designed to capture your SPARKS. Sparks are “ditch, dare, and do” ideas that come to you as you read—ideas that will spark action.
When you reach the end of each KNOW, SHOW, GROW, and GO section, you’ll find a Go-time Grid where you can capture, refine, and prioritize your sparks to create an action plan.
Here’s the best part: as you read, you’ll be building your personal brand plan. And when you’re finished, you’ll have four Go-time Grids ready to roll it out. That’s Ditch. Dare. Do! action!
To your 3D success!
Follow the Ditch. Dare. Do! 3D brand plan to your executive success—in the book and on the companion website: www.ditchdaredo.com. In a few minutes between meetings, on the subway, in the airport lounge, or in a few spare moments on the weekend, dip into Ditch. Dare. Do!, read a few snaps, and create a few sparks. Or settle into your easy chair or your beach blanket and read it through.
It’s up to you. Read it fast; read it slow. Spend nine minutes a day or nine hours a month. Then make your action plan and invest some time in the most important priority on your calendar: YOUR brand.
Regardless of your approach, you’ll be equipped to out-compete, out-perform, and manage your career in the new world of work. You’ll be able to contribute to your organization while expanding your career success. You’ll be more contented personally and more fulfilled professionally. You’ll be influential, indispensable, and incredibly happy at work!
Sound good?
How to Fit It In
The Ditch. Dare. Do! Nine-Minute Brand Plan
If, despite our best efforts to make Ditch. Dare. Do! fit your busy life, you’re starting to feel a bit overwhelmed, take a breath; you’re not alone. The idea that significant “branding time” is required each day prevents many executives from doing anything to manage their career. It’s just another thing piled high on a mountain of commitments. But we have a solution!
William has developed a revolutionary concept: Just nine strategic minutes each day doing small but meaningful actions is all you need to manage your brand and advance your career. He recently presented his “Nine-Minute Brand Plan” in a white paper produced for LinkedIn, and overworked, double-booked, never-a-spare-moment professionals (and the media) took notice.
Here’s why: We all desperately want to manage our careers, but the endeavor feels too complex and time-consuming to break into small actions. So we don’t do anything, and we feel frustrated and guilty about it. We keep putting it off until we have time. And usually we don’t have time until we lose a job or a promotion. Then our career becomes the priority that captures our time and attention.
Yet, consider this: little things add up. Committing to nine minutes every workday amounts to nearly 40 hours a year of steadfast focus on moving your brand forward. That’s the equivalent of taking off a full week of work (or using a whole week of vacation) to invest time in career development—something most of us will never do. But each of us can invest nine minutes a day.
As you use the Go-time Grid action plan worksheets to record the ditches, dares, do’s, and sparks most valuable to you, assign them a priority, and identify a date by which you plan to complete them. Then break them into smaller tasks that can be completed in nine minutes and schedule (at least) one every day.
If you’re tempted to skip days, remember, doing this for a year is like spending an entire week focused on the single most important thing that will advance your career and happiness—the brand called YOU. Make it a habit, like brushing your teeth or working out—a non-negotiable commitment to your brand’s health.
For additional ideas on using your nine minutes, you can join the conversation at the Nine Minutes a Day LinkedIn group.
Can you spare nine minutes a day to be influential, indispensable, and incredibly happy at work?
How Strong Is Your Brand?
The Ditch. Dare. Do! Brand Calculator
Before you dive into Ditch. Dare. Do!, take this quick quiz to see where your brand stands now. Are you a potential brand, rising brand, super brand, or even a mega brand?
You can take the abbreviated quiz here or the complete version of the quiz at www.ditchdaredo.com/quiz
1. Can you state your top five brand attributes—the most relevant and compelling adjectives that describe you?
2. Have you identified and documented your short- and long-term career goals?
3. Do you know what those around you would identify as your greatest strength?
4. Do you have a “So what? Make me care!” brand positioning statement that describes what you offer, and for whom, how you are different, and what value/ROI (return on investment) your differentiation creates?
5. Can you clearly describe your target audience—those people who need to know about you so that you can achieve your goals?
6. Do you have a home on the web that showcases your success, such as your own website, personal portal (i.e., about.me or flavors.me), etc.?
7. Do you infuse every project meeting, report, etc. with your personal brand—with what you want to be known for?
8. Have you proactively done something valuable for a member of your network this week?
9. Do you have a trusted focus group of peers, managers, or clients to provide honest personal brand feedback?
10. Do you