Professional Credibility – What Brand Are You Creating?

I’ve been thinking a lot about credibility lately.   I feel like it is similar to a company culture.  If you don’t create it, it will happen without your vision/focus. How well are you designing your brand, your reputation, your credibility?

One of the key tenets of credibility is that we are competent in the role we are being judged for.  In other words our expertise is known.  Each of us can be credible in one area of life (it’s easy for me to be a good grandma) while not being credible in another area of life (you DO NOT want me to fix your computer or set up your smart TV).  So, when we want to be credible, as a professional, there are a few things we may want to focus. 

Next, are we seen as having integrity?  In other words, are we viewed as honest and having a strong moral compass?   Transparency and communication goes with integrity, as does apologizing when we hurt someone. 

People also consider our intentions.  Do people believe that we have good intentions for others?  Are we seen as altruistic in our endeavors or are we seen as selfish or self-serving?

People will also determine our credibility by our consistency and how well they can count on us.  Do we say what we are going to do?  Do we deliver a quality product or service?  Can we be counted on to show up, when we commit to being somewhere?   

There’s quite a bit to think about in terms of credibility.  What I’ve been pondering recently is the use of evidence.  In this age of misinformation, disinformation, and AI-generated personas, I think we as professionals will benefit from focusing more time on finding, understanding, evaluating, and applying high quality evidence.  This takes time; it takes a focused approach.  But, how wonderful our reputation will be when we present recommendations based on data, when we challenge workplace discussions that are focusing on opinions without facts, when we design solutions based on the best evidence available.  I think evidence-based decision making is an area we may all want to focus to enhance our credibility, reputation, and professional brand.