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Intrapersonal Communication as a Foundation for Personal Branding - Beryl

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PAN ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF MEDIA AND

COMMUNICATION

INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
AS FOUNDATION FOR PERSONAL
BRANDING

BY

BERYL EHONDOR

FEBRUARY 2017

Intrapersonal Communication as Foundation For Personal - BERYL EHONDOR

Branding
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INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION AS FOUNDATION FOR PERSONAL

BRANDING - by Beryl Ehondor,

Introduction

As a teacher and communications expert with experience in business development, budding

entrepreneurs and youth visit my office regularly for professional advice on business and self-
improvement. A common observation and recommendation amongst others they get is the need
to build their personal brand by looking inwards. At this point, they get confused particularly
expecting the magic words to come from me instead, often wondering aloud the relationship
between looking inwards or intrapersonal communication and personal branding. To thus
settle the argument on the relationship between intrapersonal communication and personal
branding, a survey was launched using questionnaires as the source of primary data and relevant
literature as secondary data. As a counter-argument however, ‘can personal branding not be
done without intrapersonal communication as a foundation?’ Note that a foundation is the basis
on which something is grounded or the fundamental assumptions from which something is
begun, developed, calculated or explained (Dictionary WordWeb). Moving on, it is expected
that the literature review, survey findings and analysis will clear the doubts intrapersonal
communication being a foundation of personal branding. The next step, therefore, would be to
review literature defining and explaining the key terminologies i.e. intrapersonal
communication and personal branding.

Intrapersonal communication is communiqué with self and it occurs when a human being
thinks to himself. In fact the word ‘intra-personal’ connotes ‘within-individual’, while
communication in simple terms is the act of conveying information. Communication is
fundamental to human existence and an essential soft skill, this is because all other soft skills
are built on the ability to communicate clearly and professionally. Communication is a process
with an interplay of elements i.e. sender, message, receiver, decoding message, feedback and
noise. Peter Drucker aptly muted how hearing what isn’t heard is most important in
communication, nonetheless, it is characteristically expressed as verbal, non-verbal or as body
language; and usually listed as four types namely intrapersonal, interpersonal, group and finally,
mass communication.
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Some literature considers intrapersonal communication to include self-awareness and self-talk

but considering our cultural milieu in Nigeria, ‘self-talk’ is associated with persons who have
gone mad. Thus this paper will be restricted to the concept to internal communication as
‘communication within the mind of a person, how he feels and perceives himself’.

George Bernhard Shaw in describing personal branding said that ‘life isn’t about finding
yourself. Life is about creating yourself’. Personal branding is a conscious definition of what
a person stands for and prefers to be associated with, more like strategic-individual-
differentiation. Branding is a mental hypothesis, a formed ideology about anything based on
knowledge, experience and perception. Thus personal branding can be described as a mental
ideological construct of self. A personal brand is a reflection of values, essence, individuality
largely shaped by one’s belief, experiences, purpose and knowledge. It is a process that involves
analysing one’s status quo, strengths, capabilities, weaknesses vis-à-vis a desired future,
deciding aspects (in detail) for development and how it will affect present and future
phenomena of life (or selected sphere). It is a process that leads directly to action plans
reflecting in communications, culture, outward appearance, identity and principally a
differentiation of the individual. Personal branding is constantly assessed as humans
communicate and the perception of the assessing party largely determines whether the
interaction continues or not. In the words of Glenn Llopis, Forbes contributor, ‘personal
branding is a never-ending journey of self-discovery, a journey to knowing exactly how to
communicate your value proposition-those unique defining elements that give your personal
brand distinction influenced by your core values’.

