You're not going to change who you are when you join a new organization or team. Eventually, those that care will learn about the real you – the good, the bad and the ugly. There's not much you can do about that. What you can do is guide the order in which they learn things about you.
The same is true of visitors to your house. Eventually, those that care (and snoop around a bit) will learn about the real house – the good, the bad and the ugly. What you can do is guide how they enter the house and the order in which they are exposed to its different parts: formally through the front door, more familiarly through the mud room door, and most specially, down the chimney.
How are you managing first impressions?
