6 Figure Career Management

I’m not a huge fan of reality television or talent shows in general, but for some reason, I do enjoy Simon Cowell’s The X Factor TV show - the UK equivalent of American Idol.

It’s the usual talent show format - members of the general public audition, get selected to perform in front of a live TV audience and one by one, the public vote and eliminate one person each week until there’s a winner who receives fame and a multi-million pound recording contract.

Last weekend saw the surprise elimination of 21 year old Laura White – a talented singer tipped as one of the favourites to win the overall competition. It was quite a shock. Such a shock that it was even discussed in the UK Houses of Parliament by the Culture Secretary earlier this week!

And in fact, Daniel Evans who is by far the weakest singer left in the competition, amazingly survived. Based on singing ability, even a partially deaf person would realise that Daniel, should have been exited from the show.

But this is the X Factor. Members of the public vote to keep you in, not based on who is the best singer, but on who they feel most connected to. Laura was voted off, not because of a poor singing performance, but because of poor marketing and poor branding.

The same point applies to keeping your job during the current spate of restructuring and redundancies across the banking sector. It’s not just talent and ability that will keep you in your job - you also need to be able to market yourself to your internal audience.

I’m no expert on the music industry, but with my career management hat on, I can speculate as to why Laura was voted off and how the same points relate to you and your career during the current downsizing activity across the industry:

1. No clear personal brand

Simon Cowell told Laura a couple of weeks ago that she had something missing - that she needed to work on her image. He was right. But it wasn’t just about how she looked - her overall personal brand was not distinct, not clear and so, despite her amazing singing ability, she did not have wide appeal.

This same point applies to you. It’s not enough to be talented in your job. Your personal brand - the way you are viewed by senior leaders, internal and external clients will be a key factor. And it’s not simply about what you wear. It’s the unique value you bring to your employers in terms of your personality, your values and your personal style combined with the results you deliver.

What are you doing to manage your own personal brand to ensure you stand out and protect your job?

2. No story or emotional connection

Based on talent and ability, Daniel (the weaker singer) should have been voted out weeks ago. But he has stayed because he has a personal story that connects with large sections of the target audience. In his first appearance on the show he told how the death of his wife had encouraged him to pursue his dream of singing. Every time he sings, he is singing for her. He’s willingness to share his story helped the audience connect with him at a personal level – and so a large proportion of the public continue to vote for him – even though he is not the best singer.

Other singers in the competition also have personal stories which the audience connect with. Laura didn’t have a story - and so not enough members of the public empathised and connected with her at a personal level to vote in the numbers required to keep in her in.
 
In the information-overloaded, time-poor world we live in, stories are what a target audience connects with: authentic stories that resonate with people at an emotional level.

The same applies in your work place. Senior leaders and decision-makers may know what you do - but do they know who you are? Do they know your story? Are they emotionally connected to you enough to be able to fight your corner when it comes to redundancy decisions?

3. No Tribe

Seth Godin, the marketing author and speaker, talks about the critical importance of telling stories in order to build a following or “tribe.” Barack Obama developed a tribe that connected with him and his story. They spread he’s story like a virus which made the tribe bigger and bigger. He’s tribe voted him into the White House.  Daniel on the X Factor had a tribe who connected with him and his story. In fact, in recent weeks he developed an even bigger tribe courtesy of a campaign by the BBC radio DJ Chris Moyles to keep him the underdog in the contest.

So the tribe voted for Daniel and kept him in. Laura had great talent, but didn’t have a tribe and went out. 

What about you - have you got a tribe? Have you got a bunch of people in key roles in your firm who will back you and fight your corner, even when you’re not around? People that will vote to ensure you keep your job. If not, what are you doing about it….?

The Best Products, Best Singers and Best Employee Don’t Always Win

As Seth says, success in business is NOT about the best product. The best products do not win - it’s the best marketed and branded products that win.

It was a real shame that someone as talented and humble as Laura went out so early in a competition she was earmarked to win. It’s a shame when really talented, hard working people get laid off whilst less talented individuals remain employed.

But one thing Laura will have learned is that in today’s world, whether it’s in the pop industry or in the financial services sector - ability and hard work are not enough. To survive in your job in the current market, you need a distinctive personal brand, a compelling story and a tribe. You need the X Factor.