Intrapersonal communication and personal branding are two powerful concepts also aptly
captured in profound phrases in the most influential book on earth, the Bible, stating in Proverbs
23:7, ‘…as he thinks in his heart, so is he…’ and in Proverbs 27:19, ‘…as water reflects a face,
so a man’s heart reflects the man’; where ‘as he thinks in his heart’ connotes intrapersonal
communication and ‘so is he’ connotes ‘the man’ or personal branding. Intrapersonal
communication is first in the list of types of communication, which include interpersonal, group
and mass communication. It is a complex yet simple process of mental communication;
complex because it embodies all the elements of a standard communication model (i.e. sender,
message, channel, receiver, decoder, noise), and simple because the process of communication
can be controlled by significantly self. The thinking facility of a human is generally connoted
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as the heart or mind. Thinking may be triggered by anything or situation and is a repeated
activity which involves processing thoughts or words internally, sometimes building a picture
in the mind, usually crystallising as a decision, concept or idea. Simply put therefore,
intrapersonal communication is how you talk to yourself, while personal branding is the effect
of that communication and how the ‘self’ is projected.

From the foregoing, if intrapersonal communication is a mental exchange of message with self
and personal branding is primarily a mental construct of self which leads to strategic action,
therefore it can be said that intrapersonal communication is a foundation (basis) for personal
branding. Also, if an individual is what he perceives himself to be, and personal branding
differentiates him and how others perceive him, therefore what an individual says to self
determines how he/she is perceived by others. This implies that intrapersonal communication
is the foundation for personal branding. If this statement is then amplified we can, therefore,
allude the following:

i. That if people say the right things to themselves, then they will behave right
ii. That if people think of themselves as valuable, they project value and are perceived that
way by others
iii. That if people label themselves helpless, they project vulnerability and are ultimately
taken advantage of

The postulations above could be mirrored on Nigeria’s general population, branded as a

developing and heavily import-dependent country, with more negative outcome projected than
positive (even in Nigerian movies), including corruption, underachievement, illiteracy,
depression, resource mismanagement, frustration, unemployment, anger, unrest, poverty. Are
these evidence of poor decisions (because we are not talking ourselves) and the resultant effect,
a cause and effect scenario? But what if the right decisions are taken (as individuals and a
people), would the effect be different? Another country scenario is America often projecting
Americans as heroes, inventors and always successful compared to other nationalities in
movies, thus creating a brand persona in the minds of the rest of the world. This begs the
question of whether intrapersonal communication and personal branding make any difference
for an individual or group. Another question one may ask is, ‘are those who live better or run
better businesses a success partly because they did right intrapersonal communication and thus
created a personal brand? These are some questions the survey helped to review. Considering

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mental processes cannot be measured directly, respondents opinion will be based on years of
interactive experience and cognitive abilities.

The survey scope was to identify the relationship between intrapersonal communication and
personal branding using quantitative and qualitative analysis of questionnaire sent by the simple
random method to 50 adults in Lagos, 48 of which responded. The sample population were
university students, employees and small and medium scale entrepreneurs (SMEs). See result
below:

Results are stated as percentage % of total of respondents in population sample

S/N QUESTIONS NO MAYBE YES

% % %
1. Do you think intrapersonal 0 0 100
communication is useful?

2 Is it possible and normal to talk to 4.3 4.3 91.5

yourself?
3 Is it possible to spend time reviewing 2.1 4.2 93.8
the activities of the day?
4 Intrapersonal communication has a 8.5 25.5 66
relationship with how people behave
5 Intrapersonal communication affects 8.3 0 91.7
how people take decisions?
6 Would you say you learn better from 10.4 25 64.6
your experience?
7 Is there a connection between 4.2 37.5 56.3
unacceptable societal behaviour and
poor intrapersonal communication?
8 Do you think the advice you give 20.8 45.8 33.3
yourself is better the advice others
give you?

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9 Would you say you learn better from 27.1 45.8 27.1
the experience of others?
10 Intrapersonal communication helps 4.2 12.5 83.3
people regulate their own behaviour?
11 People who act unethically do not 22.9 56.3 20.8
talk to themselves
12 There is a relationship between how 4.2 10.4 85.4
people think and how they project
themselves
13 Should people be conscious of how 18.8 37.5 43.8
others think about them?
14 Is personal branding necessary? 0 6.3 93.8
15 Why do think personal branding is 24 (a-x) Responses
necessary? received are listed below

