| Your assignment is
to choose to compose either a "Who Am I" story, as described in the
Annette Simmons text, or a Personal Branding Statement as discussed in
class on Feb. 5. The product you submit should be 1-2 pages, double-spaced. Note special instructions for branding statement to enhance its length. Following are a number of prompts, suggestions, and examples of these items. You are also free to use the story (Jan. 31) or branding statement (Feb. 5) you worked on in class as the foundation for the assignment. Set No. 1 of Ideas for Who Am I stories: (adapted from A Leader’s Guide to Storytelling by Stephen Denning) Write a story about one of these topics. Imagine that the audience for this story is someone who could hire you or who knows someone who could hire you:
Set No. 2 of Ideas for Who Am I stories: (adapted from Krieshok, Hastings, Ebberwein, Wettersten, & Owen, 1999) Write a story about your future – let's say a year after graduation. Assume things are going well, but be realistic. Your story can (but doesn't have to) include the following:
Set No. 3 of Ideas for Who Am I stories: (adapted from Joe Lambert, Digital Storytelling Cookbook) Write a story about an accomplishment. Consider a desire-struggle-realization format. Consider also:
Set No. 4 of Ideas for Who Am I stories: (adapted from Joe Lambert, Digital Storytelling Cookbook) Write a story about a decisive moment in your life. In our lives, there are moments, decisive moments, when the direction of our lives is pointed in a given direction and because of the events of this moment, we are going in another direction. Poet Robert Frost shared this concept simply as The Road Not Taken. A major achievement, a particularly bad setback, meeting a special person, the birth of a child, the end of a relationship, the death of a loved one, are all examples of these fork-in-the-road experiences. Finally, think about the following with regard to the story you've composed (from Hurt & Metzger, 2003, Info-line, ASTD):
A Personal
Branding Statement encompasses:
Note that unlike Who Am I stories, Personal Branding Statements are usually written in the third person. You will note that the sample branding statements below are only about a paragraph; the assignment calls for them to be longer – at least a page. To fill them out, you'll need to add supporting bullet points or a supporting story. Sample w/bullet points: Kathy Hansen's professional role is to empower people with the tools they need to realize their dreams and reach their career goals. Specifically, her role is to effectively use language to:
In summary, her goals are to:
OR – support your branding statement with a branding story, as in this sample: Dr. Randall Hansen is an educator who thrives on empowering people to achieve their personal success. The story behind the statement: Education is not about lecturing; it is not about describing the steps or procedures of something – it is about opening someone’s mind to learning, and that’s what I am all about. It’s about turning the helpless or lost person into someone who is self-actualized and can find his or her own way out of the situation. For example, I had a graduating senior who was feeling great pressure to find a job, and while he knew some basics of job-hunting, he was allowing circumstances to overwhelm him. I did not need to lecture him about the best methods of finding a job, nor did I have to create or edit his resume; instead, I served as the calming voice in his head that mentored him and allowed him to truly start his job-search. By working one-on-one with him and providing guidance and support when he needed it, he was able to develop and follow-up on several job leads that eventually led to a job offer that was the perfect opportunity for him. And by accomplishing this task on his own, he not only was able to land this job, but he also now has the skills, confidence, and ability to move forward in his career and do future job-searches with ease. Sample Shorter
Personal Branding Statements (these would need bullets or a story to meet assignment requirements) Joan Morrow is a mature, confident doctoral candidate who will bring honor and prestige to any doctorate program with which she will be associated with her already proven skills as a published author and engaging teacher. Doug Gleason is a seasoned marketing executive who can solve any marketing problem using creative and analytical points of view and consensus. A great team builder who is both a right-brain and left-brain thinker, he finds solutions to even the toughest marketing challenges with equal parts commitment and fun. Kay Crain is a compassionate and thoughtful social worker who is an expert in helping families cope with a family member’s diabetes. Jody Seidler is the single-parent authority on the Internet. Her real-life experience, motivation, and drive have made her and her Web site, http://www.makinglemonade.com, the best resources when it comes to group support or legal, therapy, or parenting advice. Mindy Rothstein is CEO of her own company and creator of the Bonding Blanket. She blends a mother’s intuition with a CEO’s tenacity to ensure high-quality products mothers and babies will love, and which are manufactured and delivered on time and within budget. Nina Burokas spearheads high-impact marketing programs for software technology companies. Her success is a function of her ability to achieve an optimal mix of people, process and technology. She is focused on entrepreneurial technology opportunities that leverage her intellect, expertise and competitive spirit. (see http://ninaburokas.typepad.com/) As a teacher, Katharine Hansen strives to create an active, exciting learning community in which she one of the learners. She may lead and facilitate while providing content and expertise, but she is, above all, a learner. Her greatest source of pride in her teaching career comes from having learned, grown, and improved as an instructor. |
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