2. Communicating Our Multiple Selves: How to Effectively Manage Your Reputation

Summary

In the 'Think Fast Talk Smart' podcast, Matt Abrahams and Alison Kluger discuss the nuances of reputation and its management. Kluger, a former TV and radio producer and expert in digital media, emphasizes that a good reputation is like currency, beneficial before and after one's presence. She suggests that awareness, consistency, and being a conscientious content creator are key to shaping one's reputation. Trust, warmth, and competence are highlighted as essential for effective communication. The conversation also touches on the importance of authenticity and strategic behavior in both personal and professional settings.

Takeaways

• 😀 Reputation is defined as the 'echo' that precedes and remains after you in a room, signifying the impressions you make on others.
• 💼 A strong reputation is like currency, working in your favor before you even enter a room and influencing how people perceive you.
• 🔍 Awareness is crucial in managing your reputation; it's about being conscious of first impressions, presence, and consistency in how you present yourself.
• 🛠️ You can change your reputation; it's fluid and requires reevaluation and strategic actions if you find a mismatch between your intentions and perceptions.
• 🌐 Consistency in behavior and communication helps in curating your values and maintaining a positive reputation, especially in the digital age.
• 🤝 Trust is a significant component of reputation, and it can be built or repaired through expertise, empathy, commitment, and transparency.
• 🏥 The Tylenol crisis of the 1980s is an example of a company effectively using the Trust Radar to manage a reputation crisis by being transparent and committed.
• 🌡️ Balancing warmth and competence is vital for executive presence; being solely data-driven can come off as arrogant, while too much warmth without substance can seem insubstantial.
• 📈 Authenticity in communication is key, as it helps in building trust and making a connection with the audience, as exemplified by admired communicators like Tyra Banks and Michelle Obama.
• 📝 The successful communication recipe includes knowing your audience (AIM), understanding your intent, and crafting a clear and concise message.
• 🎯 The importance of dealing with situations effectively, as it's not what happens but how you respond that defines your character and reputation.

Q & A

What is the definition of reputation according to Alison Kluger?

Alison Kluger defines reputation as the echo that precedes you into a room and the echo that remains after you leave.

Why is it important to manage our reputation?

Managing our reputation is important because a good reputation acts like currency, working for us even before we enter a room, and influencing how people perceive us.

How can we ensure that our reputation matches our intentions?

To ensure our reputation matches our intentions, we need to be conscious of how we enter a room, make first impressions, and how present we are during discussions, showing up consistently as who we are.

What is the significance of being consistent in building a reputation?

Consistency is significant in building a reputation because it allows people to understand what you stand for and curate your values, which helps in avoiding fixed biases or negative perceptions.

What are some actions we can take to communicate the reputation we want others to see us having?

Actions to communicate the desired reputation include being mindful of first impressions, being present during interactions, showing up consistently, and curating your values to let people know what you stand for.

How does the concept of 'trust radar' relate to reputation management?

The 'trust radar' concept, from the book 'Reputation Rules' by Dearneyer, suggests that trust can be built or repaired through four elements: expertise, empathy, commitment, and transparency, all of which are crucial for reputation management.

Can you provide an example of a company that effectively managed a reputation crisis?

Johnson & Johnson's response to the Tylenol crisis in the 1980s is an example of effective reputation management. They demonstrated transparency, commitment, expertise, and developed new tamper-free packaging to regain trust.

What is the balance between warmth and competence in building a reputation?

The balance between warmth and competence is essential in building a reputation because being only data-driven can come off as arrogant, while being only warm can seem insubstantial. A mix of both makes one likable and trustworthy.

How does social media impact the management of our reputations in today's digital age?

Social media impacts reputation management by creating multiple instances of ourselves that others can view and judge. It requires us to be more mindful and strategic about the content we post and how it aligns with the reputation we want to build.

What advice does Alison Kluger give for dealing with situations that could impact our reputation?

Alison Kluger advises that it's not what happens that defines you, but how you choose to deal with it. She emphasizes turning potentially negative situations into moments of triumph or valuable learning experiences.

What are the three key ingredients Alison Kluger believes go into a successful communication recipe?

Alison Kluger believes the three key ingredients for successful communication are audience, intent, and message. Understanding your audience, being clear on your intent, and delivering a clear and concise message are crucial for effective communication.

