Not all of my ideas are good. In fact, every now and again they’ve been known to fall into the “let’s just go burn some money” category of foolishness. That’s the slot reserved for glorified pet projects with a minimal chance of providing even a marginal return on investment. Fortunately, I’ve been lucky enough to be surrounded by people that are willing (if not suspiciously eager) to tell me when my ideas are absolute “shit on a shingle.”
Obviously nobody really wants to hear their fantastic new idea might not be marketable, useful, or even possible. But, having a core group of friends and colleagues to keep things in perspective can be absolutely invaluable during those instances when your judgment is clouded by excitement or personal bias. As tempting as it is to surround yourself with people who praise everything you do, it rarely brings about a positive result.
The following is a handy chart illustrating my point:
As the number of people who politely agree with you goes up, so too does your confidence, resulting in an increased likelihood of executing your own bad idea. The end result is a false confidence surrounding a plan that should have been either tweaked, improved on, or nixed entirely if you’d been open to criticism.
With that in mind, here are a few simple reasons why you should try to encourage an open dialogue and embrace whatever feedback you get even when you strongly disagree.
1) It forces you to defend your own opinion
Regardless of whether you agree with someone’s criticisms, actively listening to their concerns and engaging in a dialogue forces you to articulate some of the finer points you might have initially glossed over when you were formulating your idea. If you find yourself unable to clearly explain how you formed your opinion in the first place, it’s usually a good indicator that you need to take a step back and do some more deliberating before rushing forward with any major decisions.
2) It can provide an unemotional perspective
It’s easy to get swept up in the excitement of a particular project and fail to notice that not everyone shares your enthusiasm. Although you might be totally amped about turning the internet on its ass with your new search engine that only delivers one result, you can use the blank stares and “stupid questions” you get every time you tell someone else about your idea as a barometer for how successful it’s likely to be.
3) You often identify additional problem areas that could otherwise go overlooked
Sometimes when you’re riding the wave of an awesome idea it’s easy to overlook the core business questions you still need to identify when considering a new project. Basic questions like “Who are our competitors?”, “Is this marketable?” and “What is the ROI?” Having other people around to remind you that these are important things to consider can save you from jumping to action before you’ve done the necessary research to build a foundation for success.
4) It keeps you grounded
Lastly, even if you’re “the boss” and the decision rests in your hands, it provides a great reality check that you’re still working toward making the most informed decisions possible. If you’ve done your job and surrounded yourself with people whose opinions you value and trust, then during instances when you’re met with almost universal opposition it should certainly give you reason to pause.
This isn’t to say you need to tailor your every decision to what’s most popular among the group. It’s just that no matter how wrapped up you get in your own opinions and ideas, you can always benefit from listening to what others have to say. As much fun as it is to berate people who disagree with you and tell them they “just don’t get it,” it’s usually not overly productive.
If you’re not convinced, feel free to tell me that you think I’m full of shit. I will listen politely, defend my position, and then silently hate you forever.
