The Corporate Garage http://thecorporategarage.com Because small businesses matter Wed, 11 Feb 2009 06:07:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 en hourly 1 http://thecorporategarage.com/2009/02/41/ http://thecorporategarage.com/2009/02/41/#comments Wed, 11 Feb 2009 06:07:52 +0000 admin http://thecorporategarage.com/?p=41 Critics are like elbows - and if you’ve been alive on this planet long enough - a few weeks at least, you’ll have your critics. No matter what the song, says - words DO hurt. You may have encountered a troll or critic on your blog, or your website. You may have a critic at work, or in your own family! Some critics are helpful. Helpful critics come with negative comments and criticisms, but they come bearing solutions as well. Like, ‘It’s impossible to read your website. Is there any way you can make the type larger?” or they may offer harsher words, comments about your content, your writing, your spelling, your opinions and your point of view. It can not only hurt, it can make you angry. Your first inclination is to fire an angry email back at them, escalating the issue. It won’t help, but it will feel good, we say. Not really. Not unless you word it right. How do you do that? Here’s how.

Do two things.

Delay your response for 24 hours. Cool down. Take time to breathe and to think. If the person is standing right in front of you with their smirk and their comment, grit your teeth and smile back and say, “I really don’t care to respond to that right now. I’ll get back to you tomorrow.” Then walk away. Practice it now. You won’t be able to think clearly next time it happens. Even if it is a boss, you have the right to say, “I can’t respond to that without thinking about it for a bit. I’ll get back to you in an hour.” Then take that hour. Go for a walk. Call a friend. Cry in your car. Eat. But get away and let the adrenalin drain. THEN formulate your response.

Decide if there is anything, even a tiny nugget of truth in the criticism. If there is, seize it and put it aside to look at later. Then address your critic. If there is nothing noteworthy or valuable in what they’ve said, ignore them. If they’ve posted online - same rules apply. Want more info? Check out these great links on dealing with trolls and critics:

Team Technology: Dealing with Internet Trolls

Trolls in Biblical Times

What is an Internet Troll?


Consumer Savvy Tips for Avoiding Trolls

]]> http://thecorporategarage.com/2009/02/41/feed/ How fearless are you? http://thecorporategarage.com/2009/01/testing-2/ http://thecorporategarage.com/2009/01/testing-2/#comments Tue, 20 Jan 2009 04:49:33 +0000 admin http://thecorporategarage.com/?p=30 dogkiss

When they’re intrigued by something, the young are fearless. They don’t see the inherent danger in things they see possibility in - like an animal who *could* (if he wanted to) take your face off in one bite. They see, instead, the potential for good. The possibility for more. They see all the things they can embrace, not the things they should run away from. They connect with full abandon.

What was the last intriguing thing you embraced? What fearful thing have you exchanged for possibility?

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