Thanks to technology, our private lives are less private.
While many of us seem to be OK with this, there is a potential price to pay.
With more and more companies worrying about their professional reputation, they are actively delving into the lives of their existing – and potential – employees … making sure the way they conduct themselves out of work reflects the values of how they should be acting when they are inside work.
While we can talk about whether a company has any right to demand how an individual behaves is open to debate, but what is certain is our personal and professional reputation is now constantly being viewed and reviewed by those around us and if you want any chance of continually moving forward in life, you have to be conscious of what reaction your actions may have on that.
Let me tell you a story …
A few weeks ago, I was staying in a hotel in Germany.
It was a fancy-pants hotel, with the room overlooking a central garden.
Imagine my surprise when I looked out the window and saw this …
Yes, that’s a man.
A man who is walking around his room.
A man who is walking around his room, naked.
A man who is walking around his room naked with the curtains open.
He was like this for bloody ages and yet, when he saw me trying to take a photograph of him, he acted shocked [not shocked enough to put on his clothes though] when he was the one who knowingly poncing around his hotel room with his unimpressive penis on display.
Look, I get when you have travelled a long way, you just want to get into your hotel room and let your metaphorical hair down … but making everyone complicit in your actions is a bit mean.
Maybe I should give lessons on hotel etiquette …
You might be wondering what gives me the right to do that, well let me tell you why.
About a year ago, after an extraordinarily long day, I finally got to my hotel room and just wanted to relax.
Problem was, a very dear friend of mine was leaving Wieden and I had to send in my leaving ‘video’ that night.
Did I send my message while standing naked in front of a window?
No …
As you can see from the photo below, I found a way to balance the need to chillax after a long day of work with a sense of professional decorum towards my friend and fellow hotel guests.
I have created a 5 step ‘reputation training program’ to help any individual or hotel group who is interested in knowing how to best handle these situations in ways that balances self expression with managing a strong corporate image.
All at very reasonable prices.
You’re welcome.