Your reputation isn’t random—it’s the result of deliberate actions. This chapter helps you decide how you want to be known, and how to build that presence.
Output: Strategic visibility plan (internal + external actions)
Your strategic reputation is something that you can think of as personal branding. And a lot of marketing gurus talk about personal branding, about creating a brand where people walk into the room and they know it's you. And that sounds really confusing, but the easiest thing is just to say, "What do I want to be known as? What do people say about me when I'm not there?" And it's often very difficult to know what people say about you when you're not there. So the easiest thing you can do is just to ask people. Because people, honestly, people who will give you honest opinions back and say to them, "What do people say about me? What do people think about me? How am I seen by others?" And that's a good way to know what your reputation is. And reputation is something that you can keep, but it's something that is very easy to lose. So you always need to be thinking about decisions that you make and thinking about how they tie back into your reputation. So one thing that's very important as we keep going on about is creating content. And creating content comes in many forms. And the one way is the social media world, obviously. And then there are other ways to create content. Create content as internal as in your job, it's in your studies. But it's also in your interaction with people. When you're speaking to people, you are creating between the two of you. You are having a presentation, basically. And that's your reputation. And that's something that you need to think about strategically. And there are different ways to craft your strategic reputation, which we will go into.
Here are some ways that you can practice strategic reputation.
A project manager can build a strategic reputation through several key approaches:
Deliver consistent results. Focus on meeting deadlines, staying within budget, and achieving project objectives. Track and communicate your success metrics clearly to stakeholders. Consistency builds trust and reliability over time.
Master stakeholder communication. Develop strong relationships across all levels of the organization. Be proactive in providing updates, transparent about challenges, and skilled at translating technical details for different audiences. Your ability to keep everyone aligned becomes a valuable asset.
Become a problem-solver. Position yourself as someone who doesn't just escalate issues but comes with solutions. When challenges arise, present options with your recommended approach. This demonstrates strategic thinking beyond just task management.
Develop expertise in specific domains or methodologies. Whether it's agile transformation, digital projects, or industry-specific work, having a specialty makes you the go-to person for certain types of initiatives. This creates demand for your skills.
Build cross-functional relationships. Cultivate connections beyond your immediate team. Understanding how different departments operate and having allies across the organization expands your influence and opens doors to higher-visibility projects.
Document and share lessons learned. Create processes, templates, and best practices that benefit the broader organization. Contributing to institutional knowledge positions you as a strategic thinker who improves overall capabilities.
Seek high-impact projects. Volunteer for initiatives that align with organizational priorities or executive visibility. Successfully managing strategic projects puts you on leadership's radar and demonstrates your ability to handle important work.
Mentor others and share knowledge. Teaching project management skills to others establishes you as a leader in the field and builds a network of advocates throughout the organization.
The key is being intentional about these efforts while maintaining authenticity in how you approach your work and relationships.