Do Oil and Gas Industry Professionals Need "Personal Branding"?

Just about a week ago, Yogashri Pradhan published a new book entitled Fueling Impact: How to Improve Personal Branding in the Oil and Gas Industry, which helps engineers, operators, executives, and emerging talent in the oil and gas industry navigate the challenge of visibility in a traditionally hierarchical sector. She reframes personal branding not as vanity, but as a form of leadership.

When I spoke with Yogashri recently, I asked her: "Why is personal branding so important for professionals in the oil and gas industry?" Here is her full answer:

Personal branding is important because we do not live in a meritocratic world. Being your own advocate is just as important as the quality of your work produced in the oil and gas industry. The oil and gas industry is well known for promoting putting your head down, working, and letting the work speak for itself. In fact, many tout how this method of having the work speak for itself leads to becoming leaders in the industry. Unfortunately, not all work is created visibly, especially when comparing those who use social media and speak up in meetings versus those who do not. Those who are not seen or remembered are forgotten and not considered for positions they would otherwise be fit for. 

To increase visibility of your work, you must develop a unique value proposition both in person and externally. In-person brand building entails relationship building and knowledge sharing, which leads to credibility and trust. External brand building entails showcasing knowledge and helping others with your experiences, which also builds credibility and personability. Personal branding in the oil and gas industry also increases the chance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in leadership positions because, regardless of gender, having the necessary skills to showcase work and value increases representation in the industry.

What do you think of Yogashri's perspective on personal branding? Are there oil and gas industry professionals reading this who have considered this? What do you feel are the pros and cons?

Does the Decalogue Methodology Improve Management Effectiveness?

Back in September, Angela Montgomery published a book entitled The Human Constraint: How Business Leaders Can Embed Continuous Innovation, Conflict Resolution, and Problem Solving Into Daily Practice, which explores an increasingly complex, interdependent, and fast-changing world where companies must have a way to overcome obsolete mental models and embed continuous innovation in their operations with a coherent organizational model.

When I spoke with Angela recently, I asked her: “How does the Decalogue methodology improve management effectiveness?” Here is her complete response: 

Whether it’s a startup, a scaleup, SME or multinational, smoke stack or hi-tech, leaders, founders, managers, and investors face challenges today unlike before. Applying linear thinking and conventional management tools is no longer adequate or effective. Our new reality is a complex, highly nonlinear network of cause-effect relationships. Moreover, the digital age requires better decision-making, faster innovation, and flawless delivery of products and services. What’s needed is a new way of thinking and operating. 

The Decalogue method introduces leaders to a systemic approach to managing operations. It helps them connect dots they would not otherwise see and strategize, plan, and execute at a whole new level. Learning to behave as one cohesive system involves identifying a unique leverage point (constraint) to propel performance and achieve significant and sustainable growth. The method enables a company to develop a systemic value proposition for the market that competitors cannot imitate while improving performance company-wide to deliver their offer reliably. 

The Ten Steps of the Decalogue enhance all aspects of business, from production to marketing and sales, project management, new product development, supply chain, finance, and M&A. The steps give business owners and leaders a clear and focussed path to achieving maximum value with the resources available. A leap in overall performance is achieved by defining a clear goal and measurements, understanding variation to map effective processes and interdependencies, and identifying the one factor that determines the pace of throughput. 

A key part of the journey is embracing and implementing necessary change. Our human ambitions and emotions all have a role to play, and this is what I hope to emphasize in the book. The Decalogue introduces a set of systemic Thinking Processes that enable companies to overcome cognitive barriers to change and channel their energies in a positive direction towards a common goal. These processes embed into daily practice the ability to solve problems, resolve conflicts, and continuously develop breakthrough solutions that add high value. 

What do you think of Angela Montgomery's perspective? Do you have experience with the Decalogue method? Do you think it would be effective in your organization?