Your personal brand as an employee is what people say and think about you before you walk into a room, when you shake their hands and long after you've left. Do you know what your team members say about you? Even if you are the best at what you do you, not delivering what was agreed upon, pushing back deadlines, hogging the glory or gossiping — all of it can negatively impact your brand. In 2019, shine at work by taking control of your brand. Just like the Jackson 5 song, it's easy as A, B, C with these 26 behaviours you can improve.

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A-cknowledge communications within 24 hours. Whether it's an email, a text or a phone message, let the sender know you received it. You don't have to act on it immediately. A simple "thank you" with the expected date of action is all that is needed. In the era of ghosting you will be recognized as responsive. B-ehave like the next position on your path. Walk, talk and dress like the next title you are seeking. Come an opening, you will be the natural choice for the promotion. C-ommunicate clearly in the correct mode. Email is not always best. Consider your message, its sensitivity and the level of urgency. Don't forget about the receiver's preference or ease with technology. Effective communication only happens when your recipient "gets it." Perception is reality. If he or she did not understand your message, you did not communicate effectively. D-o it, d-efer, d-elegate it or d-ump it. Manage priorities with the 4 Ds technique. If it can be done in less than 30 minutes, now is the time to act. If it is not your focus, assign it to later. If someone is better or more efficient, pass it on. If it is not relevant, don't do it; delete it. E-nergize people and projects. Make it easy to collaborate with you. Believe. Bring out the best. Be enthusiastic. You will be recognized as an activator instead of a drainer. F-ake confidence. Few of us are ever 100 per cent confident in what they are doing. Yet, most of us know what confidence looks and sounds like. When you have the knowledge, skills and abilities, pretend. Soon you will be confident, and that leads to credibility. G-enerously give information, compliments and of yourself. Don't hoard information or credit. When asked, freely share your path and past experiences. Make introductions to your network. Mentor recruits. Give the gift of your time and talents to people and causes that you care about. This attitude is contagious, people will reciprocate. H-onour your word. Do what you said you would when you said you would. Most people forget, are too busy, delay, or... whatever. Do as promised and you will be recognized as having integrity.

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I-ntroduce yourself with your first name, last name and a firm handshake. Along with a sincere smile and direct eye contact, it makes you memorable. Not sure what messages your handshake sends out? Get feedback. J-oin in, participate. Don't sit on the sidelines or be a wall flower. Accept invitations. Raise your hand. Volunteer. Connect to learn, grow or increase your visibility. K-now when and how to say "no." This simple two letter word favoured by two year-olds is often hard to say at work, especially to your boss. Don't delay saying no, it gets harder over time. Don't lie, you could get caught.Be empathetically creative, by presenting options. Find out solutions to different scenarios in this article. L-ead with your heart. Using your head, remember that whether you conduct business B2B or B2C, in the end it is always H2H — human to human. A person with values, likes and dislikes is on the receiving end. Connect with what is at the heart of that person. M-arket yourself in all that you do. Take control of your reputation by aligning your words and actions with what you want to be known for, what you do best. Embrace your unicity. Invest in your talents.

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N-etwork with an "at your service" attitude. Don't think "selling," think "helping." This attitude of service will remove the stress of pushing yourself, your services and your products onto strangers. Focus on what their needs are first, and then offer your expertise or that of your network. O-pen yourself to possibilities. Without losing focus on results, step out of your comfort zone. Accept challenges and look for opportunities, even under tough circumstances or amid failures. P-ercolate your ideas. Just like coffee, give your thoughts time to come to the top. Relax. Sleep. Let them simmer. You will be amazed at the creative connections that are made while you carry on with your business. Once your ideas are defined, filter them with focus including sharing them and receiving feedback. Q-uestion what you don't know. There is no such thing as a silly question. It is best to admit ignorance than to be caught in a lie or making assumptions. R-espect people, their values and things. In the era of globalization where cultures collide, seek to understand before being understood. Be curious with an empathetic perspective. Don't assume or take anything without asking.

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