Last month I wrote about
the
challenges of changing your company's brand. Marlene J. Waldock, an
expert in reinvention and women's empowerment, presented four questions you
should ask yourself before making a change:
1. Why do I want or need to change?
2. What will be the outcome of the change or re-invention?
3. How will it affect the people involved and who are they--employees, clients
or family?
4. How does this fit in with my personal and business vision and my values?
In the same column, I talked about my own transformation from "Cybergrrl" to
focusing more on my personal brand and revitalizing my reputation after years
"off the grid" because of my personal life. I also spoke with Mary Blackmon, 41,
founder of Spa Addicts,
who had transformed her company's website from a spa directory to an interactive
online community with new tools and products to engage women in the spa
lifestyle.
My Answers to the Four Questions
Looking at my own transformation in progress through the filter of the
four questions, here is what I believe is behind my decision to make a change.
Why do I want or need to change?
I've been apart from my industry--the internet--for far too long after
moving to Wyoming, getting married, struggling to have a baby, then moving to
Alaska. I used to be attached to a company I no longer own. I feel like I need
to carve out my own identity and increase my profile to be competitive once
again in the internet industry.
What will be the outcome of the change or re-invention?
I hope to garner more speaking engagements that will increase my visibility
and network, leading to more consulting and creative opportunities. And tying my
reputation to my real name instead of a moniker will be helpful in the long
run--nobody can take that away from me.
Who will this affect and how will it affect them?
I'm solo at the moment in my business life but am bringing on someone who
may become my business partner. Because we will work as a virtual team, it will
benefit both of us to have independently strong profiles and then pitch
ourselves as collaborators. On the family front, my increased profile and career
success could cause strain and lead to times that I will have to be away from
home.
How does this fit in with my personal and business vision and my values?
I've always been guided by a mission to empower other women, but in the
process, I always forgot myself. Now I'm trying to put my efforts and energy
into empowering myself, as well. The more visible I am, the more I can continue
to work toward my overall mission of helping others.
Blackmon's Answers to the Four Questions
Why do I want or need to change?
"Our audience's needs were evolving, and our site traffic and audience were
growing. We had to expand our offerings to better meet their needs and
expectations. Many smaller geographic areas did not have spas, and we needed to
serve these people, too. Plus, we wanted to help the audience segment that
couldn't get to the spa as often as [desired]. And everyone needs a voice and
the opportunity to learn from each other."
What will be the outcome of the change or reinvention?
"Better services more relevant to our growing and mass audience of primarily
female consumers, including more spas, special offers, user reviews and fresh
lifestyle content."
How will it affect the people involved and who are they?
"Unfortunately, some of our account positions and spa editing positions were
no longer needed."
How does this fit in with my personal and business vision and my values?
"My personal and business vision are similar in that I am passionate about
providing an affordable and attainable spa lifestyle to the general public. This
goal reflects my personal values, as I have always felt that you do not have to
have a large pocketbook in order to afford better balance, quality of life,
wellness and even a little bit of beauty. This idea originated while I was
struggling to make ends meet post 9/11, working nonstop for my demanding job in
NYC, recovering from the grief of my mom's unexpected passing at 58, and being
stressed to the max. Spa Addicts reflects my passion and hope that we all can
have more balance, beauty and wellness, and I am committed to making it happen
every day."
What Are the Wrong Answers?
I asked Waldock, founder of
Because We
Are Women empowerment symposiums, to give examples of wrong answers to her
four questions and what might be better ones. Here's what she had to say:
Why do I want or need to change?
Wrong: "Just because I feel like it."
What to consider: Obviously some change has occurred, either in your
life, your industry, your business, or with the economy to cause you to think
about reinventing yourself. Since things are changing around you, you must adapt
to survive and thrive. To change something that is working just for the sake of
change is not always the answer.
What will be the outcome of the change or reinvention?
Wrong: "I don't know" or "I will wait and see."
What to consider: Deciding what you want to have happen is the first
step--you have to have a vision and a goal. Then weighing all the options and
clearly understanding the cause-and-effect relationship of your actions is
crucial to achieving the desired outcome.
How will it affect the people involved and who are they--employees,
clients or family?
Wrong: No one but me.
What to consider: When changes are made, everyone is affected. Take
the time to do a pro-and-con analysis for everyone involved, and then share your
thoughts with them. They may give you some insight about obstacles or
opportunities you had not considered. Making decisions in a vacuum and assuming
you are the only one affected is clearly the wrong answer.
How does this fit in with my personal and business vision and my values?
Wrong: "Who cares?" or "What difference does it make?"
What to consider: Take the time to know who you are and what is really
important to you. Talk to a professional, hire a coach or find some
self-analysis tests to help you understand why you want to make these changes.
Not having a clear vision for your future and an understanding of your values is
always the wrong answer.
If you are contemplating a change to your business brand, have you asked
yourself the four questions? What other questions do you think you should be
asking?