WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Online Safety
How to deal with an online troll
I have a set of rules that now guide everything I do. They help me simplify how I work and ensure I’m consistent with both my opinions and actions, as a leader and a person. These rules*(see below for full list) were developed through my time running EMGN from dealing with real-world interactions like the one displayed here.
To quote Ben:
“Ben: You should be killed and your family should be burned alive.
EMGN: Hi Ben,
Thanks for getting in touch. A big part of what we want to do here at EMGN is engage with our readers to ensure we are providing the best service we can. With that in mind, we’d lover to know what has provoked this response from you?
Ben:
Wow I didn’t ever expect to get a response and quite honestly I’m impressed. I apologize for saying that. I don’t even remember what article it was that made me say that. So I do apologize and you have a earned a new PROUD follower. Thanks for the response.”
In this case, we had a very angry fan suggesting that we should all be killed and that our families should be burned alive… We applied several of my rules in this case to both manage what seemed to be a very disgruntled person and to understand what we did to insight such a reaction. .
Rule 1: Respect everyone you interact with
All we knew about Ben was this one-line message. He could have been anyone and thus by default we must be respectful with how we interact with him.
Rule 3: Everything stems from a Mission & Why
Our mission at EMGN was “to provide a mental vacation for anyone, anywhere, at any time they wanted”. We didn’t like failing on this mission, even on the individual level.
We made sure Ben understood that we were concerned we had failed to provide a good service, and this helped him understand why we were asking him for feedback
Rule 9: Don’t avoid conflict, but be respectful
It would’ve been easy to ignore this comment, but the best solutions often come from conflict that is resolved in a productive and meaningful way. We weren’t looking to pick a fight, but we knew there was a possibility of a further angry reaction(s). Being respectful and Socratic helped us control the conversation tone and ensure we had the best opportunity for a meaningful discussion.
Rule 12: Criticism is your best tool for learning and growing
Even though Ben’s message was graphically abusive, it was still important for us to know why he was upset so we could remedy it and learn. We never shied away from trying to understand where we could improve.
Rule 15: If I’m doing something right, others will do all my promotion for my.
In this case, because we handled the trolling in such a way Ben became a true promoter for EMGN. This wouldn’t have happened if we hadn’t taken the approach we did.
In the end we didn’t get to understand what had caused Ben to be triggered in such a way, but we were able to win back a fan. I thought this was a great example to demonstrate how powerful these rules can be in our daily interactions and to highlight why I now rely on them in my work as a mentor and adviser.
(Rules listed below)
About the author — Aidan Kenealy
My mission is to help those with high growth businesses realise their vision for success. I draw from the unique lessons learned growing EMGN to help founders and CEOs get the best out of what their businesses can be.
If you would like to discuss how I can help you and your business — please reach out via LinkedIn or email aidan@hiov.co.nz
*The full list of rules and principles:
1. Respect everyone I interact with.
2. Prioritise stability in my personal life to counter the uncertainty in my professional life.
3. Everything stems from a Mission & Why
4. Constantly and continuously simplify.
5. Have strong opinions, but hold them loosely
6. Know what you’re assuming and why.
7. Process is more important than outcome
8. Learning is more important than winning.
9. Don’t avoid conflict, but be respectful
10. No matter how upset you are, move on.
11. Mistakes are my friends. Love them and own them.
12. Criticism is my best tool for learning and growing.
13. I Strive to know less about more.
14. There will be bad days
15. If I’m doing something right, others will do all my promotion for my.
16. Focus on the person, not the business.
17. Focus only on what I can control.
18. Be a scientist
19. Be Socratic
20. It’s weird to be normal so be yourself.
