I am in a situation where I have figured out the mistakes that held me back. How do I fix my reputation? Take a step down and show humility or start fresh at a step up position? And kill it?

likesmartupliftinghelpful
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I do not recommend any steps down. I have done that, and set myself back by a few years. Maybe a fresh start at a similar level elsewhere?

likesmartuplifting

Agreed!! The few times I’ve made a step down brought a much bigger set back than just being more patient and moving to the same level elsewhere...

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Mend fences where you can. Show people you’ve changed by your actions. Move to another office and turn over new leaf.

People aren’t thinking about you as much as you think. It’s definitely possible to salvage and grow and rebuild your reputation. But only actions and behaviors will do that. Not words.

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#truth! (And good luck!)

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same level or up. never down.

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Just should have yielded when new management came in. Should have insisted I had more staff. Should have left instead of tried to stay—and defend. It all back fired. Point is my reputation has suffered. I am not being given a second chance. Other stuff too. I see how I could have made the work better. I learned a lot from it. Feel misunderstood, but feel maybe the best thing is to move on.

likesmart

VP OP, what happened?

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This is a very political business and sometimes bad things happen and sometimes everything gets messy. You can’t prevent that. And you can’t redo or undo the past. As with a lot of life, sometimes we just need to acknowledge the messiness, feel some pain and then move on. Don’t torture yourself. The world is very forgiving. And when it’s not forgiving, at least it’s forgetful.

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Thank you. Yes, I hired a career coach after this episode.

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I hold things against people who are rude or inconsiderate, everything else is part of the industry. Accepting and owning mistakes is usually a good sign of work ethic, so there’s that as well :)

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Three Hail Marys. Four Our Fathers.

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This happened to me, so I get your situation. Leave the organization and put it behind you. I did and i didn’t have to step back from my level. Move on and learn from it. Agency world is small. But not small enough that everyone will know you got a scarlet letter.

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Clean up your messes with people you think you need to. People will accept change. Then show up as the person you want to be and be consistent. If you have burned too many bridges where you are then find nee gig and show up every day as your best self. Time heals all things. But clean up your messes no matter what. A I’m sorry goes a long way.

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Good luck! Everyone trips sometime and isn’t their best self. How you recover from it is sometimes more important than the incident.

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Learn and grow from your past mistakes. Make a plan and stick to it. And kick ass at your next job!

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It’s okay to make mistakes. Learn from them and keep on moving forward. You will be fine. Don’t punish yourself by going back but do always have a “beginner mind” to be open to learning. Bouncing back is the way to win this thing called life.

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I’m having a hard time understanding how these mistakes have held you back if you are now getting a promotion in the new job? It sounds like you more want to change the way people at the current place think of you and somehow stepping down there is a way to do that?
Move on.
You may never win back the people who don’t like you now but you can make new allies at the new place if you have learned from your mistakes. And just be gracious and kind to your former colleagues going forward.

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Acknowledging and learning from mistakes takes courage. If you stay, focus on humility and change, then those mistakes will become a distant memory for most everyone over time. If you go elsewhere it’s a great interview discussion if they ask about your biggest mistakes and what you’ve learned. Knowing you’ve already made those mistakes might be a big plus in choosing you for a job

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I’ve taken a step down and it was fine. But you need to be really sure of it so you don’t get frustrated. And yes, never underestimate the power of fresh starts.

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Own it. Use it to your advantage. Lead with it in new job interviews (when they ask why you are looking). Tell them about what the experience has taught you and let them know that you’re hungry to apply all that you learned. Being humble, honest, and forthright about the situation will not only get you where you want to be, but will likely get you out from feeling the disappointment you’re feeling. If they hire you with knowing about it, it means they value your experience, learning, and growth.

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Gotcha and agree with the worldview

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No need to take a step down. We all stumble. Just show up consistently as the person you want to be. The right people will take note. The rest don’t matter.

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Ok. Up it is. Does the industry inherently know that shit happens and if you can pull yourself up and make it work at a higher level that you’ve fixed your shit. Losing some sleep here. I am my worst critic.

Too much context missing. I can see how it may make sense to you since you know the full story but no idea without knowing your situation what to advise. In general terms, it's great to know you are self aware and able to take responsibility as well as work in improving yourself. Focus on that and on moving forward however incrementally that may be. Change takes time and space. Have a plan and stick to it 👊

likesmarthelpful

Is this a big market, small market? Does anyone else need to know what happened? This is a pretty understanding business. Urgent need for staff and a decent resume usually sell it... unless it’s a situation where everyone knows everyone.

Your honesty is so refreshing!

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