Your reputation at work

Do you know what reputation you have at work? 

Will it help you get to where you want to go? 

I ask because I think as junior lawyers we build a certain reputation, but I’ve seen it start to backfire on women once they reach a certain level. 

Here’s the thing I want you to watch out for. 

Be careful of just being seen as ‘reliable’ or a ‘safe pair of hands’ or a ‘hard worker’. 

I hear this A LOT from my clients. 

I’ve also been there myself. And if I’m honest, it felt great hearing that feedback.  

It felt great because I’d been told a million times as a junior lawyer that those were the MOST AMAZING qualities ever known to mankind. ☺ 

There’s also a layer of socialisation as women, where being reliable or a team player is seen as very worthy and important.  

And here’s the problem….

In the legal industry, your job description changes as you get more senior.  

Reliable and hard-working may be awesome for a while, but at some point… the qualities of a leader and partner / business owner become more valuable.

Look - I’m not saying stomp all over your current reputation. But worth thinking about what reputation will get to the next level - and whether your time is being well spent. 

How will you need to show-up differently to build a reputation as someone …

• skilled at developing client relationships
• focussed on team building and performance
• known and respected in the firm / industry
• good at making business decisions
• etc. etc. ? 

Not always easy (for you or for them…) to make the shift. 

But just remember....

The reputation that got you here, won’t always get you ‘there’. 

I know this can be a hard shift to make when you’ve been focussed so hard, for so long, on showing up in a certain way. If you’d like some help, just CLICK HERE to jump on a free consult with me. We’ll chat through your situation together and I’ll give you some guidance on how to start making the shift.