Oh, THAT Guy: Why Your Reputation is Everything

Can you describe your boss in 25 words? How about your co-workers? That one guy who gets on everyone’s nerves but nobody can explain exactly why? Or the woman who gossips constantly, so nobody ever shares secrets with her but she still somehow knows everything that goes on? Everyone has a reputation–we all form lasting impressions and judgments about the people we work with, for better or worse. Every day, managers and senior leaders make decisions about work assignments and promotions based on people’s reputations alone. Unfortunately, once you’ve built your reputation, it’s next to impossible to change. So you must take great care of it. There is no quick and easy trick to building a good reputation–it’s built day by day, interaction by interaction, person to person. But there are some pretty basic dos and don’ts you can follow to avoid being pigeonholed by a bad reputation that can change your future career trajectory. The dos are: Make life easy for your boss (aka, be really good at your job). If you’re not good at your job, figure out how to get good or change jobs. And show interest in other people. The don’ts are: Don’t be a jerk. Don’t care more about the next job than about the one you have now. And don’t forget to pay it forward whenever someone gives you a helping hand.