This week is about reputation because when you see enough executive search up close, you realise reputation carries a lot of weight. Probably more weight than you can imagine.
Do people even know you exist?
If so, is it for good or bad reasons?
And what are those reasons?
Whether it’s formal referencing (the names you’ve given us) or informal (back channelling), your reputation can nudge you into pole position for a life-changing role. Or it can cut you from a process in a split second.
That’s how much your reputation can matter.
I recently did a podcast with Fitwise after they asked me to be their first ever guest, and I said something on it that I fundamentally believe:
“You can tick every other box, but if your reputation isn’t strong, things can fall apart very quickly.” - Me, on the Fitwise Podcast, Episode 001
I see it all the time when I’m hiring CEOs, GMs, Sporting Directors, Head Coaches. There’s a brilliant CV, they’ve got famous names for references on there, on paper their track record of success is pretty solid, they nail the first interview, energy is high, they clearly want the job. Then the client makes one casual phone call. ‘Have you heard of…?’ And that changes everything.
The reverse is also true. Someone who wasn’t on the list gets a call because three different people mentioned their name and they were willing to vouch for them.
Only part of that comes from a job title or whether you deliver your KPIs. It largely comes from how you show up, day in, day out, and how you make people feel along the way.
Question 006
What do you want to be known for, beyond your job title?
On your own?
Give this one some thought on the drive home tonight. Maybe write it down in one sentence and sleep on it. Maybe you’ve got a few things that melt together, that’s fine, treat yourself to a few. Then ask yourself honestly if the last month backs it up. Are you behaving and being what you’re hoping to be known for?
Want to use this one with your team?
You have a few options here:
Everyone writes theirs down before anyone speaks, then read them out one-by-one.
Try my favourite, which we’ve done at Bloom a few times now: get into pairs, and each of you shares one thing you appreciate the other person for and why, then rotate around. Write down the themes and consistent messages. Did they map to what you hoped for yourself, maybe some surprises, anything you hoped to hear that you didn’t?
Once you’ve explored it as individuals, what about your department or organisation? What do you want to be known for as a collective?
If you got this far, thank you. See you next week.
P.S. Here’s a recap to see and access the previous five questions:
001: What did we promise to do differently this season that’s already slipping?
002: What would a new person notice in their first week that the rest of us have stopped seeing?
003: What have you said about your team that you’ve never said to them?
004: What are you carrying outside the job, because of the job?