Them's fighting words.

Maybe it's best to avoid them.

As a brand we are no more than our reputation. Our personal brand is every bit as important as our corporate brand. What ever we do impacts on our brand. Many times I've been tempted to write a letter to the editior in our daily paper to address some irritable issue. But I think better of it in favor of rational thinking. The fun of knocking heads is replaced with a realization that it could impact my reputation negatively. I think we've all been tempted though.

My reputation (brand) is everything to me. If I were to butt heads for fun I risk the chance that of soiling my integrity for amusement. If I do respond openly to issues that are truly important enough for me to comment on I try very hard to choose my words carefully. Not being a professional writer is a disadvantage when we try to express opinions in text. Email is especially sensitive to word play. It is extremely difficult to play with sarcasm in an email. It just sounds darn right mean and arrogant, so of course I try and avoid it (especially since I appreciate sarcasm so much). Verbally it is understood for what it is.

Reading blog posts sets a tone. We try and understand the writer by what they say. We build opinions by what we read and this reflects on our personal brand one way or the other. The next time you write something contemplate on what it says about your personal brand. Are your words working for you or against you? Everything you say and do has an impact. There's no reason to be paranoid, just aware. It is actually a great exercise in helping you to develop better communication skills.