The Pursuit of Forgiveness and the Reputation Resiliency it Offers

When a reputation is in crisis, there is tremendous value in pursuing and investing in being granted forgiveness if proving one’s reputation resilient is the objective.

Whether it’s as an individual or an organization, showing greatness in courage, humility, remorse, empathy, compassion and doing what is expected to make a situation ‘right’ is as strategically wise as it is of admirable character.

Yet how many people fully realize they should be working towards forgiveness, the quality kind where a person really means it, which is the kind that lasts? How many people do the work to be given that beautiful medicine for their reputation, if not also their psychology.

Not many.

It’s not an oversight either. It’s a decision, a very poor one.

Getting out of any mindset that says “it’s not necessary” or “I’m not doing that” is expensive thinking of the fool and reveals the lowest-quality decision-making and character.

Some will say I can rebuild my reputation “just fine” without doing the work to be granted forgiveness or that “my reputation is just fine.” Note: those who use this phrase “just fine” in most any situation are engaging in self-deception.

Forgiveness is to reputation resilience what oxygen is to a someone in a smoke-filled room. It’s health. It’s life.

This essay is not a how-to article. Respectfully said, it doesn’t have to be one.

Most people know how what is required to be sufficiently forgiven by others and if they don’t know, there are always people who can help them.

Committing to doing what is expected and necessary to help an aggrieved or harmed party feel you care about the negative impact is an act of wisdom that will help people and organizations alike.

This only can happen however if they care to see the value in it and apply it to their conflicts and crises where their reputation is damaged or in pieces and care enough, long enough to help show people committed levels of humanity.

A resilient reputation is possible. Many choose not to do the work to prove resilient and don’t understand that investing poise, character and persistence into being extended forgiveness is a big catalyst for it.

Michael Toebe is a specialist for reputation, professional relationships communication and wiser crisis management, serving individuals and organizations. He helps people successfully analyze and respond to reputation crisis.

This article first appeared at Red Diamonds Essays (on Medium) on August 24, 2020.