For reasons of credibility of data, the exact comments of respondents on the necessity of
personal branding are listed below, only edited slightly for grammatical errors:

a) This is because it affects the way people view you or your brand. You are responsible
for advertising yourself
b) It makes an individual outstanding
c) Because that is what people can assess you with.
d) You attract fellow individuals with some branding. It gives you a better status in the
society
e) It's your selling point
f) People will relate to you based on how you present yourself
g) I think it's necessary because self-motivation is the best.
h) It improves your ability
i) It makes individuals conscious of their value proposition and increases their
marketability
j) People accept you the way you present yourself to them. When brand yourself, you
determine to a large extent how people treat you and relate with you. Again, personal
branding aligns you with your value system, purpose and ultimately your destiny.
Thanks
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k) It might be useful for career progression.

l) It prepares you to take awaiting opportunities.
m) The way you project yourself determines how people take you
n) It helps you project the perfect identity that suits you
o) It is necessary to project how you want the world to view you.
p) So that people can have good opinion about you
q) Because it is how you want others to perceive you.
r) It distinguishes you
s) It speaks of your total package
t) Good for your image
u) It helps in building or breaking self-esteem
v) It defines Individuality and create an Identity
w) Its makes one have a second look of things and also the way forward
x) Because it makes you stand out and also could make people understand the kind of
person you are

Discussion

Questions 1-3 on the questionnaire tested an understanding of intrapersonal communication

after a brief description in the question. While questions 4-12 bothered on the relationship
between internal communication and personal branding, with 13-15 focusing on whether
personal branding is necessary or not. The findings indicate the following notions on the
average:

i. That intrapersonal communication is normal and should be done by everyone

ii. That intrapersonal communication significantly influences behaviour
iii. That intrapersonal communication is the foundation for personal branding
iv. That personal branding is necessary for all, this was emphasised with actual comments
by 50% of population sample

The findings also align with Sigmund Freud’s psychodynamic theory (Momoh, 2015), which
explains that all behaviours are caused by processes in the mind. These internal processes shape
the personality, which then shapes the behaviour of the individual. Furthermore in agreement
with Richard Templar’s rules of work, people must realise they are being judged at all times,
hence it may be best to strategically cultivate personal branding to manage perception, as this
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may become the game-changer in the face of business, job interviews and other competitive
spheres of life. Where one may be wondering how to introspect and shape a personal brand,
possible tools are the Johari window of self and the application of the principles of ethical
judgement. Johari’s window of self leads the individual into analysing information on himself
in four broad categories:

i. Open Self- this is the information on self that is known to the individual and others
ii. Blind Self- this is information on self that is known to others but unknown to the
individual
iii. Hidden Self- this is information that is known to self but unknown to others
iv. Unknown Self-this is information that is unknown to self and unknown to others

The Johari window quadrants need not remain equal as the individual introspects to find out
more on his blind self and fine-tune the hidden-self to reflect virtues suitable for interaction
with others. To also achieve positive results via intrapersonal communication and by extension
personal branding, one must think right, think ethically. What then is ethics and how can one
think ethically? Ethics are values relating to the conduct of individuals with respect to the
correctness, injustice, ends and motives of certain actions. Thinking ethically can be in line with
Aristotle’s teaching on virtue, which involves scrutinizing all thoughts in line with four cardinal
virtues namely, prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance. These four cardinal virtues are
fundamental in the personality formation of human persons.

The significance of this study was to clear any arguments and show the relationship between
intrapersonal communication and personal branding. The analysis of survey findings clearly
confirmed this, however the comments of the respondents clearly showed limited understanding
on the concept, and this indicates a knowledge gap and opportunity for addition in collegiate
curriculum and executive seminars. So beyond the literature review, here a few pointers for
anyone starting the journey on personal branding. Whether establishing a personal or corporate
brand, these are three critical points to consider:

i. Clarity- Be clear about what you do and represent. This can be done personally or with
your team. If experiencing difficulty in achieving clarity, mentors and career/life
coaches can be a great help. Do a strength, weakness, opportunities and threat
(S.W.O.T.) analysis on yourself/ business idea. The vision, mission, values and brand
proposition must be clear.
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ii. Consistency-After creating a specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound

(S.M.A.R.T.) brand proposition, and clearly stating your brand identity, it is crucial to
remain consistent by evaluating all activities in line core values, vision and mission. The
public must see consistent openness, honesty or any attribute of your brand, every time
there is an interface with you or your organisation. As an organisation, it must be
engraved into the culture, visible in action and reinforced.
iii. Constancy- Constancy is dependability and an effective brand must be noticeably
dependable. Brand promises must be kept and where there are inadvertent setbacks, all
stakeholders should be carried along in advance. This is commitment.

