Hello everyone!  For my topic of discussion I chose the importance of professional branding. 

Coming from a business background this is something that I place very high value in.  Branding is essentially having all of the different processes and activities completely unique but having a spoken, or sometimes unspoken, message about what an organization stands for.  

A leader knows that the branding has really taken hold when participants begin to use the branding message in their own processes. 

In education an administrator may see this when they have been working to get buy in towards the branding through a message of unity when a teacher begins to use this term in their syllabus to parents, in their discussions in class, and interacting with parents. 

If I had to choose one word to summarize my professional brand it would have to be collaborative. 

In any organization collaboration is key.  If any one person goes in to an environment appearing to know everything, the organization will be weakened and the structure of the organization is then at risk.

Respect and understanding with a focus on organizational goals are key to the success of an organization and collaboration amongst the employees and leaders of an organization ensure the wellness of the foundation of an organization. 

It is important to keep in the forefront of all stakeholders minds that every student has a right to a quality education.  That can be achieved through dedication, hard work, and collaboration amongst all stakeholders.  There are many instances where an educational professional can look to where odds were overcome by involving many and collaborating to get the job done. Most often we see this in schools that have had to overcome difficulties related to socio-economic related concerns. 

The brand would be evident visually by having posters that reflected the collaborative message, it would be on the website, on flyers home, and referenced at every gathering directly and indirectly. 

In order for a brand to be solidified and successful it must be completely integrated into the culture.  

In order to accomplish this it would be important to have a motto or slogan that helps to make the branding more deeply integrated into the culture. 

The motto that I would use would be “Collaborative Community in Action”.  

This would speak to not only the value that is placed on collaboration in the school, but would provide opportunities to share the value of collaboration in the classroom. 

It would be very important to ensure that the staff believes in the brand and the message. 

Being genuine, being perceived as being genuine, and integrating the brand into the very essence of the school and programs within the school provides a platform for success!