Maybe it's not your fault. Or maybe it is.
Regardless, you know you've got a less-than-stellar reputation around the office. And you need to do something about it.
Your professional reputation affects your current job as well as your career path. People talk, especially professional colleagues, and a poor reputation could follow you to your next position. Even worse, it could prevent you from getting a new job.
Thinking of looking for a new job? Then there's no better time to clean up your act at your current one. You can leave on a good note, with valuable professional relationships and perhaps even a strong reference.
Quit It and Admit It
You can remake yourself on the job. But first you have to stop the real (or imagined) problem behavior.
First, identify what's holding you back. Do you regularly miss deadlines? Are you defensive with your manager or argumentative with coworkers? Are you reluctant to take on new tasks?
Once you've admitted to yourself that you need to improve your performance, you have to admit it to your manager. Meet with your boss and share how you want to improve. Ask for feedback on what kind of behavior she'd like to see and ask for her support. Come up with a schedule to check in regularly and discuss your improvement.
If you want further help, talk to the human resource department. HR often has tools to help employees who are struggling, including job coaching and counseling.
Give Support to Get Support
Want to go places at work? Start by going the extra mile.
Be pleasant, personable and professional. Acknowledge coworkers' achievements. Lend a helping hand to colleagues who are struggling with a project or under a pile of paperwork. And, if you're unable to help, acknowledge their plight and offer a sympathetic ear.
Developing workplace allies can boost your reputation. And earning your coworkers' goodwill and appreciation can help you shine as a hard worker and team player. You may even be able to find a mentor among your new allies.
Look Outside to Change Inside
What's the root of your poor reputation or performance problems? Are you bored at work? Feeling underappreciated? Overwhelmed?
Look for creative solutions to these challenges. Talk to other people in your position or industry and ask how they overcome these obstacles. Find out how they work more efficiently, have more fun or get more satisfaction from their jobs.
Try modeling your behavior after a successful individual's. Look at industry leaders, personal heroes or even successful coworkers. Who among them has an excellent reputation and is well liked and respected? Why?
Last, consider taking a professional or personal development course. Classes can focus on hard skills, such as language or computer programming, or soft skills, such as communication and leadership.
Rome Wasn't Built in a Day
Be patient with yourself.
It probably took months or even years to develop your current reputation at work, and it may take a while to improve it. Meaningful change and accomplishment don't happen overnight.
As you work to improve your job performance, set small daily, weekly and monthly goals. Whether it's meeting a tough deadline or having a pleasant interaction with a difficult colleague, small steps will gradually lead to big change.
Don't let obstacles and setbacks knock you off course. Acknowledge that you will have slip-ups from time to time, but learn from them and move on.
And remember to check in with your manager regularly to get feedback on your performance. She'll likely recognize your commitment to changing and improving your behavior. In the end, you may find that you've not only reached peak performance in your current job -- but that you're ready to move to an even better position.
