Steps to Rebuild A Negative Reputation

Moorelands Kids understands that sometimes things happen: we make mistakes or wrong choices and forget to think about the consequences! Thankfully, it doesn’t have to end there. Here are some steps to rebuild a negative reputation in your community. After all, character counts!

Moorelands Community Code – KNOW, GROW & SHOW

At Moorelands Kids, we want to be a community that knows, grows and shows! Reflecting on these elements is the beginning of rebuilding a negative reputation. What does this look like?

To Know: What are your intentions?—at Moorelands Kids, we know that we want to keep everyone safe and provide opportunities for youth to be empowered in their knowledge, skills and character. Knowing your intentions for the future is a crucial first step.

To Grow: How can you grow so that your intentions are successful?— Moorelands Kids fosters the growth of future leaders and change-makers by cultivating positiveHabits and Qualities in all of our programs. Once you know your intentions for the future, it’s all about growing and making a positive impact on both yourself and those around you.

To Show: How can you show that you have grown?—At Moorelands, camp leaders recognize when campers are growing and strive to reinforce such growth with positivity. We want every participant in our programs to shine, and show-off how they have reached their goals.

Practical steps to rebuilding a negative reputation:

Reflecting on one’s community sets the foundation for rebuilding a bad reputation. Forbes has created a list of steps to rebuild a negative reputation, which we have reshaped to fit you! Consider some of the following practical steps to establish a positive reputation in your community.

STEP 1: HONESTY

First, you have to be honest with yourself and others. Being honest means aligning your actions in a truthful way as well. Truthfulness is crucial to foster positive relationships with others. Honesty means being genuine and sincere to those around you. (https://yurtsofamerica.com/)

What does this look like? Simply, honesty is a two-part process. It is telling the truth to yourself and others about what you did wrong (truthful words) and then doing the right thing about it (truthful actions). If you’re already reading this article, chances are you’ve already begun the process!

STEP 2: APOLOGIZE

Building from truthful words, truthful actions should follow. Apologizing is a crucial step to rebuilding a negative reputation—it’s an action that says to others, “I am guilty and I regret what I’ve done.” Furthermore, apologizing shows others that you are taking responsibility.

Click here for some extra tools you can use to apologize.

STEP 3: FIND THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM

Apologizing means taking responsibility. Part of this is to find out why things happened the way they did; in other words, figure out the cause of the problem. When you can figure out what went wrong, you decrease the chances of doing it again. This is part of the growing process!

Finding the root of the problem also allows you to increase your emotional intelligence. You reflect what happened in the past and what you can do differently in the future. This is necessary to build a good reputation and grow in leadership. Understanding what emotional intelligence is may be your first step to finding the root of the problem.

STEP 4: ACTION STEPS

You might find that your responses are related to trauma, or Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). In those cases, your action steps require seeking help from a professional. Even if that is not the case, you can still seek help from a variety of places— like Moorelands Kids!

Creating action steps may look like…

• being realistic! Write down goals that you can achieve. This may require you to make some SMART goals;
• asking for feedback! For example, ask others how you can rebuild your reputation and for any advice they may have;
• surrounding yourself with community and care! You can’t grow alone, after all;
• and being trustworthy! This is often reflected by sticking to your word; show up when you said you would, keep promises you said you would keep, and be honest with your words and actions.

STEP 5: LET IT GO

Put the past in the past. If you’ve done the previous steps to rebuild a negative reputation, then sometimes the best thing to do is let it go. If you dwell on it for too long, it may consume you in a way that is unhealthy and detrimental to you and those around you. No one is perfect!

With these tips in mind, you will be on your way to developing positive, healthy habits in no time!

by Angel Persaud and Kyle Dedecker