Outlines

00:00

🎙️ Introduction to Reputation Management

Matt Abrahams, a strategic communication lecturer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business, introduces the podcast 'Think Fast, Talk Smart' with a focus on reputation. He is joined by Alison Kluger, a fellow lecturer and expert in digital media and reputation management. They discuss the importance of reputation and the actions one can take to shape how others perceive them. Kluger emphasizes the fluidity of reputation and the importance of awareness, first impressions, and consistency in building a positive echo that precedes and follows an individual in various settings.

05:00

🔍 Understanding and Building Reputation

Alison Kluger explains that a reputation is like an echo that precedes and remains after an individual in a room, serving as a form of currency that can work in one's favor. She discusses the importance of being a conscientious content creator, both online and in person, and the need for consistency in actions and values to build a strong reputation. Kluger also touches on the balance between trust and warmth in creating a positive executive presence, using the example of the Tylenol crisis to illustrate how trust can be built through transparency, commitment, and expertise.

10:02

🌟 Authenticity and the Importance of Executive Presence

The conversation delves into the concepts of trust, warmth, and competence as key elements in building a reputation. Kluger discusses the 'Trust Radar' from the book 'Reputation Rules' and how it can be applied to reputation crises. She also highlights the importance of authenticity and being comfortable with being uncomfortable, as well as the need to balance warmth with competence to avoid coming off as arrogant or unsubstantial. The discussion includes admiration for communicators like Tyra Banks and Michelle Obama for their authenticity, vulnerability, and ability to connect with audiences.

📝 Crafting a Successful Communication Strategy

In the final paragraph, Kluger shares her communication advice, emphasizing the importance of being comfortable with discomfort. She also discusses her admiration for communicators who are authentic and aware of their audience, such as Tyra Banks and Michelle Obama. The conversation concludes with the key ingredients for successful communication: knowing your audience, understanding your intent, and crafting a clear and concise message. The podcast episode wraps up with a reminder of the importance of reputation and the value of the insights shared by the guests.

Keywords

💡Reputation

Reputation is defined in the script as the 'echo that precedes you into a room and the echo that remains after you leave.' It is a reflection of how others perceive you and is likened to currency, as it can work in your favor before you even interact with others. The script emphasizes the importance of managing one's reputation to ensure it aligns with the image one wishes to project.

💡Strategic Communication

Strategic Communication is the focus of the podcast and is taught at Stanford's Graduate School of Business. It involves the deliberate and thoughtful process of conveying messages to achieve specific goals. In the script, Alison Kluger and Matt Abrahams discuss how to use communication to shape and manage one's reputation effectively.

💡Awareness

Awareness, as discussed in the script, is the recognition and understanding of one's actions and their impact on others' perceptions. It is crucial for managing one's reputation, as it involves being conscious of first impressions, presence during interactions, and consistency in behavior, which helps in building a positive and intentional image.

💡Authenticity

Authenticity refers to being genuine and true to oneself. In the context of the script, it is highlighted as a key component of effective communication and reputation management. Authenticity helps in building trust and rapport with others, as exemplified by the admiration for Tyra Banks and Michelle Obama, who are noted for their realness and values-driven communication.

💡Trust

Trust is a fundamental aspect of reputation, as explained through the 'Trust Radar' concept in the script. It involves four elements: expertise, empathy, commitment, and transparency. The script uses the Tylenol crisis example to illustrate how a company can build trust by being transparent, committed, and expert in its response to a crisis.

💡Warmth

Warmth, in the script, is juxtaposed with competence to describe the balance needed in communication. It refers to the approachability and relatability of a communicator. The script suggests that warmth, when balanced with competence, makes a communicator more likable and trustworthy, thereby enhancing their reputation.

💡Competence

Competence, as discussed in the script, is the demonstration of skill, knowledge, and ability in one's field. It is one half of the warmth and competence balance, which is essential for a strong reputation. Competence without warmth can come off as arrogant, while warmth without competence can seem insubstantial.

💡Consistency

Consistency is the theme of being reliable and uniform in behavior, messaging, and actions. In the script, it is emphasized as a key to building and maintaining a positive reputation. Being consistent in what one stands for and how one presents oneself helps in curating a clear and predictable image to others.

