By now you should have developed a real sense of the reputation you want to create, the brand you want to establish and the impression you wish to create (if not, see refer back using the links in the reading list). Now it is time to work out how to do this.
Before we get into the building greater substance to back up your reputation, I want to focus on the behaviours which you can adjust right now, and which will help you to begin stepping into your new reputation. The exercise which follows will stretch your thinking and will evolve in your mind over the next couple of days.
Firstly, make sure and review your notes about the reputation and impression you wish to create. Then, imagine an individual who you might consider to be a role-model for the reputation you want to achieve. Brainstorm a long list of ideas against each of these questions:
- What would they look like?
- How would they dress?
- How would they talk?
- What body language would you observe?
- How would they move?
- Any particular mannerisms?
- How would they treat others?
- What clichés or common words and phrases would they use?
- What stories would they tell, or examples would they cite?
Some of these may seem a little strange to begin with, but keep going. What you need to remember is that your reputation, brand and impression is created by a combination of all observable evidence. Frankly, anything that someone else notices about you will contribute towards the impression you create with them.
Now rerun the questions above for the anti-role-model — the complete opposite of the brand you wish to create. Make sure to create some long lists here too.
Finally, reflecting on the lists you have created, consolidate them into positive and negative behaviours (I often refer to these as the saints and sinners lists). Summarise the top five behaviours which you believe will have the best chance of creating the impression you wish to create, and the top five behaviours which will be most likely to give someone the exact opposite impression.
Now you need to do everything you can to live up to these ideal behaviours. The next article will introduce you to a few ideas which will maximise the likelihood that you will do this.
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