V.L. Thompson's Blog, page 13

July 5, 2014

Proven tactics to make your PR Campaign a success

Article by BY REBECCA GREENFIELD from FastCompany.com


AirPR crunched it’s data to reveal these useful pitching tips for PR pros (like, Fridays don’t exist on the Internet)


In the mystifying world of PR, it’s hard to tell what works. Some people say a campaign run by an army of PR liaisons is a complete waste of money; others say its “critical” to success. Of course the reality is somewhere in between. But, especially for companies with limited funds, it can be difficult to decide just how much to invest in PR–until now.


AirPR, which has been described as the “Omniture of PR,” tracks the performance of PR efforts at a granular level. Its Analyst product quantifies the success of a campaign by measuring web traffic, the number of articles written, social media conversion, and how online interactions drive sales. In other words, it helps companies measure outcomes of press releases and funding announcements in actual dollars.


Much like Chartbeat’s insights have helped media companies refine their headlines and Twitter strategies, AirPR, through tracking more than 200,000 articles, has discovered some secrets to PR success, which it has shared exclusively with Fast Company. Here are some useful tips for PR professionals, companies trying to use press to their advantage, and journalists covering companies.


 


SET YOUR EMBARGOS FOR FOR EARLY-MORNING HOURS

Traffic on websites spikes at 5 a.m. EST and 8 a.m. EST, even though half as many articles get published during those times than at 4 p.m. EST. (Who are these freaks getting up to read the news that early?) People also, more predictably, read a lot during the 12 o’clock lunch hour. Instead of setting that embargo for 4 p.m. EST–not really sure the logic of that time-stamp anyway, AirPR’s data suggest publishing either at or before 8, or around noon. (Note the time stamp on this post.)


 


FORGET ABOUT FRIDAYS

Big bumps in readership happen on Mondays and Wednesdays. People are too busy actually working on Tuesdays to read, it seems. And Fridays? Fridays basically don’t exist on the Internet. (Which is one reason companies often release damaging news late on a Friday afternoon, like no one will notice.) “Publishers treat Friday as if it is any other day of the week, but in reality Friday sees very little traffic to content,” said Leta Soza, a data engineer at AirPR. The most optimal time to pitch news stories are Mondays and Wednesdays, either first thing in the morning, or in time for lunch on the East Coast.


 


Read full article on FastCompany.com


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Published on July 05, 2014 00:54

What principles should distinguish a Christian business?

Article by S. Michael Houdmann from gotquestions.org


Are there certain laws, rules, or principles that delineate a secular business enterprise from that of a Christian business? What are the identifying hallmarks of a Christian business? Are there any biblical guidelines to managing a Christian business?


A recent study conducted by the Gallup organization and the National Opinion Research Center revealed that 78 percent of all Americans claim they want to experience some form of spiritual growth. Of this group, half of them felt they were too busy with their careers to enjoy God or even give enough time to developing their spiritual lives. And when polled about their workplace, it was found that, when businesses provided spiritually-minded programs they felt not only more calm and relaxed, but were, in fact, more productive.

Additionally, it was discovered that those who worked for Christian business organizations where spiritual values were encouraged were less fearful and more committed to their workplace goals, as well as less likely to compromise their values. Ian Mitroff, professor at the USC School of Business, says that “spirituality could be the ultimate competitive advantage.”

What, then, are the key principles that set apart these organizations that place a high premium on Christian values? Though we could name many, there are three biblical principles that stand out that define a Christian business worthy of that name.


 


Helping-a-friend Integrity

First is integrity. Integrity is about Christ-centered living. It is about doing what is right rather than what is expedient. The organization with integrity will make its business decisions based on the standards and principles of God—righteousness, truth and honesty. That is, there is congruency between what the organization verbalizes and what it practices. No one can point a finger at such a company and justifiably cry out, “Hypocrite!” Socrates (469-399 BC) declared, “The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.” A Christian business is the epitome of integrity. This means “we are who we say we are.”


 


Commitment to excellence

Second is a commitment to excellence. Paul said, “This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone” (Titus 3:8). If an organization is to be recognized as an exemplary one, one whose goal is to glorify God through its commitment to excellence in its service and product, it must always honor God and be thoroughly cognizant of its role and mission in a pagan world. Such an organization never forgets that God has called them to be His witness to the lost world in which they do business.

