Imagine you are not in a room, what will people say about you? The real test is what people talk about you when you are NOT around. This is your reputation.

Here is how it ripples through your career and life.

When you are known as someone who is ‘Always on time’, people around you will give you a time and almost be certain you will be there. They will make an effort on their end to keep their commitment with you. Essentially, your reputation will save you from waiting in a restaurant by yourself and wasting your precious time.

When you are known as someone who is ‘Non-responsive‘, people around you will leave you a message or send you an email and would never expect a response from you. Eventually, they will never write to you thinking you are not interested. One possible outcome is that they will never respond back to any requests you make. This will add a lot of delay in anything you are trying to achieve.

Learning to respect other people’s request and coordinating actions will give you an advantage in the long-term. So, the real question is “How do people know you?”