Warren Buffet once said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.” Being found guilty of a white-collar crime could ruin not just your personal reputation, but your business’s reputation, too.
While a bad reputation won’t necessarily preclude future success (as some people with awful reputations do very well in business), it’s unlikely to help. Here are some steps to consider if you need to rebuild your reputation:
Don’t make it worse
Responding angrily to a social media post or in-person comment about your situation won’t make it go away. It could do more damage to your brand, though.
Set realistic goals
You probably should not aim for a miraculous redemption. Instead, think about how you can slowly improve things and make the best of a bad situation. Some people may never want to work with you again, but others may eventually come around.
You also need to realize that a lot depends on your line of business and what the charges are. In some cases, the broken trust may mean you are better off switching industries altogether.
Accept that you can’t control everything
Are you willing to be the focus of office gossip wherever you go for the next few years? It’s not pleasant, but you cannot control what others say about you. You could also choose to give people something else to gossip about by becoming such a success that people are so busy talking about the things you achieve they forget your encounter with the law.
Of course, the best way to rebuild your brand is to avoid conviction with a robust defense that lets people know the accusations were unfounded. Learning the options that could help you achieve this is a good first step to take.