For a reputation to be really useful it has to be distinctive in the environment where it needs to do its work. This raises a vital question, what do you want your reputation to be? What reputation will precede you and create useful expectations in the minds of your stakeholders?
In the last article in this series you were asked to focus on the competition so that you could gain an awareness of what reputations there are around your organisation, and what those people are doing to promote their reputation. Now you need to turn your focus inward. It is important to do all of this now so that you avoid wasting time later.
- Career Aspirations. What do you want to achieve? Try to stretch this out into the 10-15 year horizon if you can. Reputation building is not instant and you’ll be living with it for a long time. At the very least, clarify your activity ambitions if you cannot settle on a positional goal.
- Unique Features. What is it that you have got which few have in your organisation? This could be certain experience, skills, knowledge, behaviours or values. If you cannot identify anything unique about yourself you will not have a foundation on which to build a reputation. In which case, what do you think you could develop by way of uniqueness? What’s feasible?
- Requirements. There is little point in basing your reputation building efforts on something which the organisation doesn’t need or want. So, what is it in desperate need of by way of unique features? It may not know that it needs what you’ve got, but if you are convinced that what you’ve got is needed, that is even better. Why? Because you have the potential to gain first-mover advantage. If it’s obvious, others will be going for it too.
- Stretch. Don’t settle for being just a little bit unique. Stretch your thinking further, what will make you look like one-in-a-million? As you dream, what reputation would you like to have? Don’t be shy, stretch this beyond the bounds of your current organisation.
Now, bring all of the above together. Try to settle on a few simple statements that summarise the reputation you’d like to create. Make sure that in combination, these statements:
- Are unique in your organisation.
- If achieved, nobody else will be close to your unique qualities.
- The capabilities represented by these statements will be needed and will get attention.
- It will support your career aspirations.
- Are good enough to get you excited at the prospect.
Your statements do not have to be polished, just sufficiently clear that you readily understand what you mean. At this stage, it is not something that should be presented to anyone, or even shared beyond your closest friends.
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