We all know how important is to have a good reputation. When it comes to engaging a service provider, finding a doctor or hiring an employee, there’s no substitute for another person’s recommendation. Of course the recommendations we receive are influenced by the reputations of the recommender as well.

All this leads me to opinion. Have one. Make it honest. Make it count. Your reputation stems in part from the quality and accuracy of the opinions you offer about the reputations of others.

There’s a startup here in Seattle which once flew high but now flies much lower. They raised a lot of money, spent it, retooled a number of times and now are trying to find their way again. Coincidentally I know two men who previously worked at this startup. From time to time I’ll run into a candidate, now interested in blist, who also worked at the startup. I’ll do what I normally do and I’ll see who I know who knows the candidate. I’ll ask these two their opinions of the candidate. One is frank, sincere, genuine and supports his opinion with supporting anecdotes and information. The other offers the same bland position for each candidate. “Oh, he was a great guy. You’d love him. Fun in the office. Great guy.”

The candid opinions shared by the one man has boosted his reputation in my mind. I trust his recommendations. The other has diluted his own reputation by offering only vague opinions.

When someone asks for your opinion, consider the impact on your own reputation by providing as thoughtful an opinion as you can.