Image Goes Beyond Outer Appearances

A few days ago, I went to Sammie, my esthetician, for a bi-monthly facial. Sammie had just returned from a month- long trip to China. After a few minutes of small talk, I asked, “Did you do anything fun while in China?”
“I wouldn’t call it fun,” she responded.

She began to tell me that she had minor surgery to make her eyelids more pronounced. Pointing to her eyelids, “See, they are still swollen, and it will take about six months for them to heal completely.”

Why would you do something like that,” I asked. “There was nothing wrong with your eyelids before, and they are part of your Chinese culture.”

She went on to tell me that this was a popular surgery in China. Everyone wants to have larger eyelids. Prior to the surgery, she used to put tape on her eyelids to make a crease. “I’m trying to get eyelids like yours,” she jokingly replied. “I suppose we all want something that we don’t have.”

This entire conversation was surprising and not at all what I expected. But, as I reflected on our dialogue, there was a lot of truth in Sammie’s words. We will go to great lengths to change our outer image. If we have curly hair, we want it straight. If we have straight hair, we put chemicals in it to make it curly. If we are pale, we want to be tanned. If we are short, we want to be tall. You get my point.

Image is the third critical component of personal branding, but image goes beyond your face in the mirror. While outer appearances are important, when it comes to personal branding, the behaviors you project outwardly such as face-to-face communications, overall attitude, and written interactions are just as critical in how you present yourself professionally.

For instance, how do people currently view you? Are you the shy one, or the loud, boisterous one? Do you come across in a confident manner or are you viewed as timid and insecure? Are you positive or negative? A good image and a positive attitude can go a long way. Conversely, a negative attitude can be the biggest obstacle to an individual’s career.

Most of us spend a lot of time writing reports, emails, and other forms of written communications. Written communications are generally the face we most frequently present in the workplace and professional community. Unlike social media platforms that are generally informal, work communication tools should be considered formal.

Below are pointers that will help you create a winning inner and outer image:

1. Be positive
2. Exhibit confidence in your interactions
3. Dress for success
4. Keep your written communications professional
5. Be open to change
6. Manage your online presence

If you’ve successfully developed a professional image through your face-to-face, written, and spoken communication; as well as your appearance, your career will soar.

What image are people associating with you?