My name is half an hour early....

Jarod Kintz says"My name is half an hour early, but my body is on time." (Unless you are my brother, in which case your body is typically 30 minutes late!) But this isn't about time management, it's about reputation. The quote reminds us that our reputation always precedes us... for better or worse.  As an executive coach, I am constantly reminded of the importance of  reputation.  Sometimes I feel like my job title should be "bearer of bad news" because regrettably, it isn't often that our "work family" will tap us on the shoulder and hold up that mirror for us. Most of us really don't know what our reputation is or when it may have become tarnished until it affects our success.

Think of your reputation as a "relationship barometer".  It is simply a measure of how we are relating to others from their point of view. Seeking feedback and fine tuning your observation skills should give you a good read. Ask yourself the following questions:
Do you....

• Find yourself having to work harder to gain support or resources for your initiatives?
• Have difficulty getting people to respond to your calls or email communication?
• Find that others are not seeking your input or involving you in the decisions that are most relevant for you? 

These are just a few of the symptoms of a reputation in need of some restoration.  The good news is that in most cases reputations can be restored.


Consider these steps...


1. Create a description of the reputation you would like to have.  Use adjectives and be as specific as you can.  How would you like to be described?  If your employees or co-workers were asked about you, what would you like them to say?

2. Visualize a typical day in your work life and try to imagine the behaviors that would lead others to see you that way.  Imagine you are writing a play.  How would the character you have described in step one behave?  What would they do?


3. Identify "Reputation Role Models".  Think of others you respect. Observe their communication behaviors. Read their emails and notice the vocabulary they select.  Study the way they communicate new ideas and they way they approach conflict. Notice their public behavior in meetings.  Observe their participation, how do they speak, when and how often?  Take all of these observations and choose a few that could feel authentic for you and start to incorporate one or two key ideas into your daily communication habits.

4.  Identify your professional stakeholders. Who is impacted most by what you do?  Whose opinion matters and how do they benefit from your success?  Likewise, how are they impacted when you fail?  The reputation you have with these individuals is key to your success or failure and so any reputation work you do should begin here. Focus on these relationships first.

5.  Choose a few target relationships and ask for feedback.  Asking for feedback elevates the relationship immediately!  If you did nothing but this you would instantly see some relationship improvement.  It's hard and scary to make yourself vulnerable, but when you ask for help you are engaging others in your improvement and inviting them to allow you to change.  You create an invitation for them to observe new behaviors in you and they will be far more likely to (a) notice those new behaviors and (b) trust that those new behaviors are genuine.

6. Be kind to yourself.  We all have shortcomings and we all find ourselves off course sometimes.  The new behaviors may feel awkward but be patient and stay with it.  Your reputation has been built over time and it will take some time to paint a new picture. 

And lastly, keep your sense of humor.  Show your lighter side to others.  You will both walk away feeling more positive!