How do you get people talking positively about you? Establishing a reputation is crucial for career success. You want to be known as someone who is easy to work with and incredibly determined, and you want others to be the ones talking about it.

Here a few tips on how to establish a reputation for excellence:

1.    Respond to emails quickly and thoroughly
Be prompt with responses, but it isn’t all about speed, writing thorough emails that answer the question, explain why, and anticipate further questions makes you appear not only knowledgeable, but very attuned to the needs of others. This is also a huge time-saver because, when done correctly, it eliminates a lot of the back and forth that can make checking emails so time consuming.

2.    Always have a plan B
Be reliable and show that you are prepared to complete a task, even if there are some road bumps along the way. Deadlines are set for a reason, so try to plan on completing a task a week or so ahead to give yourself time to adjust if any complications arise. Like with email, try to predict where a problem might occur in order to help find an alternate solution. This shows initiative, control, and time management. There are, however, times when meeting the deadline just cannot happen. If you find yourself in this type of situation, always talk to the client or manager a few days before the deadline so that everyone is in the know, and further progress and resources aren’t mishandled. It’s never a good idea to blame someone else for a missed deadline. If it was your responsibility, you have to take the blame for something that doesn’t get done on time. People admire someone who will shoulder responsibility.

3.    Take initiative
Don’t wait to be asked. If you see something that needs to be done, go ahead and do it. This shows those around you that you are a hard worker who doesn’t need constant direction.

4.    Speak up
If you are in a position to give your opinion on a project, do so. Don’t be afraid, but always give your opinion respectfully so that you don’t come off as arrogant or rude if your opinion differs from those around you. Companies love having a wide array of ideas and opinions, so don’t keep quiet if you have a good idea.

Having a strong reputation can strengthen all of your personal and professional relationships. The best way to build a reputation that will create a successful career is to have people saying good things about you when you are not in the room. It’s a wonderful thing when you hear that someone has made a great remark about you behind your back. 

Here we are at the start of a new year — time to make that list of resolutions. Chances are that some — or most — of them pertain to your work life. The most frequently made resolutions related to work are:

• Reduce stress
• Get a promotion
• Get a new job
• Expand my network
• Be more organized

Although probably 80 percent of the people I know make some kind of declaration at the beginning of the new year, my unscientific estimate is that less than five percent actually follow through. Why is that? When someone is determined that they are going to stop this or start that, why do they ultimately not do so?

Here are some ways to make a promise to yourself and actually keep it.

1. Keep your list short. It’s better to choose one thing to focus on than to make a long list and get nothing done.

2. Start with the top 10 things you would like to commit to that will make a positive change in your life. Take a hard look at the list and narrow it down to one promise. That’s right — one promise that, if you can actually do it, will significantly improve your life. Start by crossing out five things on your list of 10. Now take the shortened list and cross out four more. I know this is hard. Why? Because we all see the new year as a great way to hit the reset button, to get rid of some those nagging bad habits that we can’t seem to control. Complete this sentence: Once I have done _____name the resolution______my life will be ______________________________________.  Finish the thought so that you can be sure that whatever you are committing to spending your energy on will have a measurable impact on your life.

3. Remember that January 1 is just one day of the year; you can add to your list any time. Making too long a list right now can create the opportunity to sabotage your chances of success.

4. Post your resolution in places where you will see it daily, such as on your bathroom mirror and on your computer screen. This will help keep you focused on your commitment.

5. Treat your resolution as the most important promise you will make to anyone this year. How often do we make promises to others and move heaven and earth to keep them at the expense of keeping promises to ourselves?

6. Break your resolution down into reasonable steps and make them very easy to achieve. For example, if your resolution is to expand your network, the first thing you can do is to make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date. Once that’s accomplished, do some research on which groups you should join on LinkedIn. Next, make a list of people you would like to meet and see who in your network can make an introduction for you. Don’t feel as if you have to start going to three events a week. Just sharpening your networking skills slightly can go a long way toward making every interaction you have more productive. Consider what steps you will take in the first month and how you will you measure your progress.

7. Make changes gradually. It takes about 21 days of doing something consistently to establish a new habit. For your first 21 days it will be important to track your progress and be intentional about the change. At the end of each day, make a mental note of what went right and whether you need to revise your plan.

8. Get support. Consider joining an online support group with people who have made a similar resolution. Telling someone else about your goal and asking him or her to support you dramatically increases your chance for success.

9. Celebrate your milestones by doing something that you enjoy. Reward yourself for your progress. Think about how good you will feel (and how much your life will change) when you have achieved your goal.

10. If you falter, don’t give up. Don’t abandon your goal. Hit the reset button and keep going.

Think back on your resolutions from last year. Do you even remember what they were? Make this the year that you deliver on your resolution.

December might be the busiest month for networking events with the holidays bringing office parties, and events sponsored by trade associations, vendors, and civic groups. It’s important to network, but it’s really easy to fall into the trap of overdoing it. So how do you decide when to go and when to stay home?

