Early in my career, I was labelled as “too serious and not fun.” The toughest part? They weren’t entirely wrong. I showed up to meetings with one goal: to focus on the work. I believed professionalism meant keeping a certain distance, separating the personal from the professional. Unfortunately, that label stuck with me, influencing how people saw me long after I had walked out of the room.

Then something shifted. A mentor who cared enough to give me honest feedback made me realise that professionalism and strong performance do not exclude building authentic relationships. You can be competent, reliable, and results-driven while also being approachable, supportive, and yes—even fun.

But here’s the truth: labels don’t fade quickly. Once they’re attached to you, they take deliberate effort, consistency, and time to reshape.

I had to become intentional about how I showed up. I worked on developing my emotional intelligence, began to show curiosity about other people genuinely, and learned to bring more warmth and lightness into my interactions.

The change didn’t happen overnight. It took years of small, consistent actions before people started to see me differently. Slowly, colleagues began including me in different conversations, seeking my perspective beyond just the technical or task-related.

One day, someone even described me as having “good positive energy,” a phrase I never thought would be associated with me.

This experience taught me two things:

1. Labels are influential. They can define you in ways you don’t always control.
2. You can influence and reshape those perceptions—but it takes time, self-awareness, and persistence.

So, here’s the reflection: if someone described you in three words today, what would they say? And more importantly, is that the label you actually want?

Advantages of Workplace Labels

• Clarity of Perception: Labels provide a shortcut for others to understand how they see you—whether as a leader, a team player, or a specialist. You can become an expert with this skill.
• Reputation Building: Positive labels (e.g., collaborative, innovative, dependable) can strengthen professional credibility and open doors to new opportunities.
• Accelerated Trust: A strong, positive label allows colleagues to know what to expect from you, which can foster trust more quickly.
• Catalyst for Reflection: Being labelled, even negatively, can provide helpful feedback that prompts growth and self-awareness.
• Identity Reinforcement: Consistently positive labels can reinforce your personal brand and align with how you want to be perceived in your industry.

Disadvantages of Workplace Labels

• Oversimplification: Labels rarely capture the full range of someone’s skills, character, and contributions.
• Persistence Over Time: Negative labels, once formed, can stick for years—even after behaviour and performance have changed. This is the hardest part and requires a lot of effort.
• Bias and Limitation: A label can restrict how others see your potential, limiting you to specific roles, projects, or networks.
• Barrier to Growth: Labels may cause leaders or peers to overlook opportunities for you, assuming you are “not suited” for something beyond that label.
• Emotional and Professional Impact: Negative labels can affect confidence, reduce motivation, and strain workplace relationships.

Labels are inevitable in corporate life—but they don’t have to define you permanently. It is your decision that can change your career path depending on your intention and plans.

The challenge is to remain intentional: identify the labels others may have placed on you, decide which ones you want to reinforce, and take conscious steps to reshape the rest. After all, the perception that follows you could be the very thing that determines the next step in your career.