coast Guard Personnel Manual, COMDTINST 1000.6A. General Policies The Coast Guardattracts and retains highly qualified people with commonly shared values of honor, respect, and devotion to duty. These values anchor our cultural and Service norms and serve as a common foundation for our interpersonal relationships within the Coast Guard. We interact, communicate and work together as teams to accomplish our missions. Indeed, mission success depends on cultivating positive, professional relationships with our personnel. An environment of mutual respect and trust inspires teamwork, assures equal treatment, and grants service members the opportunity to excel. Professional interpersonal relationships always acknowledge military rank and reinforce respect for authority. Good leaders understand the privilege of unternehmensverbund rank requires exercising impartiality and objectivity. Interpersonal relationships which raise even a perception of unfairness undermine good leadership and military discipline. The Coast Guardhas relied on custom and tradition to establish boundaries of appropriate behavior in interpersonal relationships. Proper social interaction is encouraged to enhance unit morale and esprit de corps. Proper behavior between seniors and juniors, particularly between officers and enlisted personnel, enhances teamwork and strengthens respect for authority. By long-standing custom and tradition, commissioned officers, including warrant officers, have leadership responsibilities extending across the Service. Likewise, chief petty officers (E-7 to E-9) have a distinct leadership role, particularly within their assigned command. Both provide leadership leid just within the direct chain of command, but for a broader spectrum of the Service. Due to these broad leadership responsibilities, relationships invol ving officers or chief petty officers merit close attention. Sustaining a Professional Environment Coast Guardpolicy is to sustain a professional work environment which fosters mutual respect among all personnel, and in which decisions affecting personnel, in appearance and actuality, are based on sound leadership principles. Commanding Officers, officers-in-dienstgrad, and supervisors are expected to provide an environment which enhances positive interaction among all personnel through education, human relations training, and adherence to core values. Coast Guard policy on interpersonal relationships has been crafted to be as gender-neutral as possible. However, this approach may obscure one important issue the fundamental principle that interpersonal activities which are appropriate among men or among women are likewise appropriate among men and women. Positive social interaction among men has proved beneficial to the individuals and the organization in the past, and women sho uld be afforded equal opportunity to participate in these activities. Women must not be insulated or isolated from proper professional and social activities if the Coast Guard is to benefit from the full measure of their contributions. As people work together, different types of relationships arise. Professional relationships sometimes develop into personal relationships. Service custom recognizes that personal relationships, regardless of gender, are acceptable provided they do not, either in actuality or in appearance jeopardize the members impartiality,undermine the respect for authority inherent in a members rank or position,result in members improperly using the relationship for personal gain or favor, orviolate a punitive article of the UCMJ. The great variety of interpersonal relationships precludes listing every specific situation that members and commands may encounter. While some situations are clearly discernible and appropriate action is easily identified, others are mo re complex and do not lend themselves to simple solutions. Evaluating interpersonal relationships requires sound judgment by all personnel. Factors to consider in assessing the propriety of a relationship include the organizational relationship between the individuals whether one member can influence anothers personnel or disciplinary actions, assignments, benefits or privilegesthe relative rank and status of the individuals peers, officer/enlisted, CPO/junior enlisted, supervisor/ subordinate, military/civilian, instructor/student andthe character of the relationship (e.g., personal, romantic, marital). (a) Personal relationship Non-intimate, non-romantic association between two or more people (of the same gender or not), such as occasional attendance at recreational or entertainment events (movies, ball games, concerts, etc.) or meals. (Does not involve conduct which violates the UCMJ.) (b) Romantic relationship Cross-gender sexual or amorous relationship. (Does not involve conduc t which violates the UCMJ.) (c) Unacceptable relationship Inappropriate and not allowed under Service policy. entschlieung normally administrative. The relationship must be terminated or otherwise resolved once recognized. (d) Prohibited relationship Violates the UCMJ. Resolution may be either administrative, punitive, or both as circumstances warrant. Romantic Relationship Policy Relationships cross gender lines, can develop into romantic relationships, and even lead to