How to Build Your Reputation at Work

How to Build Your Reputation at WorkHaving a good reputation at work is not only important to get along well with your colleagues, a less than pleasant reputation can follow you to future jobs and hold you back. If youve been too gossipy, difficult, testy or unreliable with your coworkers, it isnt too late to change their perception of you by doing a little damage control. A few tips can get you started on the way to becoming an employee with a good reputation and these tips work for all types of jobs, whether in a health care job, at a desk or outdoors in construction. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Keep DeadlinesYour reputation can be injured if you are one of those people who promises faithfully to have your work finished on time but cant seem to hit that deadline. While you might be the nicest person in the sekretariat, bringing in homemade brownies and remembering everyones birthday with a card, that wont count for much if you dont get your work done on time. Make a serious effort to get your work in on time, and your reputation as a reliable employee will increase.Make Your Office the No Whining ZoneEvery business environment has an employee who complains and is negative all the time. Instead of complaining and rehashing a complaint to everyone at work, if you have an objection to some issue or way of doing something, just say it and move on. When you do have an objection to something, try and say it tactfully and perhaps offer a suggestion that might be an improvement.Stay Away From GossipAll workplaces seem to have a gossip, and gossiping and spreading tales is a good way to get a damaged reputation. Ignore the office negativity and never spread rumors because it might come back to you in a bad way. If you feel the need to talk to someone, make it a friend outside the office environment. Gossiping at work can create hard feelings among other employees and cause you to lose their trust.Learn to Prioritize a nd Be PreparedEveryone in a business setting knows at least one individual who doesnt carry his or her load and is unprepared. This is a big way you can damage your reputation. It can make you look uninterested, lazy or flighty, even though you have the best of intentions. Use a calendar or planner to organize your work, include notations, deadlines and other information that can help you get the job done. Dont take on more work than you know you can do. While you might want to be perceived as a super worker in the office, that can backfire if you cant get the work done on time. Spend a little time to prepare for meetings in advance. Showing up at a meeting appearing as though you are the only one who doesnt know what is going on can not only be embarrassing, but it can make others wonder why you are there.Offer an ApologyIf you do something wrong or offend someone at work, apologize for it. A sincere apology can do a lot to raise yourself in the eyes of others. If you are late gett ing your work done or were in a hurry and brusque with someone, an apology can go a long way toward making amends.How Long It Takes to Change a ReputationThe amount of time it takes to raise a reputation can depend on what the offenses were and how long your reputation has been suffering. Just remember that once you begin to change that pattern, the faster you will reach your goal. People tend to be forgiving, especially when they see that someone is trying to improve themselves.Building a good reputation is important in any work environment because it makes the job more pleasurable. In addition, it may affect your future employment if you decide to check out the classified job ads to move up or just because you want a change. TheJobNetwork can help you by searching job ads for you and sending alerts to your email when those jobs come on the market. All you do is fill out a form with your qualifications and job preferences to start the search. Sign up with TheJobNetwork now to get s tarted.

No Amount of Books or Advice Can Prepare You For These 4 Aspects of Management

No Amount of Books or Advice Can Prepare You For These 4 Aspects of Management Dont get me wrong. Im elend knocking leadership books (I would never). Theres so much leadership and management content in the world, and a lot of it is immensely valuable. But, at the end of the day, reading, listening to podcasts or watching TED talks alone in your office wont matter if you dont try or test out some of the approaches youre reading about.Many of us learn by doing especially when it comes to interacting with others and leading a team. Strict formulas may be hard to follow when it comes to our fellow humans, but being willing to try can go a long way. Heres what you can expect when you take the leap and try things out1. You will screw up.Sorry to say it, friend, but its true. You can be the best of the best in your craft and an amazing leader, but youre still human. You will put your foot in your mouth or forget to communicate something. It is inevitable. Your goal is to do your best and o wn it when you botch things up. A genuine Im sorry. I really missed the mark on that goes a very long way when building trust with your employees. Along with, obviously, not missing the mark on the same exact thing next time, if at all possible Youre human. You know it and they know it. Your willingness to admit it shows them that its safe to own up when they too miss the mark on occasion. Speaking of which2. Your team will screw up.Your team is also human, and that means theyll inevitably drop the ball on something. Its hard when that happens for them and for you. No one likes to admit when they were wrong, but its important for you to evolve and learn from your mistakes. Thats only possible if you admit and explore them. Sitting down with someone on your team to talk about how they made an error isnt necessarily a comfortable conversation to have for anyone. However, if you do so openly, honestly and with the intent to help them grow, they will hopefully appreciate it and improve their wertzuwachs next time around. Ignoring mistakes is not ok. After all, this team is a reflection of you and your skills. You owe it to them to be brave enough to start uncomfortable conversations.3. Its always a work in progress.Leading a team is one of those roles where youre never really done learning. The workplace changes, roles change, generations and the world around us are always evolving... and how you approach or greifhandle your role will change as well. Its not like you read one book or take one course and relax. Its an ongoing education. Put yourself out there and enjoy the ride Ongoing learning is a part of the fun.4. It can be incredibly rewarding.You are impacting lives You have the opportunity to aid in shaping someones future. Helping your team evolve is an amazing experience. Knowing that youve had a hand in someones career evolution gives you good feels and reminds you of why you started in this work to begin with. These days, so many of us talk about the im pact of our work, but not everyone realizes the impact that we have day-to-day on the lives of our teams. Honor the opportunity youve got and give it your all.A big part of being a leader is leaning into your own humanity. And for some of us, thats an incredibly uncomfortable thing to do. Unfortunately, textbooks and formulas cant account for the unique snowflakes that we humans are. All the more reason to put yourself out there and try. That vulnerability is scary, but absolutely worth it in the long run.--Kelly is a human resources pro and coach who helps people find and achieve what they want career-wise and beyond. Coaching, training, recruiting if you name it in the world of HR, shes done it in a variety of industries. Her advice has been featured on The Muse, Career Contessa, Levo, Workology, among others. Learn more by scoping her out atwww.kellypoulson.com.