When business organizations commit themselves to the pursuit of excellence, they exalt the Word of God. And as the Gallup and National Research Center study revealed, they also demonstrate God’s power to transform lives, not only through their employees but with their customers as well.


 


Read full article on gotquestions.org


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Published on July 05, 2014 00:32

July 3, 2014

To Be a Great Leader, Follow First

Article by Elizabeth Palermo from BusinessNewsDaily.com Painting by Arthur Robins


Want to be a better leader? Start by becoming a better follower. That’s the approach advocated by Matt Tenney, a social entrepreneur and author of the new book “Serve to Be Great: Leadership Lessons from a Prison, a Monastery, and a Boardroom” (Wiley, May 2014). 


Tenney, a keynote speaker and business consultant with Perth Leadership Institute, believes that even the most effective leaders can achieve better results — in both their professional and personal lives — by making a simple shift in their approach to leadership.


The shift that Tenney outlines in his book involves seeing one’s self not as a manager, but as a servant. Though it might sound counterintuitive, Tenney argues that by learning how to obey and follow, today’s business leaders can hold greater sway over those they’re positioned to lead.


“I’m not suggesting that we coddle the people on our teams or cater to their every whim,” Tenney told Business News Daily. “Clearly, we need to set clear expectations for excellence and let people know that they will be held accountable to those expectations.”


However, Tenney said, leaders who make serving and caring for the people they lead a higher priority than what they can get out of them typically end up getting better results than those who take the opposite approach.


In a recent exchange with Business News Daily, Tenney shared five ways adopting a “servant leadership” approach can improve any business’s bottom line. [What Leadership Looks Like (and Why It Matters)]


 


Increasing innovation

“When we create an atmosphere of safety, where people aren’t afraid to take risks and challenge the status quo, we create a culture that is highly conducive to innovation,” Tenney said. “This is why the most innovative companies like Google and SAS go to such lengths to care for employees and are also consistently rated as the best places to work.”


 


Improving customer service

“When we model empathy, compassion and helpfulness, we create a culture that is likely to deliver world-class service to our customers,” said Tenney. “This is why companies like Zappos.com and Southwest Airlines — known for delivering the best customer service — work so hard to develop servant leaders who treat employees with such high levels of care.”


 


Building a strong culture

“When we create a team culture where serving each other and the community around us is valued as more important than profit, we give the people we lead the gift of being part of an inspiring organization that people want to be a part of, and don’t want to leave,” Tenney said. “This is why a relatively unknown company like Next Jump is able to attract roughly 18,000 people to apply for 35 positions — a hire rate of 0.2 percent. It’s also why turnover at Next Jump is around 1 percent, versus the industry average in the tech space of 22 percent.”


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Published on July 03, 2014 02:42

5 Ways to Win Back Your Employees’ Trust

Article by WILL YAKOWICZ from Inc.com


Layoffs, scandal, and office gossip can all take a toll–but there are always ways to win back your workers.

Employees will not trust you by default. As a leader, you need to prove your trustworthiness time and time again. You will need to track and manage the level of trust your employees have in you and your leadership.


David DeSteno, a professor of psychology at Northeastern University and the author of The Truth About Trust, says employee trust is constantly shifting: trust is an “evolving thing that ebbs and flows,” DeSteno tells Harvard Business Review.


Without that trust, it’s hard to accomplish much. You need trust to engage and motivate employees. Being a trusted leader also means that your employees will be candid about what’s going on in the office, how they feel, what’s challenging, and what’s happening with team goals. “Managers will never learn the truth about a company unless they have employees’ trust,” Jim Dougherty, a senior lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management and veteran software CEO, tells HBR.


But if a scandal hits your company or if you had to lay off a few employees (for good reason), how do you win back their trust? So long as you’re decent human being, it’ shouldn’t be too hard to reinforce your trustworthiness. Here’s what DeSteno and Dougherty’s advise.


 


Realize employees don’t trust power.

There’s good reason why your employees do not automatically give you their unwavering trust. “As a person’s power increases, their perceived trustworthiness goes down,” DeSteno says. He explains that leaders seem less reliant on others–which means they are perceived as less trustworthy. But authentic, human connection can overcome such sentiments. Get to know your employees. Do not remind the troops you sit atop the hierarchy–that’s a sure way to reinforce mistrust. Engage with your employees socially and bond over common ground. Meet for lunch, talk sports, and let them know about you and your life. “Do something that makes them believe that you are one of them,” says Dougherty. Treating them like an equal socially will signal that “even though you are the boss, in the end you’re all in this together.”


