Smear Campaign: The Response
You’ve heard about and maybe witnessed a smear campaign. You recognize one when you see one, you say. Or worse, it’s regrettably happened to you.
Let’s take a look at some quick definitions about them. I’ll tell you why in a moment.
Dictionary.com: A campaign to tarnish the reputation of a public figure, especially by vilification or innuendo.
Cambridge Dictionary: A planned attempt to harm the reputation of a person or company by telling lies about them.
Collins Dictionary: A deliberate attack on somebody, by spreading an untrue and unpleasant rumor about them, or by making an accusation intended to damage their reputation.
Psych Central: A narcissist smear campaign is all about control. Narcissists don’t like to appear vulnerable or weak. They will often go to great lengths to protect their fragile ego and suppress feelings of shame and insecurity. This may include engaging in a smear campaign to maintain dominance in a relationship or situation.
It’s interesting to me and maybe to you as well about how the definitions of the same topic have different points stressed in those definitions: a planned event, a campaign, (the intent) to harm, vilification, an attack, lies or innuendo, all about control, maintain dominance.
There’s a lot going there, isn’t there?
It’s ugly, destructive and harmful. In fact, it’s violent emotionally, psychologically, reputationally, job and career wise and possibly, financially.
Avoiding a smear campaign might be impossible in some situations yet one can often reduce the probability of one happening. Yet that’s not the topic of discussion today. What is, is this — understanding it can happen to you.
The likelihood may be slim, yes, yet most people who have experienced and endured a smear campaign never saw it coming and retrospectively, would not have ever imagined it would happen to them and that they would suffer the multiple negative effects of one.
That’s a complete shock to the system, traumatic and an experience that will throw you off your emotional, psychological balance.
Knowing how to regain poise, seek professional assistance, identify the best solution provider and working well in collaboration can significantly help you to come out on the other side in a better place and often, fully restored with your peace of mind returned.
Before one might reach out and identify the professional assistance that they will decide to assist them they have to resist the impulse to react recklessly in defense.
It might feel like the proper response but it is an emotionally-driven reaction that is likely to be low on logic and fail badly, maybe spectacularly, to improve the situation. It will much more often escalate the conflict and create another "fire” or a bigger one to extinguish.
Smear campaigns however must be addressed. They usually don’t just go away. The aim is to get you to “eat it” and take the punishment planned for you, with no consequences going to the perpetrators.
You don’t have to “eat it” or be foolish and react aggressively in a retaliatory manner, which will only make your life more problematic (legally, socially, etc.).
You can respond intelligent, wisely, effectively and successfully.
Brief: End
Michael Toebe can help you respond best to smear campaigns. He is the founder of Reputation Intelligence - Reputation Quality and a specialist for helping individuals and organizations through complex, challenging, dangerous experiences involving reputation and protecting them along the way. Contact him at 316-226-4071, reputation.intelligence.rq@gmail.com or through the form below.
