BADM 320 Self-Branding Assignment

Self-Branding Assignment

Step 1: Self-Analysis

It is always difficult to identify our own strengths and weaknesses. This is not necessarily because they are not noticeable. Surely, we all have some idea of what we do well and what we need to improve on. However, our perceptions about our abilities are often distorted. Nonetheless, it is still important to conduct a self-analysis of ourselves and identify our different strengths and weaknesses because these may shed some light on how we view ourselves and how we influence others' perceptions of us. 

Strengths. I identified my main strengths as my ability to communicate articulately, my willingness to not be the center of attention, and my propensity to think quickly to find efficient solutions to problems.  

First, I have long believed myself to be a great communicator. Whether it is face-to-face or pen-to-paper, I am confident in my ability to effectively, articulately, and concisely deliver my point. I have generally received high marks in any sort of paper or presentation throughout my academic career, which has reaffirmed my confidence in this area. I have even decided to pursue a career in the law to put my communication skills to the ultimate test. 

Second, my willingness (and tendency) to not be the center of attention, while it is something that some may view as a character flaw, is a characteristic I identify as one of my main strengths. I rarely seek to be in the limelight and am very content being "off to the side". I think this shows a humility about me that is not as prevalent in today's "me" culture. Social media has helped to propagate this era of heightened individualism, which, of course, has offered more benefits than not. But, one observable downside is that people, especially those my age, are often obsessed with external validation (i.e. "likes" on Instagram). For me, all the validation I need is from within, and I find this quality to be quite refreshing. 

A third strength of mine is my propensity to think quickly to find efficient solutions to complicated problems. I try to live by the saying, "work smarter, not harder", subscribing to the idea that the best way to do something is usually not the hardest way to do it. I have noticed my peers spending hours upon hours completing homework assignments and other tasks that I felt did not warrant such considerable time commitment. While it is true that some people feel more comfortable devoting more time to certain tasks and less time to others, I have found that I regularly am able to find more efficient ways to get things done. 

Weaknesses. I identified my main weaknesses as my tendency to quickly give up on projects and my general shyness. 

As I mentioned above, I like to live my life by the saying, "work smarter, not harder". While this saying is valuable and applicable in most scenarios, there are situations where it is not the most sound advice. There are certain skills that can be honed (i.e. dedication, perseverance, etc.) by doing things the "hard way". I notice that, often, if I am unable to find an "easy" or efficient solution to a problem, I give up on it altogether and move on to the next one. I admit this is not the best way to live my life because I cannot simply ignore complex problems that are inherently difficult to solve. I hope to work on this weakness by challenging myself to engage more directly with those difficult problems.

Another weakness of mine is that my shyness has made it difficult for me to "break out of my shell" and "get out of my comfort zone". I tend to only approach those things with which I have prior experience with and am therefore more comfortable with. However, life is full of new adventures and experiences which demand us to push our boundaries. I hope to overcome my shyness to be able to experience all that life has to offer. 

Step 2: External Analysis

After completing my self-analysis, I reached out to some family and friends and asked if they could comment on what they perceived to be my strengths and weaknesses. The goal of this exercise was to compare my perceptions to those of others and determine if there were any serious discrepancies. The reality is, regardless of how we may view ourselves, others' perceptions of us reflect how we are viewed by the world. As such, an external analysis is an effective way to gain a better understanding of what makes us distinct. 

Strengths. After listening to ten different accounts of my strengths, the most popular responses were my social smarts, my reading and writing ability, and my witty humor.  

Weaknesses. The same ten people, when asked to list my weaknesses, agreed I could be more active in conversations and that I should try not to be so stubborn about certain things. 

Step 3: Congruence

After completing both the self-analysis and the external analysis, I compared the results from each and found that there was a general lack of congruence between the two. Although some family and friends did mention some of the same strengths and weaknesses that I identified myself, as I mentioned above, there were a number that I had either not thought of or did not believe to be true. 

The main source of congruence between my self-analysis and the external analysis was regarding my strength in communication. More specifically, my family and friends highlighted my skills in reading and writing that I have demonstrated for most of my life. This was not surprising because I would imagine that the people I surveyed were close enough to me to know my passions and the areas in which I excel. 

Apart from this, there was a much disparity between my diagnoses and those of my surveyed family and friends. I identified one of my strengths as my ability to think quickly and find efficient solutions to problems, but this did not appear in my external analysis. I suppose I have not done quite as good of a job as I had thought I had done in showcasing this strength. Interestingly, my identified strength to be willing to not be the center of attention was actually perceived as a weakness by my family and friends. I had included this characteristic as a strength because I thought it reflected my humility in an era when humility is often disregarded. However, my family and friends appear to view it as a weakness because it shows that I am content with not fully engaging others in active conversation. After listening to my surveyed respondents, I can understand where they are coming from. Although my intentions for avoiding the limelight may have been good, perhaps I come across as disinterested or unapproachable when I do so.

Going forward, I intend to re-position myself to align my perceived strengths and weaknesses with the perceptions of others. I can do this by showcasing more prominently those certain strengths that others failed to pick up on. Also, I must be cognizant that others are not always aware of the intentions behind many of my actions. Therefore, I should ensure that my actions do not come across as disingenuous.  

Step 4: Feature-Benefit Model

Based on the analyses above, I can construct my personal feature-benefit model. That is, I can confidently identify the "features" I offer that provide identifiable and distinguishable benefits compared to everyone else. With appearances in both my self- and external analysis, it is clear that my ability to communicate articulately is one of my greatest strengths. People that appreciate a precise and concise communicator should be very interested in what I have to offer. However, just as every product comes with its flaws, my brand also has its weaknesses. My tendency to avoid the limelight might disinterest some "consumers". While I am working on correcting some of my perceived weaknesses, there is not much I can do to make them disappear overnight. Therefore, just as many would do with, for example, their vehicle or smart phone, people may simply have to learn to tolerate some of my shortcomings in order to enjoy all of my strengths.