A damaged reputation may not be easy to restore or repair. This is why it is so important to protect your reputation. Sometimes the loss of reputation is not your fault although sometimes it is your fault. Regaining a good name isn't always easy-but it can be done with patience, determination, and perseverance.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Getting Rid of a Bad Reputation
Step 1. Accept that the other person probably won't forget it
They may no longer care about it over time, but still remember it. Not that it is impossible to improve reputation. A bad reputation is likely always temporary. It's all just a matter of time. After some time, people stop caring about what you did in the past.
- Many people face their mistakes and the mistakes of others gradually. This seems more obvious and they forget about you. Remember, you remember your own mistakes better than anyone else. Your bad reputation can be worse in your mind than in other people's eyes.
- Contrary to popular perception, research shows that when compared to other social evaluation tools, reputation appears to be less important than other factors.
- Let go and take a break using social media and online media.
Step 2. Talk about it to someone else
Be open when you talk about your bad reputation. If you're calm, polite, and genuinely worried about them, they're likely willing to help you. By not verbalizing your problem, you allow other people to think differently and are free to create rumours.
- If someone is actively spreading the word about your bad reputation, talk to them first.
- Ask your friends for their opinion on this matter.
- Try not to get defensive.
Step 3. Turn it into strength
Maybe your bad reputation is a hidden superpower. Take some time to think about how to turn a bad reputation into a positive thing and look at the perception of the situation differently. You are not a wild person when it comes to sex, you can control your sex drive. If people think you're too aggressive at sports, you may be a top member on your team.
Step 4. Change the way other people think
Sometimes you just need to control other people's perceptions. They may not see the situation clearly. If you can, help the other person to see the situation from a different perspective.
- Provide a planned positive perspective. This means finding ways to view events and actions differently that earned you a bad reputation. For example, sometimes people are embarrassed by wild behavior when it comes to sex, while others describe wild behavior when it comes to sex as “having one's own sex drive” or being “positive about sex”. Think of ways that you can help others see your actions in a new light.
- Be warned, you may not be able to control everyone's opinion.
Step 5. State the accusation as a lie
You just have to say that the reputation is not true. If you have lied, it may take some time to correct it. Be assertive (not aggressive), and make sure you break the news as soon as possible. Ask someone else to help set the story straight. The longer the bad reputation spreads, the harder it is to control it.
- Clear up any misunderstandings.
- Be open when it comes to lies.
Part 2 of 3: Developing a Good Reputation
Step 1. Do good deeds consistently
A quick way to improve a reputation is to do good deeds. Be careful: if you've recently made a bad reputation, you may seem desperate or trying to make up for it by doing some good deeds. This is not a quick fix. You must do good deeds consistently to improve your reputation, because you run the risk of appearing insincere. Building a reputation is difficult and time-consuming, but the quick and easy way can actually destroy it. Consistency is essential to building a reputation safely.
- Bring coffee to your coworkers or offer to take shifts if they need time to rest.
- Offer your friend a favor, such as driving a car or a helping hand before being asked.
- Do something in particular to make sure the other person feels okay if you sense that something isn't right.
Step 2. Do volunteer work
There are a number of ways to make time to volunteer. Caring for the elderly or disabled, working on vacant land, doing community activities, as well as opportunities for church-centered activities are all good ways to volunteer. Animal shelters are also a good opportunity to help. By giving time to serve others, you can do a lot to improve your reputation.
- If you're still in school, take a look at the opportunities available to help you find one. Many public schools and colleges offer a variety of volunteer work opportunities for students.
- Some businesses offer volunteer work programs that come with bonuses. Talk to your supervisor or human resources department to learn about available opportunities.
Step 3. Use the situation to learn
Be sympathetic to others who have bad reputations. By being kind to others who are considered unkind, and after gaining knowledge from your reputational experience, you can develop a positive perception. Take this opportunity to see if there are other people with bad reputations around you who might need friends.
Step 4. Impress the other person
Do even better. Do something extraordinary. Learn a musical instrument. Get a scholarship or award. Run a marathon. By doing impressive things, you can improve the way people see you. The respect of others goes a long way in improving your reputation.
Part 3 of 3: Creating Permanent Change
Step 1. Change the parts of your life
External factors, such as your group of friends, habits, and the workplace can be an important part of how your reputation develops. A bad environment with people and bad relationships can be a source of trouble. Take some time to think about whether or not you need to make changes to the people and places in your life.
- If you have a bad reputation among your friends, it might be time to spend time with different people. Maybe your friends encourage habits that make others think less of you.
- In the workplace, a bad work environment can lead to unreasonable expectations from others. A work environment that encourages an unhealthy work-life balance can make dedicated, hard-working people seem lazy. Study the culture in your workplace and think about whether a serious dispute is causing your reputation to be damaged or not. You may need to find a new job.
Step 2. Change yourself
This is very difficult to achieve. But when you see yourself through someone else's eyes, and you don't like what you see, make a change. Changing ourselves is difficult because we maintain strong patterns and habits in life. But by making big changes in behavior, people will notice. This will change the way they see you and can cause others to reevaluate their perception of you as a person.
- Seek help from a professional, such as a psychologist or psychiatrist.
- Find a life problems counselor or spiritual guide to help you find ways to make changes within yourself.
Step 3. Avoid pseudo-changes
Pseudo change is not the same as real change. Unreal behavior is hard to maintain consistently. If you look fake, people will see it. Real change is harder to make than pretending to be different.
Tips
- Give yourself enough time to make changes. We make mistakes too often and then want to get rid of them right away. Unfortunately, things don't work out that way-which is why carefully protecting your own reputation by being a person of good character is a smart move.
- Remember, it's very difficult to "prove a negative." When someone says you did something, it's hard for you to prove that you didn't, unless someone knows for sure (he was with you at the same time you were presumed to have done this). Instead of trying to “prove or disprove” this incident, express your innocence and ignore it. Other times, be careful to show off your good character, so that when people hear you're failing at something, the first thing they think of is “Jay isn't like that. There must be something, or there must be a reason, if it is true.”
- If you have improved your reputation, protect it. Don't let other people spread lies about you-but instead of just telling whoever told you that they've heard things that aren't true about you, go and find the person who told the person. Search until you find the source of the lie. Deal with the person-usually it's most effective to ask why. “What have I done to make you hate me? Why did you say that?” Once you know the source, you have a chance to stop the whole lie.
