I don’t know about you, but the mere thought of other people having opinions about you can be so anxious and worrisome. You don’t want others to think ill of you, especially when you’re the type of person who works so hard to build a good reputation for himself. But just like how your social circle has opinions about you, it also goes the same for the people in your workplace.
“What do people really think of me at work?”
Whether you are very self-conscious or not, this question might have crossed your mind at least once in your life. And I am pretty sure that you have a similar response as everyone else, being “I’m not sure, but I hope they think good of me.”
Before I proceed any further, I know some of you might wonder why you should worry about what other people think of you at all. After all, it is not something that you can control neither change overnight. While that’s quite true and fair, maintaining a good reputation for yourself at work has a few benefits that come along with it. Specifically, you have a higher chance to get promoted, you get to work on cooler projects, and you will get involved more in the decision-making processes.
Building a good reputation for yourself won’t require you to sell your soul or go through great lengths either. You just need to do your part as an employee without being a jerk.
There are a few relatively easy things you can do to help you build a strong and good reputation at work. So, to that point, these are the things that can help you improve the way others think about you.
1. Showing initiative can help you build a good reputation.
One of the best ways to gain recognition from your supervisors is to tackle something even if you weren’t asked to do so. So many people think that their supervisors will always be there to guide them in everything. But the truth is that you’re not going to get clear-cut homework assignments like you were used to having in high school. To gain a good reputation, you must take the initiative to learn and dive into a task.
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2. Show up to meetings on time.
Whatever your position is in the company, showing up late at meetings is not great and can damage your reputation. If you are less senior at your organization, people will think that you are erratic and unsure of what you are doing. Otherwise, if you are more senior, people will think that you are arrogant and don’t care about your subordinates.
In Elizabeth Lotardo’s course, she said that being on time sends the message that you’re deeply invested. “Secondly it sets a standard, a timely start lets everyone know how important the meeting is to you,” she added.
3. Taking control of your development helps you build a good reputation.
The organization can offer you everything they can to help you grow in your respective career. But in the end, it’s up to you to make use of those chances to the fullest.
Those employees who work on themselves — those who strive to achieve their goals — are the employees who have good reputations within an organization. Conversely, those who don’t, well — they don’t
If you want to be successful in your chosen career, you have to be specific in your career goals. Specify which areas you want to improve in and which plans you will take to get it done.
Read:9 Toxic Workplace Situations and How You Can Deal With Them
4. It’s business first before it’s personal.
I know some of you have your work friends as your best friends, even in and out of the office. But despite that, you need to remember that before anything else, you are professionals first. Even if you are working for a company with cool company culture, work is and never will be a frat party.
If you have a dinner party after work, be careful not to overshare or overindulge in alcohol. You have to be smart at all times, even outside the four walls of the office.
5. You don’t resist changes.
This is the most common area where employees fall short. The constant nature to resist change is probably because of our evolutionary condition to fight changes that come along our way.
While that’s understandable, you need to accept the reality that change is inevitable, whether you like it or not. Rather than resisting these changes, embrace and cope up with them. In this way, you will vastly improve your reputation at work, and you will have more opportunities for improvement.
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6. Good reputation means you understand and incorporate the strategy of your organization into your work.
Your job needs you as much as you need them. It is your duty to provide the organization what they seek you to accomplish. Additionally, your work changes depending on your organization’s strategies too.
There’s a higher chance that you will stand out if you understand the organizational strategies and incorporate them into your work, said McLeod in her course, Learning to be Promotable. This kind of skill can make you get more buy-in, which is a plus point for your reputation.
7. You treat people the way you want to be treated — with respect and common courtesy.
I honestly don’t believe in the statement that says, “nice guys finish last.” Being a nice person, in general, will lead you to good places.
And I think it goes the same for the workplace. People value people they like being around. When you treat people with kindness, you will be open to more opportunities. Conversely, those who treat people poorly don’t last long in the workplace, even if they are talented.
In one of McLeod’s courses, she said that courtesy plays such a big part in the way people view you. If you want to gain a good reputation and get anywhere you want in life, you should show courtesy to everyone, regardless of their role.
The secret to building a good reputation in the workplace lies in showing basic human decency. When you treat everything with respect, including yourself, it can lead you to the right places, whichever path you choose.