Navigating
the Floodgates of Advice
by Terri Lonier
Tell your family, friends, and colleagues that you’re
launching a business, and a remarkable thing happens: everyone
turns into an expert, willing to tell you how to run your new
enterprise. Even Aunt Sally, who has zero entrepreneurial experience,
now considers herself the voice of authority on your fledgling
operation.
All this well-meaning advice can make your head spin. Ask six
people you know for their feedback, and the likelihood is that
you’ll get six very definite – and divergent –
opinions.
So how do you know which ideas to take to heart and which to
ignore? Let me offer what may be the best piece of advice you’ll
ever get: Get clear on the distinction between receiving advice
and acting on it. Just because someone has given you advice,
it doesn’t mean you have to follow it.
Yes, you can listen to advice. Heck, you can even actively
solicit it. But when it comes to making the final decision,
never forget that you’re the business owner. The final
responsibility
– and resulting consequences – all reside with
you.
What gets so many soloists in trouble is that we don’t
know how to navigate the floodgates of advice-givers. We get
sucked into the strong currents of ideas and personalities,
and often feel as if we’re drowning. Here are some tips
on how to stay afloat.
* Acknowledge the advice-giver.
When someone gives you an idea or piece of advice – no
matter how wise or foolish – look them in the eye, smile,
and say "Thanks for sharing your ideas. I’ll give
them some thought as I make my decision." Even if you instantly
know you’d never do what they’re suggesting, it
smooths over the conversation in a respectful way. Your response,
of course, is also true, since you will think back on all ideas,
both inspired and discarded, when you make your decision.
* Keep an open mind.
Try to find merit in even the zaniest ideas. Sometimes the contrast
between a "not a chance" idea and one that’s
a great solution can jog your brain to new levels of creative
thinking. Give every idea a space in the pool of possibilities.
* Capture -- but don't process
-- every idea right away.
Jot the ideas down in a notebook, on tape, on your computer,
or with another digital note-taking device. Even though they
may not make a lot of sense right now, you may discover synergies
later. It’s also great fun to look back and see how many
ideas – even just small bits and pieces – end up
being important stepping stones to your business growth.
So let the flood of ideas and advice wash over you. Just don’t
let yourself drown in the obligation to follow through on each
of them. Acknowledge them all, but choose the best. After all,
you’re the one who’s the president, CEO, and chief
of your solo business. The advice-givers will come and go. You
want your business to stay for a long time.
Copyright 2000-2008 Terri Lonier. All rights
reserved.
A version of this article originally appeared on Oxygen.com.
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