Stories and role models are powerful ways to communicate. Psychologists and others believe that three times more information can be communicated and understood in story form than in bulleted lists. Brand U stories are personal and moving. So, I’ve collected the stories from the best business periodicals.[i]
I’ve taken a rational and objective approach to work. I focus on the ‘is.’ In some paragraphs, it may seem I sympathize with the employer or customer, while in others I may empathize with the Brand U employee or itinerant Brand U professional.
The reality is that employer and employee each have selfish interests. These are often communicated poorly or not at all. In Working It, I’ve tried to make these rules and expectations explicit so each party gets what he or she wants. By clarifying the ‘work rules of engagement’, I hope there is a true ‘value exchange’ between employer and employee.
You’ll probably notice that I use automotive and computer examples throughout this book. This is done intentionally. These two industries pervade and infect all our lives. There’s no escaping their impacts. As well, we’re viscerally connected to these products. We experience good or bad feelings about them on a daily basis.
Debt of Gratitude: Tom Peters originated and popularized many of the ideas in this book, including the ‘Brand You.’ His ‘Brand You’ was the inspiration for the Brand U expressed in this book.
[i] Aaker, David, and Joachimthaler, Brand Leadership, NY: Free Press, p. 77.