Corve DaCosta – coast to coast ~

Sitting here at home thinking about life, pondering about the next move and the opportunities that will come. However, something happened today and it made me really think about the word ‘reputation.’ In college, students can fool around and get away with it. By that I mean, if you fool around ‘well’, you can still have a great job and command a good salary too. I remember years ago when sex tapes were becoming a trend. A tape was released through hackers with a college couple. Of course, no one cared about the male who was also visibly on camera but more emphasis was placed on the girl. With all the reasons for that, it must be a horrible feeling for your most intimate moment to be seen by hundreds of people and the internet!

In the professional world, you are recognized and are judged by your latest project. People tend to forget what you did years ago but the blunder you created minutes ago will remain fresh in their minds.  Being on the job keeps you on your feet. More than ever, job security is on everyone’s mind; forcing people to be productive and efficient. Having people’s trust is critical because they depend on you not only to perform but to surpass expectations. The mere fact you got the project to work on wasn’t a trial and error judgement, more so, it was a deliberated process (most times) based on your skills and competencies. When someone who entrusted you with a duty and in the middle of it withdraws that responsibility to give someone else, it shows you’re incapable of delivering on what is expected. It is alarming because those who you expected to look up to you and who you wanted to impress will now have second thoughts. Because they had high expectations of you and they are now saying and thinking you are not the ‘big fry’ you claim to be.

Sitting here at home, after a lovely Jamaica meal I think about those who are being referred to others because of their tremendous quality and delivery at what they do. Recently one of my acquaintances was referred to a new project. Although there are options in taking a decision, there are ramifications if you turn down someone’s recommendation, especially if it comes from an esteemed, prominent person.

All we have in our professional life is our ‘reputation’. Without it, it may cost you the next job opportunity. I will encourage employees to start creating a reputation that has hard work and Excellency as its foundation in the workplace. The only thing we can build and hold on to is our own reputation. The next time you get that job/responsibility from your boss, suck it up and complete it with pride and hard work; See the forest not the trees.