I don’t believe in creating “hard and fast” rules but I do adhere to some common principles in any work I do. The most important one I know (and incidentally, the hardest for me to live since I can be overly sensitive, at times) is not taking anything personally. Now listen…you might be thinking to yourself, “Gee Chris, that’s pretty much common sense. Is that all you got today?” And I will reply, “Yes, it’s all I have today. And why don’t you take your snarky, moronic, know-it-all attitude and just…” Oh, right. We’re talking about not taking things personally.

While I list this as a commandment of community management, it really does apply in almost all professional and personal situations. Those among us who can master the ability to not shred someone who criticizes our work or ideas may not inherit the earth but they will be far more successful.

The question I ask when confronted with an individual or situation that challenges me is: What can I learn from this? It’s simple and it gets me thinking about other possibilities. If you’re managing a community, how do you deal with criticism, particularly if its negative criticism? Do you defend your position by erecting a barricade or do you welcome the commenter in and try to understand the world from their perspective?

Your company’s community and customer engagement may hang in the balance.