 


Share data, information, and results.

Do your employees know how the company is doing? Dougherty says it is important you are as transparent and open about the company’s current health and projections as possible. Being open not only shuts down rumors, but it also helps employees feel included with the goals and mission of your company. “If there is a void of information, employees will fill it, and they will always fill it with negative information,” Dougherty tells HBR. Make it part of your regular routine to share performance metrics, data, notes from board meetings, and financial results. This transparency will show your employees that you trust them, which will give them faith in you to be truthful. When you have bad news, don’t sugarcoat it. Always think about your integrity. “If you can’t tell people the hard stuff, they won’t trust you,” DeSteno adds.


 


Encourage your employees.

Giving orders will not help your trustworthiness. Besides, if your employees need to be commanded to do their jobs, something is very wrong. Encourage your staff, empower them to succeed at their jobs, and help them align their professional goals with the company. “You don’t succeed in the long run by telling people what to do,” says Dougherty. “You have to motivate them to do it.” Delegate important decisions and projects to capable employees. Make sure they know what’s expected of them, but give them autonomy. “People will trust you if you trust them,” says Dougherty.


 


Read full article on Inc.com


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Published on July 03, 2014 01:41

July 2, 2014

The SBA’s Plan to Boost Loans to Minority Entrepreneurs

Article by Patrick Clark from BusinessWeek.com


The Small Business Administration has a size problem. To help Main Street businesses recover from the Great Recession, the agency increased the size of the loans it was willing to guarantee. That helped boost the dollar amount of loans it backstopped last year by 40 percent from 2009 levels, to $29.6 billion.


The big boost to loan volume wasn’t matched by a similar increase in the number of SBA-backed loans. As a result, the size of the average SBA loan increased, to $547,000 last year from $372,000 in 2009.


That shift is good for lenders because it takes a comparable amount of time and effort to underwrite a loan for $1 million and a loan for $100,000; larger loans generate more revenue from interest. It’s bad for the smallest U.S. businesses, including those owned by minority entrepreneurs who already face an uphill battle getting credit.


To help those business owners, the SBA is trying to promote smaller loans. In October, it waived a 2 percent fee for loans of less than $150,000—a move the agency says has already led to a 15 percent increase in small loans. And today, SBA chief Maria Contreras-Sweet said the agency would speed up approvals for loans of $350,000 or less, relying more heavily on credit-scoring processes that the agency has been developing for more than a decade.


“We’re making these changes, knowing it will simplify and streamline the lending process and get more small loans into the hands of entrepreneurs, especially the underserved,” Contreras-Sweet said today in a speech hosted by the Center for American Progress, a Washington think tank. That should help minority-owned businesses in particular, she said, because 80 percent of SBA loan applications from black and Hispanic business owners are for $150,000 or less.


Speeding up the approval process for small loans may also prevent more business owners of any race from taking on expensive debt from merchant cash-advance providers and other nonbank lenders. Those loans, often marketed as being approved quickly, can carry annualized interest rates in excess of 100 percent, many times more than the single-digit interest rates typical of loans backed by the SBA.



Read full article on BusinessWeek.com


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Published on July 02, 2014 01:28

July 1, 2014

What Everyone Needs to Know about Selling on the Internet

Article from AdvertisementJournal.com


One of the most underutilized tools among salespeople in all sectors is the Internet. The purpose of this article is not to provide you with a lengthy diatribe about marketing on the Internet; instead, I would like to explain some fundamental truths that can make a profound difference in terms of your success or failure in the selling game.


I have started roughly 10 Internet companies that generate millions of dollars per month and have done so for a long time. In the course of this work, I have attended seminars, hired consultants, read books, and done all sorts of things I believed I needed to do in order to be successful on the Internet. I believe that in just about every case, I wasted money.


Very few people know how to make money on the Internet because everyone out there is trying to make money. The truth is that if you are dedicated to what you are doing, you can perform well on the Internet. There are plenty of people out there who will build you a website for $300 or less. This is all you need to get started. I do not care if you are selling potatoes or real estate. The lessons I have learned can assist you with doing exceptionally well on the Internet.