💡Executive Presence

Executive Presence is the ability to project confidence, poise, and the capacity to lead. In the script, it is tied to the balance of warmth and competence. A strong executive presence is indicative of a good reputation, as it suggests that the individual is both capable and approachable.

💡Digital Media

Digital Media is the modern platform for communication and self-expression, which plays a significant role in shaping one's online reputation. The script mentions Alison Kluger's expertise in this area, highlighting the importance of being a 'conscientious content creator' in managing one's digital footprint.

💡Crisis Management

Crisis Management refers to the strategies and actions taken to handle and mitigate the impact of negative events or crises. The script discusses the Tylenol example to illustrate effective crisis management, which includes transparency, commitment, and expertise, ultimately contributing to the repair and maintenance of reputation.

Highlights

Reputation defined as the echo that precedes and remains after an individual in a room, signifying its importance as social currency.

The impact of a good reputation on predisposition towards an individual before they even speak.

The concept of reputation management as a fluid process that can change over time and with conscious effort.

Importance of awareness and consistency in building and maintaining a positive reputation.

Strategic actions to take for managing one's reputation, including being a conscientious content creator.

The role of first impressions and presence in shaping how one is perceived by others.

Advice on being mindful of one's online reputation and the content one posts.

The Trust Radar model by Dearneyer, emphasizing the four elements of trust: expertise, empathy, commitment, and transparency.

The Tylenol crisis example illustrating effective use of the Trust Radar to manage reputation during a crisis.

The balance between warmth and competence as key to a strong executive presence.

Authenticity in communication as a means to build trust and rapport with an audience.

The challenges of managing reputations in the digital age, with the prevalence of social media.

Advice for dealing with negative events by focusing on response rather than the event itself.

The significance of being comfortable with being uncomfortable as a communicator.

Admiration for Tyra Banks and Michelle Obama as communicators who exemplify authenticity, warmth, and competence.

The three key ingredients for successful communication: audience, intent, and message.

The importance of knowing your audience and having a clear intent and message for effective communication.

The podcast's conclusion emphasizing the lasting impact of the conversation on reputation management.

Transcripts

[Music]