Here are a few questions to help you decide:

1. Let’s start here- answer this question: Are you exhausted? If the answer is yes, and you have an event scheduled that evening, put yourself first and stay home. Being over tired at a gathering never makes a good impression and chances are you won’t be enthusiastic about chatting with people.
2. Have you attended more than three networking holiday parties this week and it’s only Thursday? If so, you are on the way to overload. Being out the majority of the week for networking events starts to show diminishing returns. “ I feel like I see you everywhere” can be code for, “ don’t you have a personal life?” When people are seen at just about every event it begins to look like they don’t value their own time.
3.  Are you really getting good connections and building relationships with the events that you go to? After each one write down the names of people you met that you actually plan to follow up with and get to know better. If you find yourself leaving parties feeling like you talked to everyone but connected with no one, it’s time to think about whether you are spreading yourself too thin.
4.  And finally are you finding yourself frequently cancelling at the last minute because you just can’t face one more lunch, dinner or cocktail party? Before RSVP’ing, take time to REALLY consider if you want to go to whatever it is you’re committing to. It’s far better to say you can’t attend in advance than to cancel or, even worse, to not show up. People who are frequent no-shows tend to eventually get a reputation for not being reliable, and run the risk of being dropped from future guest lists.

It’s the holiday season and chances are you will be invited to attend an office party.  Maybe it’s been a stressful year and some people will feel that the annual office gathering is the time to kick back, relax, and have a few drinks with their friends at work or a time to get to know that boss who never comes of his office better. Both of those assumptions are true but it’s so important to keep a few rules in mind. Here are a few tips on etiquette and for making sure you don’t end up being one of the stories told about a holiday party gone wrong ten years from now.

1. Moderation. Yes, office parties are meant to be fun, but drink, sing, or dance in moderation. Remember that no matter how relaxed the atmosphere is, you’re still representing yourself to those in your company- the keyword is office party.
2. Stand out. Office parties are good opportunities to introduce yourself to people you want to get to know better, especially if you’re new to the company. Making a good impression, i.e. being dressed appropriately, not drinking too much, and mingling with others can make you stand out from the crowd.
3. Say thank you. Holiday parties can often take a lot of time to plan, so saying thank you to those who coordinated the night is the right thing to do.
4. Appropriate gifts. As for grab bag gifts, keep the gifts appropriate. You don’t want to walk in with a Victoria’s Secret bag. Keep the gifts simple and classy; for example, gift cards for books, coffee, or music, or a nice planner and pen. If you know someone likes tea, you can get him/her a nice to-go mug and some tea samples. Keep the gifts thoughtful yet appropriate, and don’t go over the stated budget!
5. Remember to be inclusive.  Try to listen more than you talk and take a look around to see if someone is standing off to the side or looks uncomfortable. Including people in conversation always spreads good will long after the party is over.
6. Keep the conversation positive. The holidays are a wonderful and fun time, so make the most of them and keep the conversation focused on positive things and not a list of what is going wrong at work.
7. Don’t be the last person to leave unless you have organized the party.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”  - Melody Beattie

With the constant drive to succeed and competition that many engage in every day, it makes Thanksgiving that much more significant. It’s the day to consider how lucky we really are, and to be grateful for it.

It’s good to pause and see if we are actually doing this as a common practice where we work as well. Many studies show that people appreciate praise and recognition of a job well done as much as, and sometimes more than, they do money.  We need more than one day out of the year devoted exclusively to taking time out to be thankful.

Consider how many times a day you stop to look around and notice the good work of the people in your office. I remember early in my career working in a company where many people walked down the hall without looking up to say hello- needless to say a simple thank you was not at all a part of the culture. When this type of culture exists, how can an atmosphere of gratitude and appreciation be present?

Let this Thanksgiving be a day to appreciate even the smallest pleasures, but don’t let it be the only day. Studies show that people who show more gratitude are happier, more likely to exercise regularly, more likely to help others, and more likely to take steps to reach personal goals. Overall, they are more successful. Showing gratitude can decrease stress and depression. People love to be thanked for their efforts, and doing so can greatly change the morale of any workplace.

One of the most powerful phrases at work is, “thank you.” Take just one day this week and keep track of how many times you actually say that to the people you work with – it could change everything about the way your company does business.

November 17-24th is Global Entrepreneurship Week, which began in 2007 with 37 countries participating and has since risen to over 140 countries. Next week is “the world’s largest celebration of the innovators and job creators who launch startups that bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare” (gew.org). On this day, entrepreneurs are encouraged to thank their mentors and spread awareness through sharing their experiences. 

There will be events going on across the country to fuel interest and help people take their entrepreneurial endeavors to the next level. Start ups help create jobs, innovate industries, and help stimulate the economy overall, so it’s important to keep interest and achievability alive. These events can help shape potential business ideas through seminars, and create networking opportunities along the way that could even lead to finding investors. 

With each new success story, others decide to take the leap and start their dream business. So during this week, I hope entrepreneurs take a minute to share tips on how to achieve success when starting your own business to those aspiring to do the same.

If you’re interested in finding an event near you, go to: http://us.gew.co/activities

Or take a look at the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce’s upcoming events, here:http://acchamber.org/events.aspx

Categories: Business Development, Leadership, Success