A.

Identitas diri
Sebelum dimulai, perlu disamakan dulu pemahaman kita tentang definisi “Identitas Diri” yang dimaksud didalam tulisan ini. Identitas disini bukan Title bukan
Jabatan, tapi yang disebut identitas diri adalah Definisi atau Peran kita dalam hidup. Ini saya tekankan karena banyak orang yang masih susah membedakanya.
Contoh kasus adalah penulisan di Sosial Media Linkedin. Yang menyediakan Feature Headline yang bisa digunakan untuk deskripsi singkat tentang diri biar
menarik untuk orang lain. Coba perhatikan yang ditulis oleh sebagian besar pemilik akun linkedin? Umumnya menuliskan: Jabatan dan Nama perusahaan.
Semakin mentereng jabatan dan terkenal perusahaanya akan semakin antusias untuk menulis Jabatan dan Nama perusahaan. Walaupun sebagian melakukan
itu, karena mengikuti seperti orang lain. Namun semua itu , membuktikan banyak yang tidak bisa mendefeniskan Identitas dirinya dengan baik. Untuk itu kita
harus membiasakan diri menjawab pertanyaan ini: What do you up to? What do you do for living?
Beberapa contoh yang baik dalam menuliskan Identitas diri: An Architect, An Accountant, Oil and Gas Professionals, Specialist in Interior Design, Specialist for
Safety Training Services, Develop Management System , Provide Advisory services for Advance management, People Development and Coaching..dst..
Contoh diatas adalah penulisan Identitas Diri yang cukup baik yang mampu menjawab “Apa peran kita di dunia atau Apa yang Kita lakukan untuk Hidup”….
Itulah Identitas kita. Identitas kita bukanlah jabatan yang diberikan orang lain atau organisasi.
Singkatnya: Apa yang kita lakukan untuk hidup atau peran dalam hidup bermasyarakat, itulah identitas kita. Jawaban dari What do you do for living ? Bukan where
do you work, bukan juga jabatan, bukan nama, bukan suku bangsa, bukan keturunan…karena itu semua hanyalah “Cara orang memanggil kita” atau “cara
mengidentifikasi kita di antara milyaran manusia”. Namun “defenisi diri atau identitas diri” kita jauh lebih bermakna kalau dilihat dari “Tindakan kita atau Peranan kita”.
1.Merubah Identitas Diri, Apakah harus terus menerus
Pertanyaan yang menjadi latar belakang tulisan ini adalah: Apakah kita perlu berubah terus menerus ? Kalau pertanyaanya “Apakah perlu berubah ?”, maka
semua orang akan menjawab: perlu !!. Tapi berubah terus-menerus, apakah perlu ? Apakah TIDAK melelahkan? Pertanyaan itu diinspirasi oleh cerita teman
yang struggling merubah dirinya dari Pegawai kantoran menjadi seorang Entrepreneur.
Beruntung saya menemukan tulisan bagus dari Marshal Goldsmith. Siapa Marshal? Saya salin cuplikan cv-nya dari Linkedin.
“Dr. Marshall Goldsmith has been recognized again as one of the top ten Most-Influential Business Thinkers in the World and the top-ranked executive coach at
the 2013 biennial Thinkers50 ceremony in London.
Dr. Goldsmith is the author or editor of 35 books, which have sold over two million copies, been translated into 30 languages and become bestsellers in 12
countries. His newest book is Triggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts—Becoming the Person You Want to Be, on sale May 2015 from Crown Business.
He has written two New York Times bestsellers, MOJO and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There – a Wall Street Journal #1 business book and winner of
the Harold Longman Award for Business Book of the Year.”
Dalam tulisanya yang berjudul: “My Dinner with Bono”. (Salah satu Penyanyi yang saya kagumi)..Marshal menulis seperti ini:
……”After listening to Bono share his personal story, I realized that he is a wonderful example of a person who has not only changed his behavior but also his
identity, or definition of who he is – while remaining authentic and not becoming a phony (palsu atau dibuat-buat).
The key is to find the hook that can set you apart from your competition in a unique way. Some ideas include:
Design – If you produce something physical, you may be able to differentiate based on a unique design
aspect. Think, for example, of the bakeries or cupcake shops that develop creative cake designs or innovative
flavors. They clearly set themselves apart from all the other cake and cupcake outlets and are able to charge
premium prices for their products. Who ever thought someone would pay $5 or more for a cupcake, especially
when there are so many lower-priced alternatives available?
People – This is probably the “differentiator” I hear most often when I asked CEOs what makes their
business different. But it’s not enough to say “our people make us different”, there must be something specific you
can leverage. Specialized knowledge, for example, is something concrete you can point to as is specific
experience. Recognized business or industry proficiency can also be highlighted to demonstrate how your
company and people are different from your competitors. The key here is to ensure the recognition moves beyond
the individuals and is leveraged to the benefit of the company as a whole. Otherwise, you will face a gap if and
when those individuals leave.
Service Model – One of the most effective ways to differentiate is to highlight your service model and
processes. This can be an especially beneficial way to demonstrate how "your people” are different in a sustainable
way. Do they follow a specific process for example, to onboard or service new customers that is different and more
effective than others in your space? Companies that can demonstrate a more effective way to service their
customers often gain a competitive advantage and a compelling way to differentiate.
Technical Expertise – This last one refers to domain knowledge, not necessarily technology (although
that too can be a differentiator under the right circumstances). It has elements of the People and Service Model
examples above, but goes beyond them to the level of institutional knowledge. It may, for example speak to the
ability to address a specific concern – think of the mechanic who specializes in vintage cars – or deep-seated
knowledge around a set of regulations. The breadth of expertise is just as important as the depth, as it will define
the market you go after (all cars, only vintage ones or just a specific make or model?).