A positive professional reputation is critical to the success of employees and businesses. Building such a reputation may take you more time than it takes to build a skyscraper. However, a single ugly incident is enough to smear a long-established positive public image. So, a positive professional reputation is built gradually and intentionally.
As an individual, your reputation can determine whether or not you are offered job and leadership opportunities, or promoted. And for a company, it can influence contract offers, referrals, customers’ loyalty and perception of products’ value. A positive reputation will also help an organisation attract and retain talent.
Experts have observed that it is important for companies to carry out reputational assessments. They observe that most organisations do not adequately manage their reputations, which exposes them to risks. Instead, they reactively focus on real threats to their reputations. Therefore, there is a need for a transition from crisis management (reactionary) to risk management (proactive).
In fact, 87% of executives believe reputational crises are more critical than other strategic risks. Therefore, this article provides a guide on how you can build the type of reputation that will promote your career or business.
How to Build Professional Reputation
1. Be honest
Honesty has no substitute in personal and professional dealings. Being honest will help you gain the trust of colleagues, business associates and clients. This will positively improve your reputation and other benefits will follow.
Denying colleagues, employees, customers and partners access to information will present you as dishonest and untrustworthy. Conversely, building a reputation for honesty and integrity will make people more comfortable working with you.
2. Be reliable
Consistently deliver according to (or beyond) expectations to build a good reputation. Be available when your service is needed; deliver jobs in a timely manner and maintain good quality at all times. Keep appointments, resolve customers’ complaints and respond to inquiries and orders quickly.
When people notice consistency, they will consider you a reliable professional. Even if they have options, you will be on the front burner.
3. Commit to helping others
Another way you can build your reputation is by helping and supporting others altruistically. Render support when a colleague or junior staff member encounters challenges on the job, including those that are not on your team.
Helping others builds relationships, trust and respect. You can help others to deliver on projects by providing guidance. You can also assist with recommendations and mentorship. When you do this, you come across as a selfless professional.
4. Keep improving
If you are not learning something new every day and updating your knowledge, you may be unable to support or help others when they encounter difficulties. Ensure you are growing continuously – technically, technologically and intellectually.
Learn new skills and read books that can aid your personal development. Consider taking online courses if you require a flexible schedule. Acquiring relevant certifications will promote your professional reputation. Also, attend conferences and workshops.
5. Kindness and respect for all
Underestimating people in the workplace isn’t professional. To build a positive professional reputation, it is important that you respect everyone regardless of their race, age, gender or position in the organisation.
Do not appear respectful and kind to your bosses but rude to the janitors. Eventually, this will be noticed and your reputation will take a blow for it. It is easy to respect those that are ahead of you but it requires character to treat all humans respectfully.
6. Surpass expectations
Going the extra mile isn’t common; very few people do. To stand out as a professional, be ready to go the extra mile, sometimes at your inconvenience. Do this for your clients, employer, partners, superiors, colleagues or employees. It hardly goes unrewarded, maybe not necessarily immediately. You can gain referrals, loyalty, trust, a better salary, promotion, growth and, of course, a positive professional reputation when you take the pain to do more for others.
7. Professional online presence
We live in the "Digital Age". Therefore, you are to manage your reputation both offline and online. How you present yourself online is crucial to your professional reputation. Create an appealing profile across different online platforms – professional website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Online content should also reflect professionalism. Be intentional with every post and activity on the internet. They shape your professional reputation. In a nutshell, maintain a good level of consistency online and offline.
8. Networking
Keeping a strong and growing professional network is another thing you need to do to maintain a good professional reputation. Deliberately make new connections. This can be done by attending professional association events. Belong to professional and academic groups online, interact and participate in activities.
You can also enlarge your professional network by taking professional courses where you get to meet other students in your industry. Relationship management skills are important too, as you will need them to keep old acquaintances.
The bottom line
A positive professional reputation is built with time, commitment and intentionality. Keeping it requires as much effort and consistency. You have to stay professional all the time and everywhere.
Image source: Unsplash
