Risk and Protecting Your Reputation
Developing a reliable strategy for which your future self will thank you
Oftentimes when we are on the precipice of acting, with words or other behavior, in a way that will badly damage our reputation, we are blind to the risk, our impulses and what we are about to do next.
Or possibly, what we are doing right now.
That’s problematic, no?
What is helpful is realizing that we can create a conscious strategy of thinking and actions as ‘insurance’ — figuratively speaking — that can be a smart plan (think: risk management) to improve the likelihood of protecting ourselves and the well-being of our future.
This isn’t complex, long-winded or impractical and I’ll share it with you now. Of course, you can determine what works reliably for you and then do that consistently, as a habit.
Just make sure whatever you choose really works, is trustworthy and also legal and moral.
Sorry, I had to say that because some people, well, you know… :)
A potential framework of a risk management strategy for reputation:
Develop a healthy form of stress management into a strength.
Always be improving emotional intelligence. What’s this mean? Realizing clearly at all times how we’re thinking, communicating and otherwise acting, understanding with clarity how other people are feeling — and caring about it, regulating our emotions and impulses, practicing next-level empathy and having the motivation to do all this daily, without the socially-acceptable excuses that society says is “ok.”
Conduct forward thinking, so your ‘future self’ thanks you for what you are thinking, considering doing, feel an impulse to do and are doing.
Think as deeply as possible, especially when you have time to do about the psychology of the moment — both yours — and what is driving any decision, to do or not to do — and the psychology of other people and situations.
Make the commitment to precisely identify and stop doing (right now) what is reckless and dangerous towards others and your reputation. And start doing what is the correct thinking, impulse control and actions that don’t inflict trouble into a situation, on others and against your reputation.
All this might not seem necessary to you right now, and maybe you can get through life without making serious mistakes or doing something really foolish — and suffering because of it. Yet, most all of us buy multiple types of types of other insurance — and make certain decisions every day to protect ourselves and loved ones from the unexpected.
Protecting reputation should be the same mindset, especially in a time where mistakes and errors are judged harshly, forgiveness and restoration not readily offered and where calls for highly painful punishment have become the expectation and norm.
Top Reputation Stories of the Week
‘The Law Needs to Do Better’ With People Making False Allegations About Sexual Assault
—An article and Q&A combination piece with journalist Claire Mom
Alec Baldwin’s Disappointing Interview Responses
—An article from an interview with Dr. Kelly McBride, a public relations pro
Cuomo Ad Strategy Criticizing James a Desperate Attempt to Protect Relevancy and Future Opportunities
—An article with Elie Jacobs, a partner at Purposeful Communications, as a source
New York Times Greatly Compounds Publishing Error With Poor Twitter Reply
—A look at how the New York Times earned scorn from Serena Williams and then acted foolishly
Michael Toebe is the founder and specialist at Reputation Quality, a practice serving individuals to further develop reputation as an asset — and when necessary — helping ethically and successfully protect, restore or reconstruct it. He writes and publishes Reputation Specialist and as written two ebooks — Your Reputation Signature and On Apology.