marriage. A relationship, including marriage, does not violate Service policy unless the relationship or the members conduct fails to meet the standards set by this section, standards of conduct set by the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ), or other regulations. Romantic Relationships Between Members are Unacceptable When members have a supervisor/subordinate relationship (including periodic supervision of duty section or watch standing personnel), ormembers are assigned to the same small shore unit (less than 60 members), ormembers are assigned to the same cutter, orthe relationship is manifested in the work environment in a way which disrupts the effective conduct of daily business. The nature of operations and personnel interactions on cutters and small shore units makes romantic relationships between members assigned to such units the equivalent of relationships in the chain of command and, therefore, unacceptable. This policy applies regardless of rank, grade, or position. This policy applies to Reservists in an active status, whether or not on duty. Romantic relationships between chief petty officers (E-7/8/9) and junior enlisted personnel (E-4 and below) are unacceptable. Coast Guard policy prohibits the following relationships or conduct, regardless of rank, grade, or position of the persons involved Engaging in sexually intimate behavior aboard any Coast Guard vessel, or in any Coast Guard- controlled workplace.Romantic relationships outside of marriage between commissioned officers and enlisted personnel. For the purposes of this paragraph, Coast Guard Academy cadets and officer candidates (both OCS and ROCI) are considered officers.Personal and romantic relationships between instructors at training commands and students. Service members married to Service members, or otherwise closely related (e.g., parent/child, siblings), shall maintain requisite respect and decorum attending the official military relationship between them while either is on duty or in uniform in public. Members married to members or otherwise closely related shall not be assigned in the same chain of command. Acceptable vs. Unacceptable Relationships Examples of acceptable personal relationships Two crewmembers going to an occasional movie, dinner, concert, or another social event.Members jogging or participating in wellness or recreational activities together. Examples of unacceptable relationships Supervisors and subordinates in private business together.Supervisors and sub ordinates in a romantic relationship. Examples of unacceptable conduct Supervisors and subordinates gambling together.Members lending or borrowing money for profit or benefit of any kind.Giving or receiving gifts, except gifts of nominal value on special occasions.Changing duty rosters or work schedules to the benefit of one or more members in a relationship when other members of the command are not afforded the same consideration. Fraternization Policies Fraternizationdescribes the criminal prohibition of certain conduct between officers and enlisted personnel set out in the UCMJ. Interpersonal relationships between officer and enlisted personnel and fraternization are not synonymous. Fraternization does not apply exclusively to male-female relationships, but a much broader range of inappropriate conduct. (While not an exhaustive listing, see above) The elements of the offense of fraternization specified in the Manual for Courts-martial can be found in parte 1 of this article. The custom of the Service accepts personal relationships between officer and enlisted personnel, regardless of gender, if they do not violate the provisions shown above. Relationships in conflict with those provisions violate the custom of the Service. The custom of the Service prohibits romantic relationships outside of marriage between officers and enlisted personnel. It includes such relationships with members of other military services. Officer/enlisted romantic relationships undermine the respect for authority which is essential for the Coast Guard to accomplish its military mission. The custom of the Service accepts officer/enlisted marriages which occur before the officer receives a commission. Lawful marriage between an officer and enlisted service member does not create a presumption of misconduct or fraternization. However, misconduct, including fraternization, is neither excused nor mitigated by subsequent marriage. Responsibility for Avoiding Unacceptable Relationship s All personnel is responsible for avoiding unacceptable or prohibited relationships. Primary responsibility rests with the senior member. Seniors throughout the chain of command shall attend to their associations and ensure they support the chain of command, good order, and discipline. Personnel finding themselves involved in or contemplating unacceptable relationships should report the situation and seek early resolution from their supervisor, commanding officer, officer-in-charge, command enlisted advisor, or Coast Guard chaplain. Any potential conflict with Coast Guard policy should be addressed promptly. Commands are expected to assist members in understanding Coast Guard policy requirements and resolving conflicts. Bringing an unacceptable relationship to early Command attention