When affiliates outside of your lines of sponsorship come to you for help, you can help them while observing high ethical standards. In fact, assisting someone in need of help is both ethically as well as morally correct. There are some boundaries that must be observed to maintain ethical standards of interaction. In fact there are some “do’s” as well as “don’ts.” This prevents improper cross-lining interaction. It’s possible this answer won’t get high votes. But my 20 years of networking experience, training and leadership stand behind this LEADERSHIP ETHICS question.
The delicacy of this situation could be greatly reduced if everyone who is a sponsor would understand that they have an ethical obligation to interact and somehow be helpful and supportive of their PSAs and the members of their down line! SILENCE ISN’T GOLDEN in this business.
When someone is in need of help, it depends on what type of help that they need. I believe there is some discussion that should remain within the line of sponsorship. For example it isn’t my place to suggest financial investments to an outside affiliate. I may say to a PSA, “you should consider buying some ads ---- (here),” but not to someone else’s affiliate. That sort of interaction belongs within a line of sponsorship. We have to separate ego from goodwill when interacting in this sort of situation. My rule of thumb is to always consider this: “What would I expect from another affiliate if they were talking to MY PSA? What are the boundaries I would want them to respect? Stay within those boundaries.” Another example: If someone else’s affiliate(s) asked me to recommend a sponsoring co-op, I WOULD NEVER suggest they opt in with me, I would never suggest ANY ONE ELSE’S co-op. I would suggest that they contact their sponsor or co-sponsor for this (this involves finances) and seek co-op opportunities there. If there are none at that level, I would suggest to that affiliate that they go right up their line of sponsorship asking if there are opportunities available. If that failed---SFI is everyone’s up line AND SFI has a co-op: S-Builder. I don’t mean to insult anyone, but this is the ethical way of handling it.
That paragraph was a “don’t” paragraph. Some other “don’ts”:
1. Don’t promote, encourage, or enable negativity in any way about their line of sponsorship, SFI, TripleClicks or any of the features. If they express negative, DO turn it into a positive. This may challenge some people’s standard of leadership.
2. Don’t treat outside affiliates who happen to write to you at your email as some-how “opting-in” for your services. Obviously, an ECA has every right to promote their products to affiliates who approach them about their ECA products/services—but it shouldn’t ever cross over into materials that are designed for that ECA’s SFI team members.
3. Don’t try to take the place of that person’s sponsor, always encourage them to interact with their sponsor or to find someone in their up line that they can work with---if a person waits long enough a poor co-sponsor will eventually drop off and be replaced with possible someone who is a leader.
4. Don’t cross-solicit other opportunities
5. Don’t turn them away
Some “do’s”:
1. Do be positive. Even if their sponsor or other members of their up line is floundering, encourage that affiliate to stay close to the FORUM, to SFI support, and to be patient with their up line.
2. Do suggest the training materials, reference materials, and other resources available in SFI.
3. Do teach them how to be resourceful on the internet for finding out information. Example: They want to find free ad opps; suggest they do a variety of search phrases with Google search (or other search engines).
4. Do encourage them, do congratulate them.
5. Always edify the SFI opportunity, TripleClicks and the various venues that are available to us as a part of this opportunity.
6. Do turn a negative into a positive. Every situation is a learning situation—It is also a leadership development opportunity: learn how NOT to be or duplicate how to be…
7. Do treat an affiliate as a person—a human being. Don’t treat them as a commodity or as a dollar sign.
Observing some of these straightforward Do’s and Don’ts will preserve the integrity of the co-op culture within SFI as well as preserve the integrity of the opportunity for all of us. If we focus on HELPING someone we will be less likely to help ourselves to someone. True Leaders won’t exploit the needs of others to their own benefit—whether it’s financially motivated or an ego issue. The biggest leaders are the biggest servers. When we properly serve the needs of others while maintaining high integrity and ethical standards, we will succeed BIG doing it the right way!
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