Building a Great Reputation at Work

Boost a Career by Creating the Right Public Image

May 6, 2009 Deborah S. Hildebrand

Creating a reputation is not the same as getting a reputation. Know how to build the right work reputation to succeed.

Look in a standard dictionary and the word reputation is defined something like, “Overall estimation of the character or quality of a person generally held by those who know him or her.” Generally, a reputation is how people are viewed by others, what someone believes to be true (whether it is or not) about another person’s character.

No one wants to get a reputation at work unless it is of his own doing and it casts him in a positive light. Being considered creative, trustworthy and dependable is more advantageous than being thought of as clueless, lazy, or irresponsible.

That’s why it is important for all employees to be actively involved in creating the reputation or public image that they are proud of and that will help garner them the recognition and respect they need to push their career forward.

Identify a Current Work Reputation

Before employees can hope to create the right work reputation, they have to know how they are presently perceived. That means talking to their closest work associates, a mentor, or even their immediate supervisor – anyone who can openly and honestly provide the type of feedback that will help to determine their public image at work.

This means employees need to specifically ask what others see as their strengths and weaknesses. By identifying positive as well as negative work-related habits and traits, workers can better understand the good and bad of their work reputation and make the adjustments necessary to get where they want to be.

Determine a Desired Work Reputation

Once employees have an understanding of their current work reputation, they need to determine if this is where they want to be. Being known as reliable or flexible are a great place to start; however, these terms are generally attributed to the average worker, someone without a lot of power in an organization.

Instead, being known as a true visionary, a dynamic leader, or even a creative thinker can provide greater career opportunities than being a “nice guy.” Not that being a nice guy is a bad thing, it’s just that this alone is not likely to provide someone with the chance to get ahead, participate in decision-making, or influence the course of an organization.

Plan How to Build the Right Work Reputation

Once employees know what their reputation currently is versus want they want it to be, they have to plan how to build the reputation they need in order to be successful in their career.

For instance, for someone who currently has a great reputation as a computer whiz, but who many feel lacks the necessary people skills to move into the management role he covets, the next step might be to mentor a junior staff member or participate on a cross-functional team – anything that would require him to interact more with others and improve his relationship-building skills.

The idea is for employees to understand how they are viewed in the workplace and then to either embrace or change perceptions accordingly. No one has to go on forever being known as uncooperative or grumpy and constantly wonder why they can’t get beyond the file room.

The copyright of the article Building a Great Reputation at Work in Career Advice is owned by Deborah S. Hildebrand. Permission to republish Building a Great Reputation at Work in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.