hello i'm matt abrahams i teach

strategic communication at stanford's

graduate school of business

welcome to think fast talk smart the

podcast

for many of us thinking about how others

see us preoccupies a lot of our time and

these thoughts certainly can increase

our anxiety

but exactly what is our reputation and

how do we manage it i'm thrilled to have

my colleague and fellow gsb lecturer

alison kluger here with me to help

better explain what actions we can take

to communicate the reputation we want

others to see us having

alison has an amazing background she

served as a producer for many tv and

radio shows including good morning

america and the view and she is an

expert on digital media at the gsb she

teaches strategic communication as well

as reputation management strategies for

successful communicators alison i can't

tell you how thrilled i am to have you

here today we worked hard to make this

happen and i'm excited to have our

conversation i'd like to start by asking

uh

three background questions for you

first how do you define reputation why

should we worry about it and how do

others come to learn about our

reputations matt i'm thrilled to be here

thank you so much

those are great questions to start with

i always define a reputation

as the echo that precedes you into a

room

and the echo that remains after you

leave

and a great reputation is really like

currency

so if it can do the work for you before

you even enter the room you're on the

winning side so if someone says oh my

god you have to meet matt he is so

thorough he is so good at scheduling

interviews

he always nobody is saying

but right he always makes you feel so

good about yourself by the time you show

up people are already predisposed

to one like you and to listen to you the

other end of the echo when you leave

is kind of the murmurs right oh my god

that was a really great presentation or

he was so funny or she was so intense

whatever it is it's what are they going

to murmur when you leave the room now

you might say well how do you know

it comes back to you someone might say

my friend saw you at this at the speech

that you gave

and i really want to get together to

talk about business

or um oh your reputation proceeds you i

heard that you really know how to

deliver a great presentation it does

come back and then right in the moment

someone might say can i have your

business card can we have lunch can we

have coffee can i introduce you to

someone

so that's the first part about your

question

right i'm curious to know really

how do

we

work to actually build up that echo what

are some of the specific things we can

do when it comes to managing our

reputation is there something around

mindset that we need to think about i

really believe it's about awareness and

the good news is you can change your

reputation it's a very fluid process and

there are times in our career in our

life

where we have to reevaluate who we are

and what we're delivering to the world

you know when you introduced me you you

really hit the nail on the head because

the question about reputation is

is what we're putting out there being

perceived the way we intend

if there's not a match up then you're

kind of in trouble but what you can do

is to be very conscious it's kind of

like what i say for my online digital

class which is be a conscientious

content creator well you have to be

conscious of how you enter a room you

have to be conscious of first

impressions

you have to be conscious of how present

you are when you're discussing things

with somebody do they feel that you're

distracted and looking over their

shoulders see if someone better is

coming in the room

and you also have to be consistent

and show up as who you are

time and time again

so that way even on your online

reputation like if you're posting very

kind of wacky things that aren't

consistent people won't really get a

sense of you and people are so quick to

judge or create a fixed bias or a

negative bias the way you can avoid that

is to let people know what you stand for

continuously

kind of curate

your your values

so it sounds like people need to be very

mindful and thoughtful about

what they want others to think and

perceive of them and and really sit down

and think about in a detailed way here's

how i want people

to see me or here's what i stand for and

then once that's done

what do you recommend people do how do

you how do you then articulate

that do you create some kind of

catch phrase do you find certain

causes to support how does one

demonstrate those values and themes that

they've identified it's a great question

matt i always worry about

saying like what do you really do

because you want to be as authentically

you as possible sure and i do find that

your reputation is defined by others

so i know how i want to be

but if i'm not realizing that people are

getting it that way i want to be someone

who's kind and open-minded and not

judgmental and a really hard worker

and so the you know the way i will know

that i'm doing that is if i'm at work

and i get a review and they say you know

you're doing this right

or if friends say you're like such a

great friend because i can tell you

anything so it's kind of like how do you

live your life and again that word

consistency is really important

if you need to create a new reputation

then i think you need to be more mindful

like let's say you're someone who's

always late

you know why did you look at me when you

said i did not okay you know it's it's a

small thing but then you really have to

you know the buzz is like oh my god you

know we have to call the meeting 10

minutes earlier every time because she's

always late you know how do you change

that kind of reputation you set your

alarm and you get there 10 minutes early

every time so you do have to be very

strategic sometimes but for the really

natural qualities that you have

i think you'll be hearing it

through work and friends

and responses to whatever you're putting

out there

right

i know that

two key concepts that you focus on in

your class and we've talked about this

in lots of situations or this notion of

trust in the balance between warmth and

competence can you tell us more about

these ideas you've mentioned consistency

i'm really curious about trust and

warmth and competence yes trust is a

really big area in in reputation and we

use a book called reputation rules by

dearmeyer and he has something that's

called the trust radar

and i love to use this in fact it's

impossible for me to read the news and

not bring in the trust radar when

something is happening some sort of

reputation crisis

so what this trust radar says is that

there are four elements that are really

important to create trust with people

and to either repair your reputation or

make sure your reputation stays positive

and the four axes are really

expertise

empathy

commitment

and transparency

i'm sure you've heard of this i'm sure a

lot of business students have heard of

the tylenol

episode way back in the 1980s i think

when tainted

oh i love the alliteration

the tampered tainted tylenol

so that's terrific someone was putting

