Let’s get some cliches out of the way:
1. Don’t believe your own PR.
2. Listen when people give you feedback, more importantly, act on some of it.
3. Always find ways to improve yourself and your company.
These are all very nice cliches that we should all adhere to, for sure, but let’s stop the violin music for a second.
If you listened to everything your critics say, you would be a major doormat. Why?
1. Study the Source of Criticism.
Most of your critics don’t like you or have opposite objectives to yours. There’s nothing wrong with having opponents and disagreeing with people, but you should not always listen to everything your critics say, either.
2. Some Critics are Actually Wrong and Misinformed.
In fact, some times, critics are wrong and uninformed. A board member who shows up once every quarter with boatloads of feedback is usually wrong. An employee who sees 1/10th of the whole picture but has 10 things to complain about might be wrong. A client who is told “the client is always right” and complains about not getting a free this or an extra is definitely wrong. The point is: criticism is a part of life, it’s not right or wrong per se, it just is.
3. Trust Your Gut.
As a business person, you deal with whatever it is that you deal with 24/7, sometimes you suffer from tunnel vision, for sure, but more likely than not, you know the in’s and out’s of your business better than a passer-by who wants you to believe he or she has all of the answers.
4. It’s Good to be Hated.
If people have nothing but good things to say about you: then they do not fear you, you don’t pose a threat, you don’t scare anyone and frankly you are a joke in their eyes. People compete for a limited amount of resources and rewards; don’t be a fool, if you pose any threat to other people’s likelihood of winning those resources and rewards, they will bash you.
5. Charity is a Myth.
People who say they are showing tough love and care about you are usually lying. They are looking out for themselves. Charity is usually a self-serving thing. I say usually, but I mean frequently.
When a coach recruit a teenage athlete to become a member of his team, he does so because the player can help the coach win. That’s why the coach will learn to love the player; it’s not the other way around.
The key is, the coach needs the player to win and remain relevant.
6. Winners Build Up, They Don’t Bring Down.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying don’t listen to the naysayers and critics, that’s crazy. I am just saying study the source, analyze why they are saying that. Some people can elevate themselves to your level based on what they contribute and say. Other times, people try to be on the same level as you by bringing you down. Don’t fall for that.
In other words, true, you’re really not as good as your biggest fan pretends that you are (sorry mom), but you’re never as bad as your biggest critic says that you are, either.
Subscribe: