Personal branding for public servants: top 6 reasons why your voice matters

The municipal sector deserves to hear your voice.

“A good public servant stays out of the spotlight.”

This advice was given to me nearly two decades ago as I prepared to enter the municipal sector.  It was advice I took seriously.  The words came from a seasoned mentor and aligned with everything my textbooks said about municipal government: politicians are elected by citizens to deliver on their priorities, and administrators serve to carry out the will of Council.  It follows that politicians are accountable for demonstrating progress and deserve full access to photo opportunities, journalists, and speaking opportunities.

Fast forward to 2021.  While the principles of council-administrative leadership have not changed, the way we communicate certainly has.  Twenty years ago, there were a limited number of traditional media platforms and opportunities to communicate to large audiences were relatively infrequent.  Opportunities to connect through our devices were not at the level they are today - we were connected to our professional network through a flip phone, a pager or, if we were especially tech savvy, an early Blackberry.  Now, we are connected to the world through the smartphones we carry in our pockets and there are literally millions of outlets to communicate the values that matter to us.

Just because these new platforms are available, should public servants use them to strengthen their voices?  If you haven’t yet started building a personal brand outside of your organization, leveraging the new media platforms, we suggest now is the time to start.  Here are six reasons why.

1.    Let employees get to know the real you

Chances are your ability to reach every individual in your organization on a regular basis are limited.  The probability you have regular contact with every employee are diminished further if you serve in a large municipal organization. This begs the question, how well do your employees know you, your values, and your leadership philosophy?

If you have an open door policy for all employees, do all employees know this?

If you value innovation and risk taking over playing it safe, can employees trust that they will be supported if they make a mistake?

If you have made diversity and inclusion a priority within your work plan, are all employees aware of your commitment and the steps you are taking?

When you are not providing regular information related to your values, priorities and leadership philosophy, people will search for this information within sources you do not control.  Whether it’s a water cooler chat with a disengaged colleague, an unfair media article, or a social media post from an angry resident, these are the information sources that will fill the void if you don’t show up and put yourself out there. 

Showing up on platforms that are not considered “corporate,” speaking authentically and from your heart, can help to bridge this gap.

2.    Attract top talent

More than companies, more than salaries, more than benefits, more than positions, today’s most talented job seekers are increasingly searching for one thing: strong, authentic, leadership.  A Gallup Poll of more than 1 million U.S. workers showed that 75 per cent of workers who voluntarily left their jobs did so because of their bosses and not the position itself.

It follows that if talented workers are planning their exit strategies to escape poor leadership, prospective employers who demonstrate strong leadership will have a competitive advantage.  You may be one of these strong leaders, but if you are not putting yourself out there, how will these potential candidates know?  By showing up on your LinkedIn, industry publications, and other channels that prospective employees follow, speaking truth to your values, you will have attracted the right employees even before a job description is posted on your website.

3.    Celebrate the work of your team

Time and time again, when we ask municipal employees how their organizations can improve their work experience, a common response emerges: “saying thank you when I go above and beyond.” 

There are a variety of ways to show your team that you value their contributions through small acts of gratitude.  You can send an email.  You can stop by their workstation for a high five.  You can leave gift cards to the local coffee shop. 

All of these acts are important but consider how you can leverage communications platforms outside your organization to amplify your gratitude even further.  You can take the time to post a heartfelt message on your personal social media accounts telling them and others how their work is advancing your organization and how much you value their contributions.  You can work on an article for an industry publication that demonstrates how the team is raising the bar on municipal innovation and improving the community they serve.  These actions elevate the profile of your employees and helps them to advance their careers, demonstrating that you are willing to put yourself out there in support of their success.

4.    Promote the community you serve

Your Mayor and Council are the face of your organization within the community, and it is important to respect this role and let them take the lead in demonstrating accountability and progress for the projects and milestones they were elected to achieve.  That being said, with an abundance of new media opportunities, there is now space for administrative leaders to demonstrate their commitment to service without stealing the spotlight from elected officials.

We often talk to administrative leaders who are frustrated by fragmented, sometimes adversarial, relationships that appear between municipal administrations and the communities they serve.  These leaders express concern with a lack of awareness for the strong commitment to service and passion for the community that employees demonstrate every day.

As a leader, you can be an example of this passion from the administration, posting content about community achievements that excite you, partnerships the municipality is involved in and providing evidence of the administration’s commitment to the community. Often, there are examples of municipal teams involved in off-hours initiatives to serve the community, whether supporting United Way, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity or participating and organizing local charity events.  These are great examples that demonstrate municipal employees are invested in the community’s success and build trust with residents.

5.    Improve your candidacy for future opportunities

Imagine you walked into an interview and the panel was already familiar with your values, leadership style and work history before they even glanced at your resume.  Imagine they saw what you stood for and decided it was a good fit for their organization even before you shook their hand and said hello.

We are in an era where this is possible.  Prospective employers and the recruiters who work for them will often google your name before deciding to invite you to an interview to get a full picture of your past and what you have to offer.  If you are consistently showing up on digital platforms that are targeted to the audiences you want to notice your work, there is a chance that prospective employers will have already become familiar with your work.

Another advantage of consistently working on your narrative is that it provides balance when others are trying to tell your story in a negative way.  Is there a media article that you feel portrayed your work unfairly?  Has there been social media dialogue where people were unhappy with government decisions and cast your role in a negative light?  If you are posting on social media platforms, publishing articles, or participating in professional associations, these pursuits will also show up in google searches with your name, and provide prospective employers with a fairer indication of what you are about. 

If you don’t have a digital presence, rest assured your competition is increasingly online and their personal brand is providing them with an advantage during the recruitment process.

6.    Strengthen the sector

At a time when public trust in government is declining and public service roles are becoming less and less attractive to younger workers, you have the opportunity to be a source of inspiration to the next generation of municipal leaders and set the sector on a path filled with fresh ideas and innovative thinking.

Tomorrow’s municipal challenges require the talents of today’s brightest young minds.  From climate change, to social injustice, remote working, and growing infrastructure backlogs, if top talent isn’t compelled to be part of the sector, our cities and communities are at risk.

Think about the factors that prompted you to join the municipal sector.  Was there someone serving the community that inspired you?  Was there a progressive thinker who motivated you to get involved?  Was there a mentor who believed in your potential?  Now is the time to pay it forward and inspire the next generation of municipal leaders, and more often than not you will find them online.

Key Takeaway 

If you don’t build your brand someone else will do it for you. Your story is bigger than rumours, bigger than policy manuals, bigger than mass employee emails and bigger than content on your corporate website or intranet.  Your story is about your authentic voice as a leader – and people in the municipal sector deserve to hear it.

Are you interested in content or workshops to help you build your brand as an administrative leader? Contact us to sign up for new content and learn about upcoming events.