When talking to employers, I often hear them say that their workers need to be more proactive.
They don’t want to have to tell their employees what to do next. Instead, they value workers who take the initiative and ask, “What else can I do?”
Choosing to be proactive helps move your career forward. You can be a person who makes things happen rather than one who waits for something to happen..
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve heard came from an HR director at a major corporation. He talked about how to dress at work, particularly when you are a new employee. He said,
“You dress up to start with, look around and see what others are wearing, and conform if you are dressing differently. It’s not written down. You just get it. Your reputation is at stake.”
Not everything is written down in a dress code. Sometimes there won’t be guidance about what not to do. To make the best impression, it’s important to dress appropriately for your particular work environment. Look around, but also ask if you are unsure. Your reputation is at stake.
“I’ll have her get right back to you,” or “I will be sure to have her return your call.”
How many times have you heard such a promise from a person taking a message? Then you wait and don’t hear back.
When your call is never returned, what is your reaction? It is probably one of frustration or irritation. You wonder if the person ever passed on the message.
Choosing words carefully when speaking with clients or other callers is critically important to maintain a good reputation. Unless you are sure your supervisor or co-worker will return a call promptly, avoid saying. “She will get right back to you.”
I belong to several nonprofits where volunteers provide the manpower for the organization. Let me say upfront that I am a champion of volunteers and all the wonderful things they accomplish.
That said, I want to air a grievance:
If you agree to do something, please do it.
This also means:
If you break these rules too often, you get a reputation as one who can’t be trusted. That perception is so hard to overcome. And these rules not only apply to nonprofits. They are true in any workplace and in life.
On today’s “Sunday Morning” program (CBS), the lead story was about “sexting.” This is the practice by teens who send messages that contain nude or semi-nude photos of themselves. I wrote about this in April 2009 emphasizing how reputations can be ruined by sexting, particularly if the pictures are posted and employers see them.
But in today’ story, the focus was on the legal ramifications. One young man, who had just turned 18 and forwarded photos of his ex-girlfriend, is now listed on the Florida’s Registry of Sexual Offenders, and will be for 20 years after his probation ends. He can’t find a job and is not welcome at the local community college.
What a tragic waste. We all need to repeatedly emphasize what the consequences will be of actions like sexting. In addition to promoting the importance of academics, more time should be devoted to behaviors that can help or hurt a person in life and at work.
Yesterday in the editorial section of the Washington Post, April 1, 2009, was an article about “sexting.” This is the practice by teens who send messages that contain nude or semi-nude photos of themselves.
The focus of part of the article, written by Ruth Marcus, was about the child pornography implications and cases that have gone to court. The author asserted that, “Teenagers need to be protected from their own stupidity, not prosecuted for it.”
I would add that teenagers need to understand what can happen if future employers see these pictures. They can ruin reputations. Nothing that can be perceived as inappropriate should be posted anywhere because as one employer said, “It’s going to come back to bite you.”
Many teenagers and adults just don’t get that.
Most days you can read a story about a celebrity or sports figure who has been caught in some scandal or lapse in judgment. Obviously, they have not heeded Warren Buffet’s advice who said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”
Many people are not aware that simple behaviors can negatively affect how others perceive them. For example, they might consistently arrive five to ten minutes late to appointments. Maybe they rarely smile. Perhaps they fail to follow through when an important client requests something of them.
It doesn’t take long to hurt your reputation, and it is not only famous people who could benefit from understanding this truth.
