Responding Wisely to a Smear Campaign
It's a good question because "The Unsavory" Love Their Dirty Games
Question asked of me: “What is the best way to handle a smear campaign that is on the borderline of being considered defamation?”
There are unsavory types out there who enjoy lighting the fires of a smear campaign, perpetuating it and laughing at the carnage it inflicts. They indulge their addiction to schadenfreude.
So how do you respond?
First, you have to seek or regain poise from shock, fear, anger and-or depression. Those feelings and the trauma they inspire are exactly what the bad actor, bad actress or corrupt group want you to feel. Don’t be surprised when these people also surreally gain gullible or equally corrupt supporters.
Focus not on revenge, regardless of the temptation. Don’t go underground, figuratively speaking, and hide. Neither are ideal or helpful in the short or long run.
Instead, focus on your mental health, first and foremost and this includes coming to acceptance of what you can’t control. Hang with me on this point for a minute. If you don’t take healthy steps to get on top of your emotions, you will likely end up underneath them, drowning and suffocating. Or you will do something very stupid or make a series of stupid moves.
Next, seeking professional assistance from people who are objective, ethical and compassionate. That’s correct: objective, ethical and compassionate.
Why do I list those traits? Because you may very well run into people who will be have none of those qualities or only one. You want and need all three when you’re in the situation that you’re in now.
Quickly discard the professionals you can’t trust. Research them thoroughly beforehand, do an exhausting search about their character. Don’t settle on anyone you need to trust to assist and help you, whether it be an attorney, public relations professional or a reputation specialist.
If you find someone you can trust, “do the next hard thing,” which is: trust them, collaborate with them and follow their lead. You will get the assistance and help you need to more safely travel through the danger or hell you need to go through to get to “the other side,” i.e. safety.
Michael Toebe is the specialist at Reputation Quality. He assists and serves people in further building trust and reputation as an asset — and responsibly, ethically protecting, restoring or reconstructing damaged trust, reputation and relationships (professional and personal).