Here's how to rebuild your reputation

Have you, like Miley Cyrus, wrecked your reputation? Here’s how to rebuild it
Once a teen sensation as Hannah Montana, Miley Cyrus drew unprecedented criticism and ridicule on the Internet for her disastrous grind-and-bump act at a music awards show this week. Memes with images of Cyrus went viral barely hours after her video was put up by popular aggregator sites.The massive hit her image has taken can be gauged by how even her fans have expressed shock at her raunchy performance. Cyrus may have gone too far, but what it proves is that one wrong move in the public eye can damage your hard-earned reputation. Here is how you can repair and rebuild it.
Damage control
Image consultant Vandita Singh says when you behave inappropriately at work or over-react, it’s usually your unchecked frustration that triggers the outburst. “You may be deeply upset over something, or may be suffering from low self-esteem. Such feelings may erupt in ways that could cause a serious dent to your image.” Singh marks an important distinction: “Your image has a lot more to do with your personality than with your appearance.”
To maintain your reputation, you need to actively work at it. Your colleagues may not point it out when you err, but your reputation starts to suffer. One classic sign of tarnished image is when you are not seen as a priority in team meetings or recognised for your efforts. But you can easily rectify that. “You must make an honest assessment of your behaviour. Talking about the incident to someone close is a great way to start reflecting. But to get rid of your guilt and feel free to reflect, you need to apologise,” Singh says. Apologising fast also helps because the longer you wait for people to make a judgment against you, the worse it will get.
Righting wrongs
Don’t deny your actions, because when your image is hurt, your believability is too. Further, being in denial mode makes it tougher for the person to forgive you and move on. Corporate trainer Suhail Gupta says, “Everybody makes mistakes. It’s what you do next that matters. You should be willing to learn from them. When you goof up, people form perceptions. The trick is to break those perceptions. Since that doesn’t happen overnight, you need to be persistent and keep conveying your point of view. That said, the more you dwell on a situation, the more damaging it is for you. Once you have apologised and clarified, move on.”
By the same logic, when you repeat a mistake, your bad reputation gets cemented. So if you yell at your colleague more than once, be ready to be certified as a jerk. “If you go out with colleagues, get drunk and misbehave, you need to apologise first thing in the morning, or else you won’t get the benefit of doubt,” Gupta says.
Redemption card
The smartest way to restore your good name is by doing good work and turning tables on your misery. Until last July, fans of Hollywood star Christian Bale loved him for his Batman act in the Dark Knight movies, but many also loathed him for his notorious temper that even had him arrested for allegedly assaulting his mother and sister. Yet, soon after the Colorado shooting that occurred during his movie’s premiere, Bale won over sceptics by meeting the victims’ families without causing a buzz — the media wasn’t informed and he turned down interviews. The media and the public were united in their appreciation of Bale’s heartfelt gesture.