Whether you work hard on your brand or not (business or personal), never underestimate the power of congruity.
And never think that a clever logo or strapline can mask the real you.
When you have congruity, things fit together in a way that makes sense to people. It creates consistency.
If you tell your team that “The Customer Is King” and then moan about Mrs. Arse-Pain and how you wish you’d never taken on that job, it creates a very mixed message. It also hands over permission for your team to do exactly the same, removing your power to pull them up for it.
If you boast about your green credentials online but fly regularly, it doesn’t matter how much you spin it; your position will be questioned.
Or, as happened recently, you receive an email after placing an order online that says, “My name is Susan, and I’m super excited to be assisting you with your order.”. Me; I can’t help wondering how ‘super-exciting’ that isn’t, especially when all the rest of the emails that arrived were system-generated confirmations with no further personalised communication.
People are living, breathing detectors placing their personal judgements on the things you say and do. They need a congruous experience – a consistent narrative that matches their experience – otherwise, the words remain just that – words.
The truth is, it’s probably impossible to do 100% of the time. We’re all hypocritical when it suits us or when the pressure’s on. But, it’s something to strive towards to create better connections.
It ain’t easy. But nothing is*.
* If you read that, then went…. woooo hoooo. 🙌