To be successful at work, it’s important to have credibility. Your managers and coworkers need to trust you, value your ideas, and have confidence in your abilities.

So what should you do if you lack credibility? Well, don’t despair! With time and effort, you can earn your coworkers’ respect and trust. Here are a few ways to go about it:

  • Do what you say you’re going to do – Do the work that you say you’re going to do, and get it done on time. If you do this consistently, your managers and coworkers will realize that they can rely on you.
  • Have empathy – To be credible, it’s not enough to just do good work. You also need to be able to connect with your coworkers, listen to them, and be sympathetic and supportive when they’re having problems.
  • If you make a mistake, admit it – Don’t try to hide your mistake or shift the blame onto someone else. If you’re honest and you admit your mistake right away, people will respect you for it.
  • If you don’t know the answer to a question, admit it – Don’t try to make something up. You might end up being wrong, and when people find out, it will put a serious dent in your credibility. Instead, just tell people when you don’t know something. It’s OK to not have all the answers.
  • Keep your coworkers’ secrets – If a coworker tells you something in confidence, don’t tell other people. Your coworkers need to know that you’re trustworthy, and that they can safely confide in you.
  • Don’t let your feelings cloud your judgment – If someone criticizes your work or your ideas, don’t get angry. Instead, calmly evaluate what the person has said, and see if it has merit. Similarly, if you’re working with a coworker that you don’t get along with, and that coworker offers an opinion, don’t immediately discount it. Try to be objective and give all suggestions fair consideration.

 

Green, A. (2009, June 22). How to build credibility at work. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved from http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2009/06/22/how-to-build-credibility-at-work

 

Jacobs, D. L. (2011, November 22). Boost your credibility at work. Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/deborahljacobs/2011/11/22/how-to-boost-your-credibility-at-work/#2548349c3de3