Recently, I had the pleasure of facilitating a session for eighty plus Executive MBA students and alumni at the Rotman School of Business, University of Toronto. The experience was remarkable! From the Director who orchestrated the event to the IT specialist who ensured a seamless and engaging experience for both the audience and myself!
It was clear that ‘getting the job done’ was not the mindset at play here. ‘Just getting the job done’ is a role of FUNCTION, which is more about meeting expectations. FUNCTION does not stir people’s emotions or have them taking notice.
THE ‘HOW’ IS A CHOICE
The actions they took and the experience they created required effort and self-awareness. It was a choice to move away from simply getting the job done to intentionally crafting an experience for others, going beyond what was expected. They operated from a space of thinking of others that elevated them to being REMARKABLE.
“Remarkable is defined as ‘worthy of attention’. It is packed with the small details and actions that make a difference for others.”
If you consider the people you admire, they are not the people that are simply doing what it takes to get the job done. They are stepping out of their comfort zone and creating something that is out of the ordinary ~ something remarkable!
Be it a product they are developing, a project they are involved with, or an experience they are creating. All done with others in mind.
It is typically people who play big and take risks, like Mother Teresa, who selflessly cared for others without expecting anything in return, or Nelson Mandela, who fearlessly stood for what he believed in, even in the face of adversity. Mark Zuckerberg did this with Facebook, giving us a new way of communicating what we do with others. Oprah has done this by stepping out of the typical talk show model and offering content that inspires and feeds the soul.
It can also come from people with whom you interact and know in your own life. Clients say they admire leaders who courageously share their personal stories and are transparent. They are not famous, but they, too, are taking risks, owning up to their mistakes, deciding to live life on their terms, being inclusive, and demonstrating respect for others no matter what their title is or how successful they become.
Admiration and being remarkable is accomplished by moving beyond the minimum requirements. It comes from knowing who you are and being willing to create an experience that positively impacts others.
CLARIFYING THE DIFFERENCE
To move from being functional to remarkable, it is essential to know the difference.
FUNCTIONAL Brand – You are good at what you do. You are practical and execute a process or task well. You continually work at being functional by increasing your ability to perform a task more efficiently. You become known for what you can do.
REMARKABLE Brand – You are aligned with what you create. You consciously work to deliver an extraordinary experience and get noticed for producing results that matter. When you are remarkable, you pull out all the stops and deliver an experience that exceeds expectations. You become known for your part in making things happen and inspiring others.
MAKING REMARKABLE MOVES
Here are seven clear moves that demonstrate how to shift from being functional to being remarkable:
#1 Move away from strictly positioning what you do and start to talk about the benefits that you create by doing what you do. The results, where you land, carries more weight than the process of what you do.
#2 Move away from seeing yourself as a doer and begin to see yourself for the value you offer. You need to make the first move and create the link.
#3 Move away from a limiting mentality, ‘this is the way it has always been done’ or doing just what is requested and open your mind to the needs being voiced. Providing an opportunity to deliver a solution that moves the needle past the expectation.
#4 Move away from being transactional in your interactions and begin to develop strong meaningful relationships.
#5 Move away from expecting others to do things a certain way and begin to appreciate the results they achieve.
#6 Move away from being ‘me focused’ in what you are doing to creating the experience you want others to have.
#7 Move away from doing what everyone else is doing and be the best version of you!
When you implement these moves, the perceptions others have of you will change. You will begin to be seen for the value you add, not just for what you do.
YOUR MOVE
Go back over the list of seven and, on a scale from one to ten, how do you rate? Do you lean closer to one/two/three, which is currently being engaged in the ‘move away’ behaviour? Or are you over the halfway marker but not fully owning how remarkable you can be?
Choose the one you don’t fully own and work on implementing the behaviours that will move you up to a ten. Once you have that mastered, choose the next one that will move the needle for you.
Remarkable brands get noticed and you are worthy of that attention!! You have it in you!
Align yourself with what matters most to you. Live your brand fully expressed with intention and purpose to play bigger!
Are you interested in having a conversation to explore how you can define your personal brand and accelerate your growth as a leader, individually or as a team? Send an e-mail to book a complimentary 30-minute consultation.