1. Succeeding on the Internet is No Different than Succeeding Anywhere Else.

The first truth is that succeeding on the Internet is no different than succeeding anywhere else. People who succeed in business and sales typically have the ability to get the attention of people who are interested in buying. They do this using their own personal styles. They do this by educating consumers. They do this by staying in touch. They do this by consistently making better offers than their competitors. They do this by offering a wider selection of products.


These are all business lessons, and the business lessons for succeeding on the Internet are the same as those you would follow if you were selling anywhere else. This is something that every sales professional needs to be aware of.


For example, one of the most important aspects of sales is offering a wide selection. Selling on the Internet is no different than having a store. The wider your selection, the more options your customers have. Think of Internet companies like eBay and Amazon.


In addition, successful Internet companies are able to consistently educate consumers and do so effectively. A salesperson who consistently educates his or her clients is likely to do far better than one who does not. An example of an Internet company that does a good job of educating consumers is Dell.


The people who do well on the Internet are the same people who do well in any sales environment. The rules are literally the same in every single place where people compete to sell goods and services. What lots of people lead others to believe, however, is that the Internet is somehow different. This misconception is what makes people act differently when attempting to sell on the Internet and ultimately prevents many people from succeeding in Internet sales.


2. In Order to Succeed, You Just Need to Show Up.

One of the most incredible things about success in sales is that a substantial portion of the battle involves just showing up. If you show up at a prospect’s door, you can often make the sale; if you show up on the Internet, you can often make the sale. The real key to success, then, is just showing up. Believe me, a lot of people fail to show up.


When you show up, you provide people with the opportunity to purchase from you. In the early days of the Internet, lots of people did not show up, but a few did. A large number of people made a lot of money selling really stupid stuff on the Internet because they were the only ones selling anything, and people wanted to buy! One of the first successful Internet companies was an online store that sold Palm Pilots and accessories for them.


Every salesperson and sales organization needs a website. You can talk about the product you sell on your website—or even just talk about yourself. People buy from individuals. You need to ensure that you have a website and a presence on the Internet. People want to read about you, and maintaining an online presence gives them the opportunity to do that.



Read full article on AdvertisementJournal.com


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Published on July 01, 2014 05:04

How to Spot the Weakest Part of Your Blog Post (and What to Do About It)

Article by STEFANIE FLAXMAN from copyblogger.com


What does a rough draft of a blog post have in common with all the other blog posts by all the other content creators in your niche?


Too much.


I’m sure you’re aware that there are countless other writers musing about the same ideas you are, and in similar ways.


The goal of a typical first draft is to transform your scattered thoughts into a cohesive article that explains a topic to your target audience. But why should readers choose your content over another writer’s work?


If you don’t take the time to revise your rough draft in a way that shows you are an authority, and that you have a solution that isn’t available anywhere else, they won’t.


To help you narrow down the sections of your blog posts that could use improvement, here are eight common weaknesses I see over and over in drafts that are sent to me for editing.


And, more important, quick and easy ways to strengthen each one.


Weakness #1: You have an undefined strategy

- You haven’t clearly defined why you’re writing
- Your content has no purpose
- You only write when you’re inspired

Do you know any writers who have started blogs and then quit after a short period of time? (Have you done that yourself?)


Don’t make the mistake of writing without a plan. An editorial calendar holds you accountable for your work and helps you produce focused content at a steady pace.


How to fix it:

- Set goals for your writing before you begin
- Keep a schedule
- Accomplish your objectives

Each piece of writing you produce should serve a larger goal that you have for your platform.


Before readers can engage with your work, you need to know the intention behind every word you type and keep this aim in mind as you write new content.


Weakness #2: You make a promise you don’t keep

- Your headline doesn’t match your text
- Your advice is not realistic
- You don’t deliver

Novice and seasoned bloggers alike occasionally get carried away with smoke-and-mirror content — the type of writing that makes big claims without any helpful advice to support the objective of the post.


How to fix it:

- Start small
- Know your limits
- Promote your strengths

You don’t need to claim to have answers to all the world’s problems to attract readers to your blog. In fact, readers enjoy vulnerability. You’re human just like they are, and it’s important to reinforce that notion.


Instead of pretending to be the world’s foremost expert, help the people you canhelp. Explain your specific expertise in a straightforward way that doesn’t make outlandish assertions, and that follows through on your promises.


