Tina Lewis Rowe

Insights, Information & Inspiration

Been Bitten? Back-Off or Bite Back?

Ouch!

When I got the phone call from a reporter,  I was happy to hear from her. I had no idea the call would end with me shaking from anger and frustration! Have you had that happen?

I had been encouraged by several pastors to think there was an interesting story in the fact that, through people finding this site on a search engine, I have sent a free PDF on church security to almost every state, and to Canada, Mexico, England, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, India, China, Japan, El Salvador, Peru, Mexico, Australia, Nova Scotia and to far-away Texas. So far, over 1,800 copies–and I know that several other sites are also sending out that document.

I thought the internet and international angles might be interesting for a reporter. And, since I am also a member of HARO (Help a Reporter Out) a subscription that posts dozens of reporter requests a day, I truly felt I might be assisting a reporter with a  story. I don’t have anything to sell, so I was not going to profit from it.

The reporter jumped on me with all four feet, almost from her first words, and let me know she didn’t agree with me. (She thinks telling ushers to get assistance rather than tackling a suspicious person, is creating a victim mentality.)  She sounded quite angry with me for my approach to the subject, and I got the impression she resented me contacting her about it.

Finally–not soon enough–I said I was done arguing with her about it and we hung up with negative feelings. I was stunned at her reaction to what I thought was a helpful gesture!

Have you ever been bitten when you were trying to be helpful?

My experience with the reporter reminded me of the time an employee with the United States Marshals Service, John Soltys, a recently discharged Navy Seal who was enthusiastic and hardworking, suggested an improvement in the prisoner cell block. We forwarded his idea to headquarters for a commendation and they wrote back that he should be disciplined because he went outside his scope of responsibility.

Not long ago a friend of mine picked up a toy a child had dropped in a store and smilingly gave it back to her. The child’s mother grabbed it and angrily said, “Are you nuts? That teaches her to take things from strangers!” (I think someone was nuts in that conversation.)

How can you respond to unexpected bites?

Use self-control. Avoid lashing out in anger or hurt. Use your face and voice to show that you want to know what has caused the unexpected reaction. Smile if it is appropriate. Show concern, ask questions, give people a chance to back off from their hasty actions.

 

 

 

Be as honest and open as the situation will allow: “I don’t know what to say. I really didn’t expect this to be a problem.” “I have to tell you, I’m surprised I’m getting this response.” Perhaps a simple clarification or explanation can completely change the reactions of the other person.

You may need to stop the interaction, if you are in a situation where you can do so: “I was mistaken and thought you might be interested. You’re not, so we don’t need to talk about it anymore.”

There will be some situations in which you cannot present your viewpoint and you can only hope to get our rear-end out of the situation safely! At that point your best response is a simple, “I’m sorry. I thought I was doing the right thing.”

 

“Once bitten, twice shy.” There are some people you can never please and they approach most conversations with an unpleasant attitude. Others, like you and me, may not always respond effectively, but it is not the norm and we work to avoid being unpleasant, as well as working to show appreciation.

Put A Muzzle On Yourself

Think before you reject an idea or a person. Don’t say no too quickly and don’t assume you know all about the situation and can make a clear decision. Find out more.

Use your expression and voice to present your best self. When you must disagree or decline something, you can say no without saying it in a way that is offensive, hurtful or dismissive. Especially read your emails to ensure that you are not being more curt or sarcastic than you intended.

Consider the intentions of others. The old adage is that we judge ourselves by our intentions while others judge us by our actions. Change that a bit. Work to judge intentions and try to put a good spin on them until you are proven wrong. That is what you would want from others.

Appreciate efforts: We often say, derisively, “they meant well.” At least honor that, even though you should not accept poor work or a bad outcome. Treat effort and outcome separately. When people have tried to do the right thing, don’t repay them by biting their heads off about it.

Smiling is the best way to show your teeth!

October 5th, 2008 Posted by | Personal and Professional Development | 12 comments

12 Comments »

  1. I can’t believe that reporter! Well, yes I can!

    I’ve been bitten like that too. You want to say, WTH was that all about????

    I wish I had a sign like that picture. lol

    Comment by 911callgirl | October 5, 2008

  2. Tina says: Thanks for the comment, Elisa! You could probably get a sign made that looks like that. It would be cute in your cubicle!

    Comment by TLR | October 5, 2008

  3. You are better off without that reporter, Ms. Tina. Your advice about situations like this is excellent, as usual, especially the muzzling part.

    May I suggest that you write a post about the travels of your security material? I was very intrigued by the information you included in this one, and would like to know more. Fie on the reporter!

    Blessings on you today! Don

    Comment by Don R. | October 6, 2008

  4. This really riled me up. I think your free security info is better than all the expensive things my church has paid for. Leave it to a reporter to not recognize a knowledgeable person.

    Comment by Wiseacre | October 6, 2008

  5. Are you kidding me?!!! You ought to call her editor or whoever her boss is.

    Another example you can use: We designed a new form to make it easier for the public to request a report. I took a copy to my manager. (You know who)He wrote me an email and said if we had time to do that, why wasn’t records storage better organized. Now we can’t get anyone to volunteer to do anything! BW!!!

    Comment by denisek | October 6, 2008

  6. Great post and equally great advice! As a regular reader of your web journal, I know that you have a continually changing line of quotations to the upper right. But, I thought it somewhat providential that as I looked at your quote box just now it says, “Even the great, constant moon would eventually cease to shine if it paused every time a little dog barked at it.” I think if you substituted “bit” for “barked” and specified that it is a female dog, you would have an apt description of the situation you experienced. I’m very glad you don’t stop shining every time you get bit by a b****.
    PS — Is that by any chance a picture of you with that smile?

    Comment by Jeff Adams | October 6, 2008

  7. Tina says: Oh my, Geoffrey! What language you used! I won’t tell your Mom about that!

    That’s obviously not me with that smile. I’ll email you a photo of ME at that age! I was adorable. Some things never change! 🙂

    Thanks for the comment. T.

    Comment by TLR | October 6, 2008

  8. Tina,

    Just a note, Texas, while its own country at one time, is currently one of the states.

    And as far as the reporter, we tend to develop thick skins and let it roll off the back. Some battles are not worth the engery.

    Who said never argue with the owner of the ink?

    Take care

    Michael

    Comment by Michael | October 13, 2008

  9. Tina says: Oh no! Michael! I purposely put Texas last in that list, because all of my friends there assure me it is a completely separate experience! 🙂

    You’re absolutely correct about not arguing with reporters. I graciously (OK, semi-graciously) ended that conversation as quickly as I could after I realized it was going nowhere, fast!

    However, we could all be guilty of biting on occasion, which is why I wrote about it. When someone wants to help, we can at least accept the spirit of their offering, even if not their offering.

    Thank you for the comment!

    Comment by TLR | October 13, 2008

  10. Dear Ms. Rowe,
    I really appreciated the file on church security, and your approach was just what we needed for our people.

    Janet K. Tarant
    Faith Bible Church
    The Woodlands, TX

    Comment by Janet K. | October 30, 2008

  11. Tina says: Thank you, Janet, for your comments! I wanted the little document to be helpful, and am happy when it can be useful. If I can be a resource in any way, let me know.

    Comment by TLR | October 30, 2008

  12. There are different opinions about everything we do, and I guess this is just one of them. I thought your material was great because it can be adjusted up or down the security scale. In my church some people don’t want to talk about security because it scares them and some people want to hire armed guards! Thanks for your FREE material (I appreciated that!)

    Comment by L.S. | November 2, 2008

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