will increase the opportunity for early, positive resolution. USCG Regulations specifically charge commanding officers and officers in charge with responsibility for their commands safety, efficiency, discipline, and well-being. They should take prompt, appropriate action to resolve conduct which does not comply with the provisions of this section. Interpersonal relationships involving Academy and TrainingCenter staff and students are particularly susceptible to abuse by the senior member. The Superintendent of the Academy and commanding officers of training commands may issue local directives further restricting or prohibiting such relationships as they deem appropriate. The Superintendent of the Academy may issue supplemental regulations addressing cadet relationships, including when cadets are in training situations aboard other Coast Guard units. Resolving Unacceptable Relationships GeneralAvoiding unacceptable personal relationships is in the best interest of all concerned. Training, counseling, and administrative actions help prevent unacceptable personal relationships or minimize detrimental effects when unacceptable relationships develop. Prompt resolution at the low est level possible is desirable. TrainingAvoiding unacceptable and prohibited interpersonal relationships requires that personnel clearly understand Coast Guard policy and its application. The unit training program is an ideal forum to accomplish this. Training on FRATERNIZATION AND INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS shall be conducted at all officer and enlisted accession points and at resident training courses (leadership school, A and C schools, etc.). Training at other units is strongly encouraged. CounselingEarly counseling often can resolve potential concerns about the characteristics of a relationship and appropriate actions to ensure the relationship develops in a manner consistent with Service custom. Counseling may be informal or more formal, including written documentation by Administrative Remarks (Form CG-3307) or an Administrative Letter of Censure. Counseling may include a direct order to terminate a relationship. Personnel ReassignmentMembers may request, or a command may r ecommend reassignment of a member involved in a questionable relationship. However, reassignment is not a preferred option. The Coast Guard is not obligated to reassign personnel due to members desires or based solely on a relationship. When reassignment is not an option, members may be directed to end a relationship. EvaluationsWhen members do not respond favorably to counseling, comments, and marksin officer and enlisted evaluations may be appropriate. Other Administrative ActionAs warranted, commands may recommend separation, removal or withdrawal of advancement recommendations, appointment to another status, or promotions. Disciplinary ActionNonjudicial punishment or courts-martial may address fraternization or other unlawful or prohibited relationships or conduct.

How Important Is Salary When You Decide to Switch Jobs

How Important Is Salary When You Decide to Switch JobsHow Important Is Salary When You Decide to Switch Jobs?How Important Is Salary When You Decide to Switch JobsMy recent post, Whats Most Important in Accepting a Job Offer?, highlighted the similarities and differences between employers and job seekers on the top reasons people want to work for a company. The number one reason for both groups A competitive base pay.Salary is important to most job seekers how important is another question. There are trade-offs that might be more valuable. For example, many years ago, I switched jobs for a 6% salary cut, but better benefits and corporate culture, as well as greater growth potential. It turned out to be a very good career move.poll32

263 words you should read if you are really sick of your job

263 words you should read if you are really sick of your job263 words you should read if you are really sick of your jobAt 212 P.M., I considered leaping out the 3rd story window.Maybe jumping out would make me feel something. I had forgotten what it was like to feel things.And it was only 2 months into my first corporate job.During that time, I griped a lot. I wondered why nobody got it.Then, one afternoon I was either hiding from work in the breakroom or sneaking another round of Candy Crush from the toilet, a thought popped into my head like a lightbulbI am not owned. I am anowner.This idea still permeates within me. I cannot turn it off.CEO? What CEO? I am Todd Brison Inc.Boss? What boss? I have an equal say in how my time is spent.Timesheet? What timesheet? I will spend the hours necessary.Every piece of work with my name on it is either a glaring indictment of indifference or glowing bastion of quality. What I do affects the future and current prospects of Todd Brison.I do this not because I want to impress someoneor because Im angling for a 1.5% pay raise.or because I was told to.No, my heart, blood, and guts get dumped into everything I touch because of an ineffable desire within to improve day after day after day after day.My name means something.My time means something.My work means something.And yours does too.You are not owned. You are an owner.Act like one.This article originally appeared on Medium.