you know cyanide and some tylenol

caplets and

there were deaths and the company

tylenol's company they could have just

said it's up to it's a serial killer

it's not our fault but they did the

absolute opposite they took every bottle

off the shelves they said your safety is

the most important thing

return anything you have will pay it

will pay you back your money and then

they made it instead of like a moment

of disaster they made it a moment of

triumph where they develop new

tamper-free packaging

so what they showed was first of all

they were very transparent they said you

know we don't know what's going on but

we're going to protect you they were

very committed they put their top ceo to

come and give the message out the

expertise was in developing new

packaging

and they were committed to solving this

problem

so on the trust rater they're hitting

everything right

sometimes you see someone who doesn't

respond as well to an emergency they're

kind of like no comment no comment right

that's already breaking the number one

rule of trust just frustrates people

right

so

trust is a really big issue because if i

come to you and i'm expecting something

to and you don't deliver it i'm going to

just reevaluate you in the moment

right right and then the warmth and

competence

that plays into reputation but also

plays into executive presence

which i believe that if you're all data

and you're all kind of

knowledge but without any warmth to

balance it you can come off as arrogant

or know it all or a little poindexter as

we used to say that when we were younger

right and um

and that's not a really great way to be

and also very dry if you're all warmth

then people think oh that person's

really fluffy they don't have no they

have no substance

so i really believe the superpower

is to match warmth and competence

um because people want to like you

and people want to trust you and the

more likeable you are the more amiable

the more you're

kind of aware of how you're coming off

to people

the more people will respond to you in a

positive way so as we

now more and more are struggling with

managing reputations

not just in the physical world but in

the virtual world as well with our

presence and all these social media

tools i look at my teenage children and

and i see how many different instances

of themselves there are we were so lucky

growing up we only had to be who we were

in front of people we really were and

that was hard enough it was hard and so

i'm curious do you have any last bits of

advice or guidance that you provide i do

you know i try to teach this to my kids

we have kids similar ages um the first

thing i say is it's not what happens

it's how you choose to deal with it

because things are going to happen but

it's

it's kind of like it can be the worst

moment of your life or it can be a

moment where you triumph like i said or

you turn it around or you accept it or

you do something of value so don't let

what happens define you let how you

choose to deal with it define you

so i end each one of these with three

questions and i'd love for you i'm i've

been

dying to hear your answers to these

three questions so before we end let me

ask the first here if you were to

capture the best communication advice

you've ever received as a five to seven

word presentation slide title what would

that be i would say

be comfortable with being uncomfortable

there's no way we're all going to be

happy and comfortable 24 hours a day and

to have that expectation is really

selling yourself short

so my second question

and this i'm also really fascinated to

hear your answer and who is a

communicator that you admire and why you

have had such a variety of people you've

interacted with i'm curious to know who

do you admire and why well i can i give

two

for you allison ii nobody else but for

you so much well my first choice is tyra

banks who i teach a course with

because she is someone who is very

underestimated she's started as a

supermodel she's a brilliant

businesswoman

she's a marketing genius

but what i really love about her and

what i've learned about her in the last

kind of three and a half years of

working with her

is that she's very real

and she really has values that she

stands up for and it kind of covers

everything whatever she's talking to you

she's not afraid to be vulnerable she's

not afraid to uncover the warts

that are beneath someone who has a

standard of beauty

and

she's also very free in sharing her

struggles and how you storytell is

really important as a communicator

so that's the real life thing and then

the other person who i just admire so

much is michelle obama when i heard her

speech

when she was campaigning

for hillary i think i think i got chills

i don't think i've ever seen a better

communicated presentation in my entire

life

that's saying something is she's warm

she's real she's strong she's funny

she's uncompromising

and she's inclusive

and she's not at all fabricated like it

comes from her heart and her soul and

you don't you really feel her spirit and

to me

a great communicator someone who's

authentically themselves

and not afraid to show it

and aware of their audience and aware of

you know how they want to change the

world both of those women are phenomenal

communicators and and i think they

represent very well the the concepts

you've talked about in terms of building

trust being authentic warm and also

competent

so my final question for you is what are

the first three ingredients that go into

a successful communication recipe

well you're going to laugh because this

is something you teach but i truly

believe it it's aim it's audience intent

and message

i don't care what whether you're going

to be in a one-on-one meeting or a

presentation or a job interview or

wooing somebody

you need to know your audience

you have to understand where they're

coming from and it's really putting

yourself in someone else's shoes

initially and then what is the intent of

this communication you're having with

them do you want to entertain do you

want to inform do you want to convince

persuade fundraise whatever it is if

you're not certain on your intent your

message will be confusing and then

finally how do you message

messaging clearly and succinctly and

repeating your message and having it as

a strong opening and a strong closing so

that's the last thing they remember

so aim audience intent and message your

aim has clearly hit the target today

allison i i've thoroughly enjoyed uh

speaking with you your reputation

preceded you and you've only confirmed

it and and i love this notion of

reputation being the echo that comes

before and after and i i hope our

conversation today will echo for

everybody who's listened it certainly

will echo for me thank you so much so

much matt and i look forward to future

collaborations and learning uh as always

from you thank you

thanks for joining us for another

episode of think fast talk smart the

podcast produced by stanford

university's graduate school of business

for more information and episodes visit

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