In the teenage world, many don’t stop to think about how the decisions they make affect the person they are — or the person they want to be. Too many things are more important — earning social honours, being the captain of the volleyball team, getting an A on an English paper.

But the Better Business Bureau Education Foundation is offering a program to help teens think not just about the resumes that will make them successful, but also about the personality traits that will make them successful. LIFT, a free BBB Foundation program, teaches students in Grades 8 to 12 to make ethical decisions. A part of the program is thinking about the traits that determine who they are — the traits that could get them hired, or fired.

These traits make up a person’s brand. Like McDonald’s and Nike have brands, people do, too. A person’s brand is made up of the things others think about when they think about that person. People can be compassionate and hardworking, with a flair for creativity. Or they can be rude, indifferent, with a talent for disdain.

The decisions people make in their everyday lives influence this brand. And this brand is essential in maintaining important relationships.

“If you make a bad decision that impacts your brand, it’s hard to regain the trust of people around you. But with hard work, it’s possible,” said Pam Simmons, Executive Director of the BBB Education Foundation.

LIFT teaches students how to make decisions that help them keep the positive brands they’ve worked hard to maintain. It will also show them how to repair brands damaged by a few bad choices.

“We’re all human. We make mistakes but we can also overcome them. Rebuilding a personal brand will help students personally, and also in the classroom or workplace,” Andrusiak said.

Not everybody’s brand is the same.

“A personal brand is exactly that—it’s personal to you,” said Andrusiak.

When students start to consider the type of brand they want to build, they can understand how the decisions they make impact that brand.

And while brands are individual, ethical decision-making can help build them all. LIFT teaches students different approaches to making ethical choices and how to build a brand that fits them and where they want to go.

School boards or youth agencies in Manitoba interested in LIFT can contact the BBB at 204-989-9010 ext 105 or email to [email protected].

This article was updated.  It was previously posted 02/21/2017.