Today I want to talk to you about the day I fell in love with my job. Actually that’s not 100% accurate, it’s more like the day I fell in love with the work I did at my job.
As I began to do more and more work that aligned with my strengths at Intel, I still was in this tiny Massachusetts location (in relations to the rest of the larger company) and separated from the bigger corporation.
I became an employee brand ambassador for the company and that is when everything changed. I went from being an unfulfilled operations manager (envision the old Dunkin Donuts commercial, “Time to make the donuts.”) to someone who couldn’t wait to get to work.
Why the shift? Falling in love is the best way I can describe it. I went from a relationship with my job that would be described as, “hey we both are here so we might as well make the best of it. We’ll stay together for the kids.” To a relationship that was more like, “You know, the more I take the time to get to know you and what you are all about, the more I love you and what you stand for.”
Enough with the metaphors. What happened when I became an employee brand ambassador is that I was now connected to the mission of the company. A mission to have our technology impact the lives of every person on the planet. Oh that’s big, it’s bold and I loved it. It’s a little bit different than thinking, “I go to work everyday so I can make chips that go in computers.” Boring and un-inspiring.
So what does this mean for you oh brand inside a brand listener? It means it’s time to connect the dots for yourself. Not every company has an employee brand ambassador program (let’s talk if you want to start one), but every company has the capability to connect their bigger mission to what it’s employees do on a daily basis.
Obviously having the capability and actually doing something are two totally different things. Don’t wait on the company. Three things you can do right away:
1. Write down your company’s mission and brand statement.
2. Connect it back to what you do on a daily basis. Get help as needed. In fact most likely you will need help so seek it.
3. Spread the word and share how what your part of the company does ties to the bigger mission. If you are a manager, connect the dots for your people. Let them know their work is not just work, it’s a bigger movement and their contribution matters.
This is Mike Ambassador Bruny for Brand Inside a Brand. You don’t have to leave your job to leave a mark, but you can’t be afraid to fall in love with your work.
If you found this helpful and you are interested in getting your specific work questions answered, join my brand inside a brand newsletter and leave me a question. I’ll get back to you right away.
