Month: August 2017

Your Reputation At Work

Why it’s Important to Have a Positive Reputation at Work

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Your reputation is the most important career capital you have. Often, your reputation precedes you and it’s the first thing managers and employees know about you. So, it’s important that you have a good reputation and you live up to it in reality.

Having a positive reputation in the workplace helps ensure current and future success on the job. You may be offered more interesting and challenging work and promotions because you are perceived as being able to get the job done.

Elements of a Positive Work Reputation

These are some elements of a positive work reputation:

  • Reliability – completing tasks timely, being punctual and following business procedures and protocol will enable managers and coworkers to rely on you, resulting in new projects with greater responsibility.
  • Efficiency – good time management and a strong work ethic shows your commitment to the job and builds a positive reputation.
  • Positive Attitude – it is important to be open to trying new initiatives. This also makes you more approachable to others.
  • Initiative – if you see a way to improve something, let your manager know. It shows your commitment to doing a good job for the good of the organization.
  • Relationship Building – having good relationships with managers, colleagues and stake holders will help to accomplish the goals of the organization, make work more enjoyable and increase your chances for promotion.

Steps to Building a Positive Work Reputation

The following are effective reputation-builders at work:

  1. Don’t Go in Unprepared: before going into a meeting, make sure to read any materials that were distributed and briefly research areas that are unclear. You should think of your preparation time as something that translates to respect for your audience.
  2. Be Consistent: make sure you maintain and project a positive demeanor in each interaction you have with managers, coworkers or clients. This increases your credibility on the job.
  3. Keep Your Promises: don’t make commitments and promises you can’t keep. If you over-commit and don’t deliver you will be seen as misleading and untrustworthy.
  4. Buy into Yourself: the foundation of a great reputation is believing you have something of value and importance to share and contribute and projecting that belief. When trying to advance, being unknown can be as hard to overcome as having a bad reputation.
  5. Don’t Complain: it is not good to be known as someone who can’t be pleased. Do not be stuck on issues. Become known as a constructive thinker who tries to solve problems instead of just complaining about them.

How to Repair a Negative Work Reputation

Repairing a negative work reputation can be difficult. That’s why it’s so important to develop and keep a positive work reputation. Even though it may be difficult, there are steps you can take to repair or improve a negative work reputation.

  1. Prove Your Intent to be Taken Seriously:  key in on the areas that need improvement and over-deliver on those items. For example, if you had a bad reputation for not being timely in meeting deadlines, finish your next project/assignment early.
  2. Consistently Meet Your Deadlines: make sure you turn everything in on or before the due date without exception. It is very important to communicate clearly about the deadlines to ensure everyone has the same understanding and knows what to expect and when.
  3. Under-Promise and Over-Deliver: deliver the product early, under budget and better than expected. This way you set the expectations.
  4. Keep Your Criticism to Yourself: if you complain at work you’ll sound like a whiner. Don’t take on a new responsibility unless you can deliver.
  5. Invite Your Coworkers to Activities Outside Work: getting together after work hours can help form a better work bond, because you’ll get to know each other better and may find you have things in common.
  6. Engage in Active Listening: it is important to repeat back to the person what they said and how you understand it. This will help the person feel listened to or will help them try to explain again. This is good communication.
  7. Be Firm but Kind: if you’re in a position of responsibility, you want your coworkers or employees to respect you. Therefore, you should be firm but flexible.

My Own Experience

It has been my experience that the importance of having a positive reputation at work cannot be over-stated. Virtually everything depends on it. Your reputation can make or break you on the job.

I also think it’s important to note that a reputation is mainly perception. So, you can be doing a great job, but if the manager doesn’t like you for whatever reason you’ll be perceived as being a bad worker, i.e., have a bad reputation. That’s why it’s important to maintain positive relationships with management and coworkers, so your reputation can be more universal. Then, if the manager doesn’t like you and says something negative about you, others won’t believe it because their own personal experiences with you prove otherwise.

Chicago Flag: 100 Years Old

This year the Chicago flag is 100 years old. When I was growing up in Chicago I didn’t even know there was a Chicago flag. In fact, I didn’t find out until recently.

The flag was designed by Wallace Rice and was designated as the official city flag on April 4, 1917.

The flag has three white stripes that symbolize the North, West and South side neighborhoods of the city. The two blue stripes symbolize the branches of the Chicago River. The four red stars represent: the Great Chicago Fire of 1871; the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893; the 1933 Century of Progress Exposition World’s Fair; and Fort Dearborn. These are four truly significant parts of Chicago history.

I think having a city flag is important because it fosters a sense of identity. I believe the beauty of the Chicago city flag lies in its simplicity; much like the beauty of the city of Chicago itself. It is a large, world class city that still maintains the simplicity and grace of a smaller city.

