How to Fix Your Reputation in 5 Actionable Steps (Even If It Feels Impossible)

"At the end of the day, a resilient organization isn't one that never makes mistakes but rather one whose mistakes make it stronger over time." ― Julie Zhuo, 'The Making of a Manager'

Fixing your reputation means taking deliberate actions to earn a positive reputation if it has been damaged or turned negative for some reason. Strive to help others view you positively, whether for the first time or again. You can rectify your mistakes, create a new image, and become more open and sincere. Reinforce this transformation through your actions and by rebuilding relationships with those with whom you've had conflicts.

So, when you slip up, don't shirk responsibility or quit hastily. It's better to pull yourself together and restore your damaged reputation.

It all depends on the area and scale of the problematic situation that caused your bad reputation. Therefore, you should approach each case differently. Several classic techniques can help rebuild your new reputation in the eyes of colleagues and management or restore loved ones' trust in your personal life.

You’ll discover how to fix your reputation by following these five steps:

• Evaluating a situation

• Making the apology

• Changing your deeds 

• Reframing your story

• Using your charisma 

Step 1: Start by assessing the damage to know how to fix your reputation

Don't try to correct mistakes until you've eliminated the negativity and forgiven yourself. Also, avoid focusing on negative results and allowing remorse to torment you. First, break down the situation, assess why this or that mistake happened, and determine what you can do about it.

People tend to perceive their misdeeds in a slightly exaggerated way. Yet, others often don't even pay attention to things that seem terrible and irreparable to us. A simple conversation will help you understand how others perceive what happened.

Use a 360-review to gather information

The 360-review method allows you to see a complete picture of your professional qualities and skills by looking at yourself via feedback through the eyes of colleagues, managers, and even clients. 

You can create an anonymous survey using a rating scale by categories or open-ended questions. This method assesses professional and personal competencies. The 360-review lets you objectively listen to how your colleagues perceive a situation and your competence as a team member.

Step 2: Make a strategic apology to fix your reputation faster 

Go out of your comfort zone, admit you made a mistake, and talk to the person who suffered. Offer several options for reparation. If you’ve harmed somebody's well-being, apologize to that person and somehow compensate for moral and material damages.

Only the strongest know that admitting guilt and asking for forgiveness publicly is necessary. Although not easy, it's a significant measure of correcting mistakes. Taking this step can partially atone for your guilt. 

Your strategic apology will contribute to your personal development!

"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel, goes the popular saying." ― Julie Zhuo, 'The Making of a Manager'

Step 3: Rebuild your reputation through actions

​​Good deeds are the fastest way to reputation repair. Be careful, though, because if you have recently done something bad, it may seem like a desperate move or overcompensation, so ensure your behavior and actions are impeccable. Also, be prepared for increased attention. So, think carefully about each step you take. Show initiative, take on an important task, and suggest improving the work process. And, of course, bring what you started to completion.

It's easy to destroy a reputation, but restoring it takes much more time and effort. So, you can't fix this situation overnight. Consistency is key to establishing a strong reputation. Without it, you will seem insincere. 

• Buy your co-workers a coffee or offer to cover a few shifts for them.

• Offer help before they ask for it.

Step 4: Reinvent the narrative to make a good reputation

In 'The Making of a Manager,' Zhuo emphasizes that trust is built through consistency, honesty, and caring. She advises being open to admitting mistakes, showing empathy, and maintaining transparency in communication. This approach creates an environment where the team feels safe and ready to share ideas or problems.

‍Strengthening your reputation is a constant process that, like a living organism, accumulates everything the information environment gives, which can be both negative and positive. While it's impossible to protect yourself from negativity 100%, you can increase the positive. 

For example, inform customers, partners, and employees about important company news, discuss changes, and show how you react to incidents in the organization or environment. Don't be afraid to admit your guilt if it's true. Respond to positive comments and feedback as willingly as you would to negative ones.

Step 5: How to fix the reputation by mastering power and perception

In his book 'The 48 Laws of Power,' Robert Greene focuses on reputation as a key element of influence and control. Here are a few of Greene's lessons:

Law 5

A LOT DEPENDS ON REPUTATION – GUARD IT WITH YOUR LIFE

Reputation is the most important thing in power. With the help of reputation, you can sow fear and win. But as soon as it is shaken, you become vulnerable and open to attacks from all sides. Make your reputation unshakable. Always be vigilant for possible attacks and repel them before they happen.

Law 25

RE-CREATE YOURSELF

Reject the role that society has imposed on you. It is better to be the creator of your image than to let others define who you are. Carve out an identity that will appeal to and never bore the public. Add theatricality to your public affairs and appearances - your power will grow, and your image will appear larger than life itself.

With a life coach, you can work on your perception of yourself and your values and how to convey your charisma and confidence to others. You can also change your attitude towards yourself and the situation that has affected your reputation in the company or even the business.

A strong leader is not afraid of making mistakes. Errors help them change and even teach others.

What is a reputation, really?

Reputation is an opinion about someone or something, a social assessment, or established ideas about a person, company, or object that affect society's attitude towards them. Systematic reputation management will strengthen the immunity of a company, brand, person, scaling, investments, and money. If you build trust, you get paid.

Not everyone knows the impact of reputation on their personal brand or real life. Thanks to social networks, entrepreneurs and entire businesses are built on creating a particular online reputation, which brings significant income.

How one negative post can shatter your image

With the development of the digital environment and social media, positive feedback has become much more vulnerable to risk factors. Because the speed of information dissemination is much higher, there is no control over user content, and the possibilities of the online environment are unlimited. Every post, story, and negative comment from someone in top management acts as an X-factor that can start a chain reaction and deal a blow to their reputations and their business reputations.

How your image opens career doors

It is a mistake to think that only politicians, prominent businesspeople, movie stars, and other media personalities should monitor their reputations. A well-built personal brand will also be helpful to ordinary people, for example, when looking for a job.

According to the online recruitment portal HeadHunter, 76% of companies analyze candidates' skills and social network profiles.

Keep a personal blog or use social media platforms

What do other people need to know about you? These facts can tell about your professional value, achievements, and secrets of success, but what personal qualities do you want to broadcast? In other words, who do you want to be in the eyes of others: a charming leader, a speaker, a serious professional, or a family-oriented person?

Stick to the chosen tone, balance personal and professional, and avoid excessive emotionality. Respond to criticism, but do not argue.

Your information online will also form your reputation. So work on it. Remember, your good ideas can also work for you and make you a thought leader.

Turn your setback into a strategy of self-improvement with the Headway app

Changing your reputation to show sincerity that will melt your colleagues' hearts is possible and sometimes necessary. However, preventing situations that warrant such change is key, so be careful online and in the workplace. To help, you can find many book summaries on communication and leadership in our collection of the Headway app.

Headway is a modern and practical app that saves time while helping you quickly learn the most essential concepts from self-development books. Its audio format allows you to make productive use of your time and develop your skills anywhere instead of mindlessly scrolling through social media feeds. Download today and see all the advantages of the Headway app!