How to Deal with Bad, Fake Reviews

The prisoner’s dilemma is a simple principle that explains a very inconvenient paradox. That being, when two or more people are in competition to reach the same goal, instead of working together, they’ll more often make self-serving or sub-optimal choices to their desired end. In other words, they won’t work as a team, attempting to obtain the same result, but rather, as mutual competitors. When this happens, it can easily lead to unhealthy competition, jealousy, infighting, and poor company morale. Fortunately, there are a few effective strategies to cope with such situations. What Causes the Prisoner’s Dilemma in Business Named for a scenario to explain why prisoners do not routinely rise up against the guards of a penitentiary, the prisoner’s dilemma attempts to define why it is that inmates don’t rally together to overtake the facility in order to ultimately escape. (After all, they greatly outnumber the guards and other staff.) …a teaming mindset must be adopted on purpose. Team leaders must paint success in the team as something shared and expansive. Because seeing success this way is rarely spontaneous, leaders have to go out of their way to convey — to sell, really — the upside of collaborative work. The message must be that success can be greater and more exciting when people work together. When this is done well, team members tend to focus more on the work than on themselves. They also focus on what the work means for the company’s value proposition — for their customers. —Harvard Business Review The reason behind it is simple — while everyone might be ostensibly working toward the same goal, that is taking over and breaking out of the prison, each person will act in their own individual best interest — this ultimately leads to chaos and of course, makes the end goal of escaping nearly impossible. Effective Strategies for Dealing with the Prisoner’s Dilemma in Business You might have noticed this dynamic working out among your sales team or any given group of employees. They seem to be in a constant state of competition, even to the point of harming your company’s overall goals. The good news is there are ways to deal with such scenarios, like the following: Encourage healthy discussions. Although some individuals seemingly always do what’s only in their self-interest, very few will continue such behavior if they know that it’s counterproductive to their future. During sales meetings, come up with common strategies that everyone can agree to follow and put everyone on the same path toward your desired goals. Scrutinize potential hires. If someone has a very impressive track record, but hops from one company to another, that’s obviously a red flag. So, listen carefully during the interview process for attitudes that convey job dissatisfaction, unhealthy competition with previous employees/employers, and other negative perspectives and emotions. Such individuals will tell you in not-so-subtle ways that they don’t work well with others. Reward genuine teamwork. Ronald Reagan copied a famous inspirational phrase by repeating this sentiment, “It’s amazing what can be accomplished when nobody cares who gets the credit.” This is very difficult for any group, especially those in a competitive environment. But, if you reward everyone involved for working as a team to reach their goals, you reinforce positive behaviors. What other suggestions do you have? Please take a moment to comment and share your thoughts and experiences so others can benefit from your unique perspective! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

The economy is in a recession. Interest rates are going up. Inflation is rising. There’s a labor shortage. (And, materials are still not readily available.) The list can go on and on and on. What’s even worse, is there are business owners actually do go on and on. They complain about this, that, and the other thing. Some even take it to the next level and complain about things that haven’t even happened yet. Then, although somewhat rare, there are entrepreneurs out there who go so far as to put their gripes and grievances on social media. This doesn’t paint a very positive picture and of course, it does absolutely nothing to correct what is perceived to be or is wrong. In reality, it does far more harm than it does through catharsis. So, if you’re guilty of this extremely unattractive behavior it’s time to stop, and here’s why. The Internet is Forever All right, very few business owners actually do complain over the internet but where it’s mostly found is social media. Regardless of the digital property, the internet is forever, meaning that once it is out there, it’s usually not possible to take it back. Even if you’re able to delete it, you’ve already left a negative impression. We sometimes deny that we’re complaining. Instead, we say that we’re just “being honest,” “venting” or “blowing off steam.” But don’t kid yourself: Whenever you insert negative feelings into a conversation without some sort of resolution, you’re complaining. It’s tempting because there is a lot about entrepreneurship to complain about —Entrepreneur.com Then, there’s something else to keep in mind. Business owners don’t need to be the ones writing complaints about this or that on the web. Dissatisfied customers will do that instead (and probably with good reason). In other words, if you complain to your customers or in front of them, there’s a good chance they’ll share that experience and that isn’t good for your business’s public reputation. Instead of Complaining, Do the Following Everyone is guilty and capable of letting their complaints be known. But for business owners, this is a very bad choice with no real upside. Whether you’re complaining about a problematic customer, an inhospitable vendor, or your bank charging petty nickel and dime fees, you’re still doing it with negative emotion. Sure, people will understand your frustration, but customers really don’t want to hear about it or even care. So, what should you do when something bothers you and you’re dealing with a customer at that time? Well, the first suggestion is to ignore or resist your instinct to interject complaints and bite your tongue. If you’re able to put it off for a little while, you’ll be able to vent to the right people in an appropriate setting. Should your personality be one that says it’s best to be honest with everyone and use that excuse as a justification, think twice before you start blurting out complaints. Ask yourself what would you think if you were the customer hearing this? Merely putting yourself in your customers’ shoes ought to be enough to dissuade you from griping. At the very least, it will give you pause to adjust your attitude. It’s also helpful to remember that complaining doesn’t solve anything. Yes, it does allow you to get something that’s bothering you off your chest, but that’s not usually worth the ultimate cost. Remember that it is not an attractive or trustworthy trait and you’ll do yourself a huge favor. What other advice would you give business owners who have a bad habit of complaining to customers? Please share your own thoughts and experiences so others can benefit from your input! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.