Must Read – Natalie Y. Moore’s Sun-times Article

This article is a must read. It’s so nice to know that there are journalists who are not only professional, but also are sensitive and truly care about people. Natalie Y. Moore is such a journalist! I agree with Natalie that labels lead to and reinforce negative stereotyping. Read more….

http://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/moore-banish-alt-right-be-wary-of-labeling-people/

  • Also, please note – I was not commenting on the politics of this article, but rather only about her approach to journalism of not labeling, but only describing what she sees.

Don’t Let the News Get You Down

The upsetting events in Charlottesville and across the country over the last few days can be overwhelming to behold. Every morning we turn on the TV or read the newspaper there’s another event and the upsetting commentary being reported. We haven’t even recovered from the turmoil of the previous days’ events and we’re hit with more. I can’t even keep it straight anymore. Seeing this in the news everyday can make us anxious and depressed. I think it’s important to stay informed amidst this chaos, but we also need to take care of ourselves and our families. During stressful times we need to take care of our mental, emotional and physical health so we can continue to function normally and maintain our focus – falling apart isn’t going to help anyone. I think it’s important to periodically step away from the media coverage and do things you enjoy. Read a good book or go on a vacation; rearrange your garden or go on a shopping trip. Do whatever you enjoy the most. Keeping up your exercise routine or engaging in meditation or yoga can also help. I know we will restore hope in this country – our country – we always do. It just takes time and patience for the right solutions to be found and implemented.

 

Let’s Focus on Our Similarities, Not Differences

Sometimes, when it comes to our values and beliefs, it seems we focus so much on our differences that we forget what we have in common as Americans. While it’s okay to focus on our political, religion and lifestyle differences; let’s also focus on what we have in common. As citizens we’re free and have a voice. We can use our voices to vote; assemble and peacefully protest; practice any religion (or not practice religion); and we have a right to privacy and protection.

Consequently, when we really do have differences, we need to accept that differences are a part of a diverse society. We should strive to value these differences, or at least learn to respect them.

 

My Chicago Neighborhood – Avondale

Chicago is a big city with a lot of neighborhoods. There are over 200 neighborhoods and 77 community areas that make up Chicago. The neighborhood I grew up in is Avondale. Although, back then there wasn’t a big emphasis on neighborhoods like there is now. So, I didn’t know the name of my neighborhood was Avondale. I suspected it was, because we had an Avondale Park and Avondale Savings and Loan nearby, but no one could ever verify it. Other neighborhoods nearby had names that we knew, such as Logan Square and Belmont Cragin. I always felt my neighborhood was a little lesser (didn’t measure up) because it didn’t have a name to identify it.

Avondale is near the Kennedy expressway Kimball Avenue exit and the CTA Blue Line Belmont stop. When I lived there in the mid 60’s to early 80’s it was a blue collar primarily Polish area of modest frame houses. In the 80’s it saw an influx of Hispanics and Eastern Europeans and it is now a diverse area undergoing gentrification.

Growing up in Avondale was more like growing up in a small town than a big city. The stores, restaurants, churches, schools and parks were all within walking distance and we rarely went outside the neighborhood (especially Downtown) for any reason. We also had a nice yard where my family grew all our own vegetables and fruit. You could only tell by the large number of factories in the neighborhood that it was industrial and being so close to the Kennedy expressway made it feal like an urban environment. Some houses were right next to the expressway and had no backyards, because they were removed to build the expressway.

I have fond memories of growing up there, such as going to church, parks and shopping with my Mom and playing with my friends and going to the corner store for candy. And I also have memories of people (mostly immigrants) struggling to find and keep working to support themselves and their families through difficult times. While not idyllic, I would say Avondale is a realistic Chicago neighborhood that works hard to portray itself in a positive light….and succeeds!

 

What I Would Say To My Mother If I Saw Her Today

My mother passed away over thirty years ago, when I was still in my twenties. She died from pneumonia that was a complication caused by M.S. She had M.S. for as long as I can remember, I think it started when I was about  seven years old. She left our home when I was  eleven years old. She went to live with my grandparents (her parents), because my father worked full time and she needed someone with her all day. That changed my life forever.

If I saw my mother today I would give her a big hug and kiss and tell her what a wonderful mother she was. I would let her know that I have a wonderful life. I’d introduce her to her grandson and she would see right away what a nice young man he is. I would show her around my house and her son-in-law would cook steaks on the grill for her to enjoy with us. Afterwards she could play with our dog Rosie and look around my garden.

I would tell her how much I missed having her around and that I also had my share of struggles. I would thank her for giving me this life; both the good and the bad, because the good has far outweighed the bad. I would tell her how much I appreciated her playing with me all the time when I was little and for taking me to all our favorite parks in Chicago (Avondale, Kosciuszko and Kilbourn to name a few) . Also Lincoln Park Zoo and the park with the waterfalls at Olson Rug! I’d also tell her I still have fond memories of us shopping together at Klaus and Goldblatt’s department stores on Milwaukee Avenue.

And finally, I would tell her how lucky I am to have such wonderful family and friends and a good job, good boss and good co-workers. What else could I ask for? ….I have it all….and it’s all because of her!!