Trust is a choice 7 ways to build trust with others

Trust is a choice 7 ways to build trust with othersTrust is a choice 7 ways to build trust with othersFBI agents spend a great deal of time learning how to build trust with others. For that reason an agents most useful investigative tool is the interview. This is where trust is built - nose to nose, knee to knee. We need information from the people we talk to, and they need to know they can trust us in return.Trust is at the heart of every geschftliches miteinander because trust forms the basis of every relationship. Entrepreneurs, small business owners, and leaders need to work with people both inside and outside of their organization to create mutually beneficial relationships.Trust is a choice. If we know how to build trust with others, it means they have confidence that we will keep our word. They trust that we are exactly who we say we are, and that we wont desert them when times get tough.Trust is give and take. It means youve found a way to relate to other people in a way tha t is meaningful to them.One of todays most essential skills is to learn how to build trust with others. Here are 7 ways that I have found useful in highly volatile situations that were filled with uncertainty, and where trust was critical1. Follow through with actionsThe reason you build trust with others is so that people know that you will follow through when youre assigned a task. You earn a reputation as someone who doesnt break your commitment.If you do need to break a commitment, communicate it early and treat it as renegotiation. With consistent follow through with actions, you are seen as someone who is reliable and trustworthy.How To Make It Work For You Its as simple as this - keep your word. Not only does this strategy communicate to others that you respect their time as much as your own, it signals that you expect the same consideration from them.2. Develop good communication skillsIts important to never leave a conversation until all parties are clear on what is expect ed of them. This is crucial in any negotiation or settlement discussions. Clarify the agreement because if someones expectations are not met, trust is forfeited. This is most common when sensitive issues like money are involved in the conversation.We learn how to build trust with others by give and take. Trust doesnt happen when you avoid the difficult details and hope the other person understands. Trust is built when you have the difficult conversation and youre able to communicate why the conversation is important.How To Make It Work For You Very often the message we send to others is not the one we intended to send. If youre not sure how you come across, ask a friend to listen to you and get their feedback.Just as often, even if we do send the right message, the way in which the other person perceives it might convey a different meaning to them. Before you leave a conversation, loop back and say, This is what I heard you say is that accurate?3. Practice patienceAs the spokespers on for the FBI in Northern California, I experienced incredible pressure from reporters to meet deadlines. As a result, I became inflexible and short-tempered with the people around me. It became difficult to build trust with others because the message I sent was that my time was mora important than theirs.The rush to get things done tends to create an uncomfortable environment. Its easy for people to feel left out or unimportant if they cant make a direct contribution to the crisis at hand.How To Make It Work For You Pressure can be good, but too much of it can leave a person impatient and inflexible. It takes time to build trust with others so make them feel just as important as the crisis that lurks over your shoulder. Youll always have a crisis to handle you may not have another opportunity to gain that persons trust in you.4. Establish a culture of purposeSuccessful business owners understand that their company exists because it improves the lives of their customers. The only r eason a customer or client pays for the companys services is because it provides a clear benefit.Chris Edmonds talks about the importance of a healthy, purposeful culture in his book, The Culture Engine. Organizations that are successful dont try to make their people happy at work. Instead, they create a culture where trust is produced because they share a clearly stated purpose.The culture of purpose for FBI agents is Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity. Once any one of those tenants is abrogated or compromised, there is a breakdown of trust. Read current news to understand that this is what the FBI is experiencing at the present moment.How To Make It Work For You Create a purpose narrative that reinforces the reason your company or work group exists. It helps to build trust with others when you find colleagues or customers who were helped by someone in your department or company and then share these stories with others.5. Mirror other peopleA good way to build trust with others is to mirror their mannerisms. Neuro-linguistic researchers have found links between our mind, language, and behavior. The three primary modes through which people react to the world around them are visual (seeing), auditory (hearing), and kinesthetic (feeling).These sensory channels become important when we built trust with others because they help us relate to people in a way that is meaningful to them. Pay attention to the language that a person uses- chances are, they will follow one of the following three patterns in their speech.Sounds like a lot of information.Looks like a lot to learn.Feels like mora than I can handle.How To Make It Work For You If someone expresses themselves using a feeling word, use a feeling word to respond. If someone is an auditory person, use sounds to bring home your point it sounds like a thousand people in the room. For visual people, ask them what the issue looks like to them.6. Notice their wordsWhen people are passionate about something, they use words that are freighted with meaning. The first step is to notice the words they use that are full of energy. Here are some energy words another person may use in a conversation that point to their emotional stateDisappointedBaffledCautiousConfusedGratefulHesitantInterestedRelaxedSurprisedUncertainNervousThe list goes on How To Make It Work For You After you have noticed the way a person uses an energy word, repeat it, and then pause. When you repeat the word, and then pause, it alerts them to the fact that you 1) notice their concern, 2) have validated it, and 3) given them an opportunity to further elaborate.7. Admit you dont have all the answersIt takes genuine confidence in yourself to admit you dont know something, but this simple act of trust on your part speaks volumes to the people who hear it. Your team will understand that you are an honest and open person.When you show your vulnerabilities, it helps to build trust with others because they will see you as someone like the m, someone who doesnt have all the answers.How To Make It Work For You Trust is reciprocal, so the more you trust others, they more likely they will trust you. Trusting others also requires you to take a risk because you cannot always predict their response.Thisarticlefirst appeared onLaRaeQuy.com.