21st Century Man

Having got to grips with Twitter and LinkedIn (mastered would be far too strong a word) I’ve decided to dip my toe into the world of blogging once more.

I first tried in the mid-2000’s but I failed to follow Steven Covey’s advice to ‘start with the end in mind.’  End result – I ran out of steam very quickly.

This time around, I’m hoping it’s going to be different for a number of reasons.

• My better understanding of the interconnectedness of things
• The wider usage and acceptance of social media
• The idea that, whilst it is incumbent on your company to promote their brand, in these troubled times it is incumbent on you to promote your individual brand.  Then, if you are unfortunate enough to lose your current position, you are already ‘out there’ for new employers to find.
  

This last point really is the key one for me; this is the end I have in mind.  Not because I particularly feel threatened where I am at the moment (that was last year, when there was a very good chance our whole office would be closed down!)

It’s more a feeling that I want to have a voice that stands out from the background noise of everyday life.  I’m sorry if that sounds arrogant, it isn’t meant to be.

I think this feeling has always been with me and has been expressed in a number of different ways; the type of clothes I have worn, the music I listen to, TV programmes I watch, all manner of things.  Always a desire to fit in but in a subtly different way from everyone else.

Blogging falls into this category because I don’t know many people who do it.  That is ‘know’ in the sense that I have face to face contact with them.  I read plenty of blogs and I follow people on Twitter and I belong to discussion groups on LinkedIn but it would be a stretch to say I know these people.  I am familiar with one aspect of their lives but, if I’m truthful, my life is richer for it.

I’ve also been inspired by a couple of pieces I’ve read on-line.  The first is from Colin Roberts, with whom I share a LinkedIn group.  The article is on ModernSelling.com: Brand (New) You At the moment, you can get to the article without registering but if you do want to register, it’s free and it’s a cracking site if you are in sales, particularly in the UK.  The discussion group on LinkedIn is the best I’ve come across.  It isn’t dominated by a few people and the discussions are intelligent and meaningful.

The second piece is from Barbara Giamanco’s blog although I came across it through following Barbara on Twitter: The Power of a Brand. Yours! She is one of those voices always worth listening to if you work in the sales arena.

So, that’s where I’m coming from with this blog.  Let’s see if I can keep it up this time!  Please come back and visit me regularly and please make comments!

If you want to find me elsewhere on-line I’m on LinkedIn at http://uk.linkedin.com/in/neiljfletcher and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NeilJFletcher

See you in cyberspace!