Weakness #3: You write generic information

- Your topic is vague
- You don’t educate
- Your article could be written by anyone

When you don’t provide unique, ultra-specific, urgent, and useful content for your readers, they lose interest quickly and won’t remember you.

And if you’re easily forgotten, you don’t get an opportunity to build your reputation and establish authority.


How to fix it:

- Have an opinion
- Do research
- Establish a brand

Writing is hard work. You don’t need me to tell you that.


Effective blog posts require loads of creative energy. They’ll wear you out but also help frame your presence as an impressive online content creator.


Remember that anyone can type words into WordPress; it’s your job to show readers a fresh perspective.


Weakness #4: You don’t use subheads

- You don’t guide your readers
- You have long blocks of text
- You miss engagement opportunities

Subheads are another chance to capture a reader’s attention. How? If your headline doesn’t attract a reader, then a phrase she views in a subhead may change her mind.


Well-crafted subheads are like a safety net. Your readers may be slipping away, but a strong subhead may catch them and bring them back to your message.


How to fix it:

- Tell a story
- Write numbered lists or bullet points
- Add images

Each section of your blog post should keep a reader engaged. Making your writing easy to read is a simple way to hold your reader’s interest.


As you edit your content, break up your text in appropriate ways: you could use strong titles to introduce different sections or a variety of images that complement your topic.


Weakness #5: You go off on too many tangents

- You lose focus
- You ramble
- You imitate another writer

In attempting to make posts charismatic, you may insert too many personal anecdotes that distract readers from your topic.


Similarly, you may love another writer’s style, so you copy their tone and voice. While you may think a certain tone and voice also matches your personality, it may actually sound inauthentic and contrived.


How to fix it:

Find your own voice
- Learn selectivity
- Remember your goals

As you practice writing, you learn that you can’t express all of your ideas in one article. You won’t communicate effectively if you do. You may need to narrow down your objective while you proofread and save extra thoughts for other posts.


 


Read full article on copyblogger.com


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Published on July 01, 2014 02:56

June 30, 2014

Say No Without Burning Bridges

Article by Holly Weeks from blogs.hbr.org


Many of us don’t like to say no to a coworker or a boss—for instance, when the boss asks for a tighter deadline, or a team member needs a longer one—because we’re worried about damaging the relationship. That’s because it often feels synonymous with confrontation. And whether you are conflict-averse or conflict-ready, your counterpart may not always handle hearing no the way you’d hoped.


Some counterparts will to try to “yes the no,” even when you’re hoping for minimal friction, because they have learned early on not to take no for an answer and feel like pushovers if they do. Or he might get angry, push back, or go silent, because that’s how he always handles hearing no.


There may also be something about the circumstances that makes it particularly difficult to accept your no. For example, someone who might be able to deal with a no privately could be embarrassed to hear it in front of others and may want you to back down so she can save face.


With all of these obstacles, there is no single trick to saying no while keeping your relationship intact. You can, however, change your perspective on what you’re trying to do. Don’t look at it as a choice between confrontation and preserving a relationship. There’s a middle option: the neutral no.


A neutral no is steady, uninflected, and clear. It is mostly notable for what it is not: harsh, combative, apologetic, reluctant, or overly nice.


Going neutral may not be your default manner of speaking, but it is well within your reach. A neutral no protects you and your counterpart from the elements of no that are really hard on relationships, such as:



Giving false hope.

If you say no tentatively, it’s easy for your counterpart to hope that you’ll change your mind. It sounds like your no is about to tip over into a yes, so your counterpart is encouraged to keep pushing. That false hope, even more than the no, may damage your relationship.



Weakening the no.

People often argue their no backwards: they start with lightweight reasons, holding back the real reason why they’re saying no. But the little explanations are not persuasive and are easily batted aside. To limit frustration—and to avoid appearing disingenuous—give reasons with good weight up front.


By sticking with neutral, you are concentrating on the business end of no, not the personal. You should be aiming for a referee’s kind of neutral demeanor. A ref makes a call, regardless of strong feelings on both sides. His job is to give his decision and stay with it if challenged.



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Published on June 30, 2014 06:04

God Can Turn This Around

God’s Will for Our Money

Article by John Piper from DesiringGod.org


My main emotions in regard to money at Bethlehem are gratitude and hope, not anxiety. God has always met our needs. I would insult God if I fretted over his timing. So, Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, for your giving. For 21 years now I have watched our merciful God meet all our needs. Thank you for your part in that mercy.


