How to fix a bad reputation at work

There are many ways to acquire notoriety at work. For example, being regularly late, forgetting important emails, missing deadlines, avoiding difficult tasks, constantly changing your mind, or having a quarrelsome personality. But whatever the reason, employees with a bad reputation have a hard time moving up the corporate ladder. They are no longer trusted, they are tried to be avoided and not included in interesting or large projects.

However, it is never too late to change the situation in your favor. If your reputation has suffered due to a single mistake, first of all, you need to adequately survive what happened. If the opinion of your colleagues about you has begun to deteriorate for a long time, you will have to find a turning point and carefully work out a plan to restore your image. The specific strategy will depend on the circumstances, but there are a few generic steps that can help.

reconcile

No matter how you tarnish your reputation, don't expect everyone in the office to experience collective amnesia. Yes, over time you will no longer be reminded of a mistake or inappropriate behavior, but you will not forget about it forever.

You will feel better when the emotions of those around you subside. If possible, take a short vacation. You will have time to recover, and your colleagues will “thaw out” and switch their attention to something else.

Assess the damage

When you are in the middle of an unpleasant situation, you feel everything much more acutely. Perhaps your reputation has not suffered as much as it seems. Try to look at the situation from the outside and ask about how bad things are from a colleague you trust. This will help you come up with a realistic action plan.

Talk about what happened

Discuss the situation that affected your reputation with colleagues or superiors. Don't bury your head in the sand and pretend like nothing happened.

If you want to win the respect and trust of others again, do not make excuses, do not shift the blame to others, and do not remember your past merits. Take responsibility for the damage you have caused, sincerely apologize, and draw your own conclusions. By communicating openly, you can avoid gossip and rumors.

Rethink the situation

A damaged reputation is unpleasant, but sometimes it turns into a secret weapon. For example, you are considered a harsh person. On the one hand, this is not the most flattering characteristic. On the other hand, talking about your formidable temper can do you good: it is unlikely that someone will try to deceive you or hang extra work on you.

Consider how a bad reputation can play into your hands. You may not want to actively correct it.

Learn from mistakes

Find the reason why your reputation has deteriorated. If a single mistake is to blame for everything, think about what can be done so that this does not happen again.

Let's say the problem is that you've had too much to drink at a corporate party and talked too much. This means that the solution may be a new rule - to refuse alcohol during meetings with colleagues.

If your reputation has deteriorated due to your personal qualities, such as short temper, you will have to work on yourself and find a suitable way calm down quickly.

keep goodwill

At a time when the team is especially sensitive to your misconduct, it is important for you to remain calm and open. At least outwardly. Listen carefully and respectfully to the opinions of other employees, try to communicate with them on an equal footing and do not go into a defensive position. Colleagues will appreciate and remember your worthy behavior.

To work hard

At first, colleagues and superiors will watch you very closely. That is why your work must be impeccable.

If before you were considered a professional in your field, you will have to earn the status again. At the same time, any, even the smallest mistake for others will serve as another confirmation of your bad reputation. Try to carefully calibrate your every step, complete all tasks on time or even earlier, and take the initiative where possible.

Update Image

Think about the kind of person you would like to be in the eyes of your boss and colleagues. What does this person look like? How does he behave? What does he do and what does he say? How does he react to failure?

A damaged reputation can be your chance to renew your image and change the opinion of the team about you and your work. Make a plan and take action. And remember that it will take a long time to restore your reputation, so set yourself achievable goals and be patient.