WIMCA 2023: See Yourself As A Brand And Don’t Outsource Your Growth To Others, Keynote Speakers Advise
Aspiring and upcoming professionals in the Marketing and Communications industry have been urged not to outsource the responsibility of their development and growth to their leaders at all levels if they want to position themselves for premium performance.
The Chief Executive Officer of Godrej Consumer Product, West Africa, Mr. Kayode Oladapo made the call in his keynote speech during the annual Women In Marketing & Communications Conference/Award (WIMCA) tagged ‘Positioning For Premium Performance’ last Friday in Lagos.
He explained that young people tend to give the responsibility for their career development and growth to company leaders forgetting they are also employees. He emphasised the need for young people to decide which career path they were willing to go and the height they wished to attain.
In his words, “What leaders or management do is to facilitate the career young people have chosen and the future they have chosen to develop. Leaders will only give opportunities to grow, it is now left to them to open the door and work through it.’’
Oladapo encouraged the young people at the conference not to outsource their career growth. Instead, use Grant Charts and SWOT Analysis, helpful tools for self-positioning and personal development.
Oladapo challenged the audience not only to be good at their careers but to be exceptional in them.
Speaking in the same fervour, the second keynote speaker, Solape Akinpelu CEO and co-founder of Hervest opined that to position for a premium performance, one needs to see his or herself as a product. Stating authenticity, credibility and consistency as the top three values every product thrives with,
She explained that authenticity will assist a person in knowing who his or her target audience is, which helps in building strong emotional connections. Being true to oneself, she added, helps in positioning for premium performance.
Akinpelu further explained that consistency establishes credibility. The key to maintaining consistency, she said, is in understanding one personal brand and the role it plays corporately and in the community.
In her words, “It will be a struggle to position for premium performance without consistency. Show up when you said you would. If you can’t meet up, communicate. That is how you build credibility and position yourself for premium performance. Productize yourself for premium performance,’’ she added.