I also write to encourage those of you who are still struggling with how to handle your finances in relation to the church. Please think and pray about several things:


1. All your money is God’s. Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the LORD’s, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.” You have your money and possessions and life on loan. As a trust. You are the manager of Another’s trust fund.


2. How we disburse God’s trust fund (i.e., our income and inheritances) should reflect his values and priorities. We will all be held accountable for managing his money according to his word. Luke 16:12, “If you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?”


3. God will see to it that you have enough to provide for your needs and for “every good work,” including those appointed for your church (worship, teaching, outreach, missions, mutual care, etc). I know no stories of people who have given so generously that God did not meet their needs. 2 Corinthians 9:8, “And God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that you may always have enough of everything and may provide in abundance for every good work.”


4. Expenses always expand to fill the income. This means that almost all of us “just get by” no matter what we make. Which means that discretionary giving which is put off to the end of the pay period will usually not happen. We won’t give because we don’t think we can afford it. But if you write the check to the cause of Christ first, then you will, as always, still “just get by.” I encourage you to “seek the kingdom first” by writing the ministry check first (Matthew 6:33).


Read full article on DesiringGod.org


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Published on June 30, 2014 02:53

June 29, 2014

How to Receive Criticism: 3 Kinds of Critics You Can Ignore

Article by Ed Stetzer from ChristianityToday.com


Part of leadership is handling criticism, so I’ve tried to share some things to help you along those lines.


To start, I shared a five part series on how to give criticism with integrity:



Critique What One Actually Believes;
Critique Fairly and Charitably;
Wait before you Critique;
Check Your Motive and Goal;
- and Admit When You Are Wrong.

Now, I am looking at how to receive criticism. The first step is to not take it personally. You can embrace and learn from criticism from both unfriendly and friendly critics.


As strange as it may sound, we actually need criticism. We need criticism, lest we think we are always right. We need criticism, lest we believe we are without fault. We need criticism, lest we separate ourselves from those we serve or who serve us with an honest critique.


We need criticism, lest we believe we are without fault.

But, we don’t need criticism from everyone. Simply put, you have to consider the source of the criticism. I do not take all criticism equally and neither should you. I am pretty active in the realm of the “Christian blogosphere,” so a number of my examples are from my experience there, but generally speaking, these principles can apply to your office, church, or otherwise.


There are three kinds of unhealthy critics to consider:



The Constant Critic

For example, one critic regularly sends a complaint letter (not an email, but one of those paper things). Over time, the complaint letters lost their value. Why? It was just another letter from the same person about a new issue.


Or, there are blogs that are one attack after another. Everyone is a heretic, liar, or whatever. The fact is that constant critics just do not need to be responded to like the honest critic who is not “enraged” all the time.


Some of these critics are now basically celebrity bloggers (often criticizing celebrity pastors without accountability), while missing the great irony of that accusation.


Even beyond the blogosphere. I have talked with numerous pastors who face criticism from the same congregants regularly that find their criticisms wholly unhelpful because they can never seem to be pleased. One who criticizes and never seems to be content is easy to ignore, whether it be at the office, the church, or otherwise.



The Critic With Low Character
One who criticizes and never seems to be content is easy to ignore.

There are critics who lack integrity, plain and simple. They make accusations and engage in exaggeration and just about everyone knows this is their approach.


I am stunned to see just how much some “Christian” bloggers, in particular, will lie, play guilt by association, and display a complete lack of character—all while calling out someone for something similar. Again, the irony. Such practices certainly occur in Christian communities outside of the blogosphere as well.


This doesn’t mean you can’t learn from these sorts of critics, but they very well may not be worth listening to when they have developed a pattern of misrepresenting, constant complaining, or exaggerating.



The Opportunistic Critic

Unhealthy opportunistic critics are always looking for a new angle or issue, desperate for a new way to attack since the last try failed. Just see them for who they are.


If you are a pastor, they will complain you did not visit them, even though they don’t like you when you come. If you are a Christian leader, they will go from one issue to another, always convinced they have a “gotcha” moment because that’s what drives them.


These critics are only looking for the opportunity to critique and complain. They are very concerned about one new thing because the last thing did not stick. Long story short, they are not trying to critique what you do, they are just after you.


Read full article at ChristianityToday.com


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Published on June 29, 2014 01:16