My current brand within the social networking platforms is rather embryonic. The questions and answers presented below will help me to understand what is it that I need to focus on with the view of building my global brand.
Who am I and what do I want?
I am an individual. I am not yet a company. I like to think that I will become a company. A company that is financially stable, resilient, environmentally and socially responsible but most importantly has a visible positive impact on people’s lives.
Do I want my company to be global?
Yes, in a sense that a global stance gives a company wider outlook on funding, educational (professional development) and collaborative opportunities.
Do I think I have the potential to go global?
Thunderbird School of Global Management has a very elaborate system of figuring out a person’s mindset from the perspective of functioning on a global level. It suggests that there are three dimensions of global mindset: Psychological, Social and Intellectual. Thinking of my potential going global I realize that although my psychological and social elements are in place I need to focus on developing my intellectual capital.
What actions do I need to take to improve my global intellectual capital?
Read, surf, listen, watch, travel, take cross-cultural courses, role play, interact, ask questions, take advantage of global conferences
What can I do during my Humphrey year?
Spend more time interacting cross-culturally, step into assignments with fellows from different backgrounds, take advantage of the Humphrey Leadership seminars and Global Leadership Forum, create bonded relationships with Humphrey friendship families, read, watch, listen, travel.
How will I build my personal global brand?
Social media is an obvious answer. It gives us huge potential to become globally visible. It is lucrative and it seems unwise to ignore the advantages of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked In. The current challenge for me is to decide what languages do I need to use for different platforms and how do I go about keeping the accounts private vs public.
At what cost?
There is a number of risks involved. Firstly, social media presence takes considerable time. If you have a great number of followers you need to interact with them, answer their questions, be responsive. Thus there are always opportunity costs that need be weighed. There is also a privacy issue. You may manage separate accounts for business and private and yet there is always a chance your personal information will come onto surface. There is always a risk to be hacked and get ridiculed publicly. Furthermore, makes you an easy target for those who do not wish you well since your weaknesses and mistakes will also be there at the public display. All in all, taking an advantage of social media comes with a certain price you need to pay for it. But these are manageable. The price worth paying for the advantage of tapping into the opportunities social media offers such as information sharing, advocacy and campaigning, building a publicly visible reputation, networking, etc.
