Academy Award winning film producer Ron Howard has his own way of getting some perspective on himself. He says, “Every experience takes you to another place. And, you discover something wonderful or troubling about yourself as you go along. I feel it’s important every so often to ask, ‘How am I doing?'”

How do you get that perspective? Reputations are stories others tell about us. These stories take on a life of their own. Rumors or anecdotes that are told about you enhance or limit your career opportunities. The further removed people are from firsthand experience of your performance, the more their assessments are based on your reputation. Remember, if you don’t manage your reputation, other people will.

Consider these questions to help grow your reputation self awareness.

• Who are two to three people in your organization who have power over your reputation?
• If you asked these people to describe your abilities, what would they say are your most valuable strengths?
• What would these people say are the ‘flip side’ of your strengths – or your major vulnerabilities?
• What would you like these people to say that would help advance and grow your career?

If you can’t answer, ask. Go ahead, do it now. No news is not good news. It’s no news.

This blog post is based on concepts from CareerPower™ 3.0.