As the product of the <Your Name > brand, the type of message you present sets the tone for new opportunities.  While most people who are looking for a new job, a career shift, or a promotion will often present the “can do” message at the moment, it is key to consider the entire brand experience for those working with you, volunteering with you, and even your friends and family. 

 There is value in being the person that always is ready to try something new and be positive about change.  Think about people that you work with or volunteer along side and who you enjoy the most.  Hopefully, you are drawn to the upbeat, positive player in the group.  The complainer, the one that tries to get away with doing little, often gets others to agree with their concerns and brings down the group.

 How do you maintain your “can do” brand image?

 Be ready to help, assist or take on a special project. Yet, make sure to protect yourself by discussing time issues, scheduling, and other things that may impact your ability to complete the task successfully.  It’s great to be helpful, but not at the expense of doing a good job because you’re overloaded. Others will appreciate that you want to make sure of a good outcome and negotiating timeframes and responsibilities supports your Can Do brand.

• Extricate yourself from group discussions that turn negative on the issues facing them due to change or reassignments. If you stay, you risk being associated with the complainers.
• Never get pulled into expressing your opinions about secrets or gossip. You can be an empathetic ear, but refrain from commenting because if the person told you private things about others, they will certainly tell your private comments to others to validate their gossip.