“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”
– Warren Buffet
How others perceive us directly influences the value they will assign us. People form opinions about us based on many things – their own biases and prejudices, as well as our behavior. How we act influences how others see us. And how others see us affects our opportunities. Our brand/reputation is what precedes us in meetings, conversations and relationships we have with those who can make or break our career. Think about the opportunities you will be missing because you may have been labeled, “Difficult to Deal with.”
Your online and offline reputation should be a major priority and how you effectively manage it. We all know that perception isn’t necessarily the truth, but the real truth isn’t always known and doesn’t really matter.
Keep reading to see specific tips for creating a reputable online persona.
- Beware of the Company You Keep!
It never fails, people will make extremely bold assumptions about you based on the people you spend your time around. There is a saying you are the average of the 5 people you spend most of your time with. So what does that say about you, your outlook, your reputation, and where you are going in this world?
- Be Considerate
Everything that we do or say in this life has an impact on other people. Take notice of the type of things you do and say when you’re in public. Do people often call you rude? You talk too much? You speak over people? You’re opinionated? You cant be trusted? Remember that offending someone else has very little to do with what you think or feel, its all about how you’ve made someone else feel.
- Be Open For Improvement!
I run by the motto in the OPPOSITE way: “DON’T stick a fork in me, cause I’m not done!” This goes into how I effectively communicate and uphold myself, my brand, and my reputation. Take a step back and re-read your posts, responses, as well as your image you publicly put out there, if the shoe was on someone else’s foot, how would it come across? What would YOUR perception be of that person?
- HOLD UP! Wait!
Before being reactionary, stop and let some time pass. Your best responses will come after your head has cooled down, when you have had the opportunity to do some background checks, when you have had the chances to look at the situation with a level head or with someone else’s viewpoint/opinion.
- Sometimes, it’s best left unsaid.
You are not obligated to respond to everyone’s email, text, tweet, post, comment etc! Your response can not be undone! It can just take one moment and response that can take years of your positive reputation turned into a completely negative perception now!
Sometimes your response may come across one way to you, but a completely wrong way to someone else. Sometimes, it’s best left unsaid, deleted, or just move away.
Protecting the perception of your reputation is in your control. Be a person who pays it forward, is a giver, and does it with an attitude of it’s no big deal. Your expression, your body language, and your words can mean so much to someone and they can also say so much to another. You can’t always control how others react, but can control your own reaction.
“A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep their eyes on the spot where the crack was.” – Joseph Hall