Performance related issues are a common hardship that many professionals face within the workplace. All too often professionals approach me with a desire to leave their job as they feel their personal brand is tarnished and they need a fresh start. My response is always – “What have you done to restore your reputation?”
What many fail to realize is that you can turn things around exactly where you are. You don’t need to run. Running exacerbates and doesn’t eliminate. Throughout my career, I have seen associates go from 30 day “transition” plans to promotions. I’ve also seen low performing consultants become highly requested by client and engagement teams. The truth is, your personal brand can be restored – in most cases you just need to respond (the right way) and not react.
As a result of my conversations, I created a simple yet effective framework to help professionals restore their personal brand. I call it the 7 R’s to Restoring your Reputation. If you’re in a rut at work, try it. I understand things won’t change overnight, but I can assure you, after a few cycles of implementing this framework, things will change!
- Step away from the “noise” and think about what happened. What went wrong and how did you get into this situation? – Reflect
- Seek actionable feedback from your key stakeholders – Request
- Acknowledge the feedback – Recognize
- Begin to work on strategies to repair your reputation. Eg improved communication, change in attitude – Repair
- Evaluate your strategies. Are your changes working? If they aren’t, go back to step 2 – Review
- Continue with the strategies that are working for you. Be intentional- Replicate
- Begin to see changes in people’s perceptions about you, maybe not all at once, but people will notice – Restore
To close: Restoring your reputation is not an easy thing – lets face it, you become the talk of the town, things become awkward, and you lose your swag – yep, I get it. But I believe these things are all areas of opportunity; opportunities to grow, learn and build your character. Does it take time? Yes. Will you be uncomfortable? Yes. But remember these challenges come to make you better not bitter, and can provide you with the most empowering lessons. Make a decision to accept this challenge and grow from it.
I would love to hear your success story after you implement this framework. Send me a message to let me know how it goes. Good luck!
