How you respond could make or break your reputation…
By Phil Cooke
If you’re accomplishing anything of significance in the world, you’re bound to pick up a few critics. Especially in today’s social media maelstrom, plenty of people are more than happy to criticize just about anything – especially from the comfort of hiding behind a fake social media name. Sometimes, the critics are clearly off their rocker, but in other cases, the critic has a legitimate complaint, and occasionally, it hurts.
The question is, how do we respond? Do we ignore it? Here are a few thoughts that might help the next time you get a critic (severe or otherwise) on social media:
1) First of all, take a breath. Don’t respond immediately out of your emotions. You’ll almost always regret it, and often you’ll say something in the heat of the moment that you’ll regret later. Just take a breath, step back, and think.
2) Check his or her number of followers. I recently received a scathing social media response to a blog post of mine. Before I responded, I checked how many people were following him. It was 4. That’s right – 4 people. So for me to respond to him, meant I would reveal his name to my thousands of social media followers. In other words, I’d just be promoting him. So I decided to ignore it since only 4 people (besides me) saw it anyway. (And sometimes when you ignore critics, it drives them crazy.)
3) Don’t always assume they’re out to get you. Think about the criticism from their perspective. Perhaps he or she misread your post or didn’t think it through. I’ve had many critics who changed their minds when I (graciously) pointed out their misunderstanding.
4) If it’s legitimate, take it. In my own case, I freely admit that I’ve posted things I wish I hadn’t, or hope my writing had been more clear. In those cases, I willingly took the bullet. A critic can do you a lot of good if it’s solid criticism, if you take it to heart, and if you reflect on how you could have done better.
5) If you do respond, be thoughtful. Don’t just be cute or sarcastic (well, maybe sometimes). It’s not about winning an argument; it’s about presenting the truth. Particularly as a Christian, keep in mind who and what you’re representing and answer them from that perspective. And always remember, few people change their minds because of our witty social media retorts.
6) Finally, if it’s a jerk or troll, ignore it. Remember that some people are desperate for attention, so while sitting in their parent’s basement in their pajamas, they decide to attack someone online. It makes them feel powerful, but it’s a cowardly, miserable act, so don’t go down to their level. Just walk away.
I can’t tell you the number of highly respected leaders who gambled with their reputation and integrity because they got caught up in a pointless, emotional argument online. Don’t take the bait. People are watching you respond (or not respond), so make sure everything you post is something you’ll be proud of later.
For more recommendations on protecting your church, ministry, or personal reputation on social media, check out my book “Church on Trial: How to Protect Your Congregation, Mission, and Reputation during a crisis.”
Phil Cooke, PhD. has been called “one of the most innovative communicators of our generation.” As a media producer, writer, speaker, and consultant, his client list includes major film studios and TV networks as well as major Christian organizations like Voice of the Martyrs, The Museum of the Bible, The Salvation Army, and others. He’s also coached and consulted with many of the most influential churches and nonprofit organizations in the world, helping them use media to tell their story. You can hear his podcast here.
Leave a Reply