As we discussed last week, your reputation is your biggest asset in the world bar none. Here’s my next 8 tips for keeping your reputation shiny, polished, office culture gold.
8. Get organized. Present yourself as an organized human being. Keep your desk well organized, but never empty. Organize your thoughts before you speak and ramble not. Show yourself to have an organized home life by seldom flying in the door late and leaving at a regular time — whatever time that is in your particular culture — on most nights. Prepare, prepare, prepare and, more importantly, look prepared. Show up early for those meetings, missy.
9. The politeness punch: mind your P’s and Q’s. Mind your manners, Mamma. This is an easy credit. Say please, say thanks, look people in the eye and really listen to what they are saying to you. Provide thoughtful commentary that demonstrates that you were, in fact, listening. Don’t babble about things that are clearly not interesting to your audience. Don’t repeat nasty gossip. Send thank you notes, etc. If you don’t know what’s appropriate in the land of civilized and polite behavior — and hey, lots of people don’t — pick up the latest edition of Emily Post.
10. Stop flapping and be unflappable. When things don’t go your way, take a step back; consider why certain decisions might have been made and accept them without reacting all over the place. Don’t be a pushover, though; pick your battles.
11. Be reliable. Always do what you say you are going to do when you say you are going to do it.
12. Stretch and stay flexible. Remain cheerful in the face of change, whether it’s a change in direction, a change in responsibility, a change in plans — even if it means the project you just finished is now irrelevant. Bitch about it all you want in the privacy of your bathroom mirror, but in public, be the first on line to pitch in and help with the transition.
13. Give generously. Take credit and share credit: “I worked very hard on that report, but I couldn’t have done it without my amazing staff and the solid direction of my supervisor.” Ok. I know it sounds dorky. Do it anyway.
14. Support your a-team. Align your goals with those of your boss. Tell people what you learned from your boss, and lead them to believe you have a great relationship with her — even if there’s some tension there.
15. Have fun. Know how to laugh and tell a joke. I saved myself a world of trouble and made more useful allies by knowing how and when to laugh at myself and make light of a tough situation with a well-placed joke. If you find yourself acting graveside grim, take a second to think of a funny spin on the same situation that is currently troubling you.
16. Intrigue people. Demonstrate yourself to be a person with a life that you value and protect. Share only the most positive and interesting highlights — no epic tales, please. If you are talking with someone about your personal life, know that in most cases, his attention span will be about as long as one commercial break during Monday Night Football.
I will include my final 8 tips in two weeks after my post on XO Nation next week. To see my previous 7 suggestions for how to improve your office reputation check out my blog from last week: http://www.jocelyngreenky.com//blog/2016/2/29/23-ways-to-build-your-reputation-like-a-boss-pt-1