Watching all the Jubilee celebrations this weekend reminded me of the mantra supposedly followed by the royal family:
‘Never complain, never explain.’
It’s the ultimate in the British stiff-upper-lip keep-calm-and-carry-on mentality.
Prince Charles’ speech at the Buckingham Palace concert on Saturday was very much in that vein – all clipped vowels and little emotion even when talking about his ‘Mummy’, the Queen.
(Is it just me or is there something odd about hearing a grown man say ‘Mummy’?)
And it got me thinking about you and your personal brand.
Do you keep it all stiff-upper-lip, formal and ‘professional’…or do you let your personality shine through?
Do you present a one-dimensional ‘business’ image of yourself…or do you share some of your challenges and how you’ve overcome them?
Do you write ‘I trust this email finds you well?’…or ‘How was your birthday at the weekend?’
Because here’s the thing: we’re drawn to people who feel ‘real’, not to corporate robots.
We love a bit of imperfection in others – it makes them interesting and memorable.
As copywriter Laura Belgray says, ‘Perfection doesn’t create connection.’
But don’t worry – you don’t need to bare all or dredge up a tragic back story like you’re on X Factor (‘I grew up so poor we had to make our clothes out of empty crisp packets’).
Just letting your colleagues and clients see more of your ideas, opinions and personality will build bridges.
And that’s nothing to complain about, right?