even friends and family members for honest feedback. “A good rep is priceless,” says Dalton. She once sent a letter to friends asking for an honest assessment of her strengths and weaknesses. One question she asked was “What are three things you would change about me?”
Watch out for reputation killers. At the top of the list is gossip. “It’s just simply not the kind of behavior that professionals exhibit,” says Dalton. “It takes two to gossip — one to talk and one to listen. And if you’re interested in building a good reputation, you shouldn’t be in either category.”