Show up whenever possible. (Part 1)
Ask to speak with senior leaders; chances are they will see you. (Part 2)
Advocate for yourself and others. (YOU ARE HERE PART 3)
Speak to the heart and mind.
Have faith and courage.

Part 3 “Advocate”

Politicians are often heard touting about themselves in order to prove their value. In recent times, we have seen an interest in people like Donald Trump and he is sure making a case for himself. If anything, you know his name and you are aware that he has made a lot of money in business. Consider that he has made a career of raising awareness of his brand. In our world, a person that is perceived as a “nobody” has to become a “somebody” or wind up as “anybody.”

A lot of us aren’t politicians or branding experts and when I walk into a room, people generally don’t know who I am. I really don’t like to write about myself and if someone asked me to do it a few years ago, it would have felt that it was more like a chore than a pleasurable event. What I have learned is that when I started thinking about and writing about people that I appreciate, there was a positive impact on me. It was much easier for me to see what others have done. I was able to learn more about myself in the process and as a result of my writing about them, people learned something about me. It has become part of my life at home and in business to advocate for others given the opportunity. I have had the benefit and honor of others advocating for me as well. It feels good to have someone help you but as you may know, it feels great to help others and learn through the process.

Working Out Loud and Raising Awareness

What is that story of you? In order to help others and advocate for yourself, it is important to start practicing. There are many ways to start and I am sharing, some of the things I do that have consistently worked for me.

1. One of the first things you can do that is fairly easy and productive is to write three types of resumes. I will have a follow up blog about writing resumes and more details on what each type looks like, but for this blog, what you need to understand is that going through the process of thinking about your history is helpful and knowing your own accomplishments is important.
   1. Super type – This is the short history of nearly everything about me.
   2. Referral – This is used for customization when someone asks, “Did you ever…?”
   3. General – This is what the public sees on LinkedIn or other places that have information about me.
2. Make a presentation about yourself and share it with people who know you. If you want some examples, let me know and I will share or send them to you.
3. Start a blog or write for someone else. You can use many services http://topsitesblog.com/blog-websites/ or you can write on a friend’s blog as a guest writer. You can also write on LinkedIn.
4. Write recommendations for others both inside and outside your organization. When someone does something for me at work, I will write his or her leadership about it. I write constructive thank you notes to people outside of work as well. It is important to recognize and reflect how people have a positive impact on your life. I have written about people who are living and people who have passed away as well “Remember Arden“
5. I also work to practice what I would call “respectful connections” where I ask people if it ok to advocate for them. There are people for one reason or another who don’t want anyone to know too much about them. I know a few Intel guys who don’t go on any social media or use email or phones (just kidding on the phones). They like to keep a low profile and I respect that.

If you have any questions or comments, post them. If you would like some examples of anything I brought up here, let me know and I will be happy to send them.

Part 4.. Speak to the heart and mind

Nelson Mandela said, “A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.”