Once again, what are the benefits of having a personal brand as a student or businessman? It
almost coincides with the same reasons we pick certain products from the shelf ignoring others,
value. Some other reasons include;

1. You are top of mind when elevations, premium projects, tasks, training line-ups,
international conventions and other opportunities are available
2. You are considered an expert having carved a niche, therefore your expert opinion is
often sought
3. Your value of self, empathy and other virtues will reflect in activities strengthening the
confidence of others in your capacity. This is essential for effective leadership
4. Colleagues, superiors, clients, competitors and contemporaries will feel privileged to
associate with you
5. Giants in your industry will be delighted to guide, mentor and work with you
6. Goodwill is built, and this lasts long-term even in a recession

Conclusion

There are many more good reasons why any and everyone should build a personal brand, they
include a positive reputation, influence, star power, personal and business equity, integrity,
peace of mind. Also others associate one with specific ideas, aesthetics, movements, character,
goodwill, cultural attitudes and virtues, making one an influential leader.

Beyond careers and business running, personal branding has a direct impact on the society.
Think of a society that is law abiding, where road signs are strictly obeyed without the police
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on patrol; where citizens feel safe not because the police are super at their jobs but because
there is zero crime rate. Think of a nation, a community where the leaders are truly servants,
with zero corruption, accounting for every kobo spent, maximizing communal resources and
distributing wealth across the citizens without class, pride or prejudice. A society where people
think through their words before a speech and thus reduce conflict and crisis occurrence; love
and camaraderie as people go about their lives doing what they are meant to do when they are
meant to do it and excellently so. All of these positives and more can be the brand persona of
Nigerians if cardinal virtues are imbibed via intrapersonal communication. We can truly arise
as compatriots to build a nation where peace and justice shall reign.

As a follow-up on significant experience in teaching, business development and

communications, this survey has cleared doubts on the relationship between intrapersonal
communication and personal branding, thus establishing the need to build a personal brand
starting with looking inwards and emphasising the need for this to be done right to achieve
boosted desired success. Intrapersonal communication is, therefore, the foundation for personal
branding.

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References
Brewster, D. L. (2010, July 14). Dr. Lisa Brewster. Retrieved from
http://drlisabrewster.com/intrapersonal-communication/
Corporate Training Materials. (2014). Personal Branding. Retrieved from
www.corporatetrainingmaterials.com
Dictionary WordWeb. (n.d.). WordWeb. Retrieved February 4, 2017
Forbes. (2013, July 15). Ways to most effectively communicate your personal brand. (G.
Llopis, Ed.) Forbes. Retrieved from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2013/07/15/3-ways-to-most-effectively-
communicate-your-personal-brand/#549df68efbe5
Kadu, D. (2016). Share your essays. Retrieved from
http://www.shareyouressays.com/111764/what-is-the-importance-of-intrapersonal-
communication
Momoh, I. E. (2015). A Survey of Communication Theories. Lagos: Rhime Nigeria Limited.
Rainbow Studies Incorporated. (1996). The Rainbow Study Bible. Oklahoma, USA:
Zondervan Bible Publishers.
Shaw, B. (n.d.). Personal Branding Quotes. (A. Quotes, Compiler) Retrieved February 2nd,
2017, from http://www.azquotes.com/quotes/topics/personal-branding.html
Templar, R. (2005). The Rules of Work. New-York: Prentice Hall.
Wensley, K. (n.d.). The Power of Personal Branding for Career Success. Retrieved from
CASource Webinar Series: http://www.snwebcastcenter.com/
Wright, C. (n.d.). Personal Branding. Retrieved from www.exilelifestyle.com

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