Stop Ruining Your Credibility at Work: New on LAC
As a solopreneur, I have been constantly told that one of the most important pillars of success is building credibility within your market or niche. Experts say that if you can show you are credible, then people will want to “buy-in” to what you are saying and selling.
But credibility plays an important role in a corporate environment as well – and it’s a component of success that is often overlooked as we climb the ladder.
Your credibility “record” at work starts with your first job application and follows you throughout your career. I remember earlier in my career, being worried that my failures would follow me like a report card to my next job… like your high school grades can haunt you through college. I thought there was an employee record that went with you. It makes me laugh now. And while a folder doesn’t follow you per say, your credibility does.
7 Ways You are Ruining Your Credibility
1. Not being responsive.
With as many emails as we get these days, it’s necessary to prioritize and respond accordingly. There are some emails that simply don’t need a response (think: thank you! emails), but pretty much everything else, particularly from your boss, needs some sort of acknowledgement.
It’s up to you to decide what your typical turnaround time is to set the precedent, but your credibility builds faster when you respond quicker. If you are able to answer email requests quickly and efficiently and reliably, then people will start to see you as an expert in certain areas. Just be sure that when you do respond, it’s well thought-out, concise, and relevant.
2. Not being a “details” person.
There are definitely jobs that lend itself to more or less detailed tasks on a daily basis, but in every position, being detail-oriented is always part of the job description. Not being meticulous with details because someone else holds the ultimate responsibility or will come behind you and double check, can discredit your reputation extremely fast.
If you touch it, you need to review it – with a fine tooth comb. It has your name on it and therefore, your credibility is at stake.
For many of us, this takes a lot of practice and diligence. But like any habit, the more you practice it, the better you will become at it. Review your emails for content and conciseness, flow through your projects to ensure details are reflected accurately, and examine your work before submitting it to the next level.
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