Tips on Becoming Memorable.
It’s a short list. All the tips are easy to incorporate. I’m sure there are more ideas out there – these just happen to be the things that actually worked.
Wear something quirky. This one is easy and may come across as shallow but it can be effective. Especially if it’s genuine. Case in point – when I interviewed for a job at a certain company, I was dressed sharply in a pencil skirt and blazer. One of the persons who interviewed me wore jeans, a pink button-down shirt, and black flip flops. Flip Flops. Worn by the CFO of a billion dollar company. I instantly admired this person. Even if I didn’t get the job, it was an experience I’d talk about for a while. In fact, when I told my friends about the interview, the flip flops dominated the conversation – never mind how the actual interview went. I did end up getting a job with that organization but never mind about that. The next time I saw the CFO, he wore red pants, a white shirt, and a white belt. The time after that, he was dressed in jeans, a gray hoodie, and converse sans laces. He wore that same hoodie, shoes, and as far as I can tell, the same jeans for three days straight during an offsite. This was several years ago. And I can still recall it. Quirky can make a lasting impression.
Strive to Make a Difference. When I first entered the professional world, I worked for a company whose culture was about who you knew determining the trajectory of ones’ career. Sadly, this was particularly true of the women in the organization. It was a very well run organization but there was the underlying unease of knowing that if I didn’t make the right connections, my career would go nowhere, no matter how well I did my job. I stayed at that company for much longer than I should have and it wasn’t until a few companies later that I realized that although the culture of an organization is very important, I didn’t have to necessarily ‘conform’. This realization came to me after three months in a new corporation. But after quitting two jobs in two and a half years because I didn’t ‘like‘ this or that, I decided to stay and not focus on the culture but instead on striving to make a difference. And making that decision set me up for an entirely different experience. My brain focused on a certain path. And for me, it was the right path. I made it about getting the job not just done, but done very well and I emphasized this to everyone in my small staff. I honed in on making improvements to processes that I recognized needed improving. I fixed whatever was in my power to fix and reached out to others when what I wanted to fix involved their department or their processes. Along the way, I made sure to consider others’ needs, their resources, and most importantly, whatever drawbacks my fixes may cause them. And as a result, my staff grew from 3 to 13 in less than two years, I went from managing one department to three, developed a reputation as someone who was able to tackle tough situations and build a team oriented culture. Multiple people in the organization expressed a desire to work for me – this was the biggest sign that I was on a good path.
Discuss topics other than work or weather. I attended a wedding recently. My husband’s cousin’s wife, whom I had never met before, approached me and the very first question she asked was “What do you do?”. I used to ask this question of new acquaintances as well…until a dear friend from Africa told me that in her culture, it’s considered a rude question. So now, to respect all cultures, I no longer ask that question. And I also only discuss the weather with my husband, my friends, and my family. My topics of choice when conversing with a new acquaintance or work colleague are things that I am genuinely interested in – sports (football), working out, current events, meditation, my remodeling projects, etc. Topics that I know well and can speak intelligently about. If the person I happen to be speaking to doesn’t know about these things, then my default is current events or travel destinations.
Follow Up. This works very well when combined with discussing topics other than work and weather. For example, I once had an hour long conversation with a VP of an organization about meditation. I’d been meditating for several years and it turns out he was considering learning to practice. As a follow up, I sent him my favorite book about meditation. We’ve been exchanging emails regularly for about a year now and work seldom comes up.
Be kind. This is probably the most important tip of all. More than half of my staff say that I’m the best manager they’ve ever had, people who work in other departments comment that I’m the happiest person they’ve ever come across, and multiple VPs have told me that I’ve inspired them. These compliments always intrigue me and I make it a point to ask them why they feel that way. Their responses all have to do with kindness. I practice kindness by trying to be considerate. I consider how I’d like to be treated and that’s how I try to treat others. People have taken advantage of this, more than few times to be honest, and it always hurts. But I’ve realized that just because some people take advantage of it, doesn’t mean I need to change the way I’m wired. The people who don’t take advantage of it far outweigh the number who have.
girl seeks bliss 