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When you meet people for the first time they develop a first impression of you. This impression will be a basis for how they perceive your actions and thoughts. But as time goes on, these actions are followed by reactions and results that earn you a reputation that is known by others. This reputation is a more permanent impression that is linked to you, and very hard to undo or change if it is negative and easy to lose if it is positive, so MAKE IT GOOD!!
A Reputation is defined by Dictionary.com as the “overall quality or character as seen or judged by people in general within a community.” TakeToyota for example, they have had a lasting reputation for making “quality” vehicles that last with little maintenance at a great value. It took a simple instance like the recent recall of floor mats that were not fitted to the correct vehicles which would make the gas pedal stick. Years of a good reputation were lost in an instant, and it will take a while for Toyota to gain that back.
On the opposing view, if you have earned yourself a negative reputation, for example, the “late person” it is very hard to rid yourself of that perception from others. Even if you are on-time every day for two weeks, people will still remember how you were late in the beginning. In order to change your reputation, you have to regain the trust from others by being persistently and consistently on-time to everything. Just one slip up will bring the negative reputation back and you will have to start from ground zero all over again.
In all aspects of your life, not just work related, make a great first impression, develop a good lasting reputation, maintain that reputation, and show others that you care and are a major asset to the organization and its culture.
