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Local Business  » Cures for Small Business Inferiority Feelings

Cures for Small Business Inferiority Feelings

Is someone stealing your entrepreneurial energy and enthusiasm

by trying to make you feel inferior? Operating a small business

is challenging enough without losing any of our drive.

As individuals, we need social approval. We tend to feel

inferior when people threaten to remove or diminish that

approval.

Some bureaucrats put us down or act superior. Most business

bullies are unaware when they are attacking the self-esteem of a

small business operator. Mere representatives of a power

authority will try to belittle successful entrepreneurs. There

are people who do not appreciate the superior skills required to

manage a successful small operation.

These derisive forces can be managed.

The first step is to recognize some symptoms coming from persons

who are:

* designated some authority with very little discretionary

power entrusted to them

* obsessed with their own personal insecurities

* lacking competency or permission to negotiate a reasonable

arrangement

* bound by strict regulations

* supervised by an overbearing boss

* predisposed to acting superior during most interactions with

others

* reflecting the accepted behavior of their organization's

culture

A small business owner/manager is wise to acquire some antidotes

and defense mechanisms to avoid being made to feel inferior.

Prevent and Defend with some of these tactics.

* Replace the word "small" with "independent" when describing

your business.

* Frequently repeat to yourself all your accomplishments,

battles won and the lessons learned from the ones you lost,

handicaps overcome, major crises survived, etc. This is not

unlike that old trick of imagining an overbearing person

standing naked in front of you.

* Remind yourself and others of your multi-functional

acrobatics performed in accounting, budgeting, marketing,

negotiating, problem solving, conflict resolving and other

functions requiring intelligence and expertise.

* Be well prepared by frequently rehearsing your list of

rebuttals and "defusers." Questions are most effective.

* Occasionally interject truthful statements that imply

slightly exaggerated facts or status. For instance, if your wife

and children help out in your business, refer to them as staff

members and imply sub-contractors are regular staff. Take care

to avoid embarrassment from challenges.

* Have you ever visited an office where a short person has his

or her chair cranked high while your chair is lower with a

backward slanting back that makes you feel you're slouched in a

bean-bag? Whenever I encounter this situation, I remain standing

and win far more often than I lose. Instead of leveling the

playing field you lift yourself to higher ground. When

challenged to sit down, ask if the positioning is fair.

* Seek out the true source of power because the people who do

hold the strings of power usually have huge responsibilities for

preserving public trust and delegate the details to

representatives. They are your best persons to resolve an

impasse. Even their power could be undermined. Since they are

highly experienced in wiggling off the hook, teach yourself to

become a skillful angler because it's fun reeling in the big

ones.

* When you sense a situation is appropriate or you want to have

fun experimenting with some ploys for determining maximum

effectiveness, go for it. Try saying things like, "I'm just a

mischievous little guy with a big mouth" (hidden threat of

public exposure or whistle blowing) or, "I'm not intending to go

public," of "I'm not planing to complain to your boss." While

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you are saying you are not going to do something, you have

implied it is a possible action for which you control the

deferment. I have used a little humor for easing adversarial

tension by saying, "Do you know who I am?" When they

questioningly reply, "No?" I declare with a sigh of relief,

"Thank God for that!"

* Recall the film, The American President (1995), with Michael

Douglas acting as President Andrew Shepherd. His opponent ended

each attack by saying he was running for President. Finally,

Michael's character lashed out with, "... and I am the

President!" If your small business is incorporated, you can

rehearse delivering that line with the same authority.

* While you're learning to act, practice being very indignant

which is partly true if you are feeling slighted.

* Fifty-five years ago, Stephen Potter wrote some humorous

little books on Gamesmanship and One-upmanship. The underlying

principles and tactics remain pertinent to this day. Many

contemporary books on negotiating offer tips for avoiding an

inferior position.

* Put the day's "teapot tempest" into perspective. At least, in

your own mind. This helps you to not feel inferior.

Make your objective to prevent being made to feel inferior. Make

your goal to be a happy and successful leader. Counterattack

with humility to avoid placing yourself in an embarrassing

position by overplaying your hand.

Convince yourself you are a Captain of Industry. Regardless of

the size of your operation, your role is to manage, influence

and control the forces around you and your domain. Feeling

inferior doesn't help.

About the author:

Gerry McRae offers advice, coaching and guidelines for writing

business plans on his website, http://www.UncleMaxSays.com. He

has written his own business plans for several successful

enterprises and has coached hundreds of students and

practitioners in writing plans.