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Reputations: managing your most valuable asset

Thu 08 October 2009

, Karin Roeleveld, LEAP

A reputation is one of your most valuable corporate assets. And as the saying goes: It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it. Every week Karin Roeleveld, an independent boardroom advisor on reputation, explains how you can build, maintain and defend yours.

As a graduate of Prof. Cees van Riel I learnt how to measure corporate reputations with The RepTrak™ Method and subsequently how to interpret the findings. The RepTrak™ Method is a tool that tracks performance indicators grouped around seven reputation dimensions. I would dare to say that these reputation dimensions by and large are also the lines along which persons, especially those in leadership positions, are judged.

Let me talk you through the model. The 7 reputation dimensions:

1. Leadership: well organized, appealing leader, excellent manager, has clear vision for her future

2. Performance: profitable, better results than expected, strong growth prospects

3. Products/Services: high quality, value for money, meets customer needs

4. Innovation: innovative, first to market, adapts quickly to change

5. Workplace: rewards employees fairly, employee well being, offers equal opportunities

6. Governance: open and transparent, behaves ethically, fair in the way she does business

7. Citizenship: environmentally responsible, supports good causes, positive influence of society

When applying the dimensions on female leaders I guess that the first four dimensions are typical dimensions where women are often too modest to boast about their achievements as for the latter three dimensions women tend to put too much emphasis on showing that next to being ambitious we like to prove that we are nice and fair too.

I would advise you to analyze carefully which dimensions are key to your success in your industry and show and share your strong points. Keep the following in mind *):

Be visible

No matter how good you are, there is no reputation without visibility. Be visible within your company, but equally important is to be noticeable in the media and social networks. Create some rumor about your brand!

Be distinctive

Work on a distinctive position in the minds of your stakeholders. Create a niche, in which you get recognized. Also focus on actions and communications around a core theme.

Be authentic

Authenticity creates emotional appeal, and there’s no reputation building without emotional appeal. Being real pays off.

Be transparent

Transparency helps build, maintain and defend reputation. Sharing information about yourself is perceived by the public as being more credible and accountable. My advice, however, is be transparent, but don’t overdo it. Build on transparency and monitor the reactions.

Be consistent

For individuals this is easy, because there is only one person in charge of your communications: YOU. Act consistently and communicate accordingly. 

 

For more information about The RepTrak™ Method, www.reputationinstitute.com

*) Inspired by Fame and Fortune, How Successful Companies Build Winning Reputations by Charles J. Fombrun & Cees B.M. van Riel

 

Karin Roeleveld is an independent Boardroom advisor on reputation issues and often serves as interim communications manager. She joined the LEAP Team in February as a volunteer.