Constructive Criticism: How to tell when the "haters" have a point.
To start, let's consider "American Idol". (And while we're considering, please also think of a time when you made a terrible decision.) The show "American Idol" has identified and produced many highly-talented musical acts. However, it is almost more popular for its rejects, for those people who were so delusional about their abilities that they gain a short-term measure of infamy for their embarrassing auditions.
There is a running script shared amongst these rejected contestants where they disagree vehemently with the judges and reject their critiques, assuring the camera that they will achieve their dreams regardless of what any critics (frequently mislabelled as "haters" in these diatribes) say.
It is easy for us to find amusement at the expense of these failed performers. However, how many of us have made equally bad decisions which, mercificully, were not recorded for the benefit of a nationwide audience? Thinking back to a terrible decision you have made in your own life, were there people in your life who, at the time, advised you against that decision? Did you listen, or were you dismissive of them as critics?
I'm asking about these things because, lately, I've seen some terrible business advice being shared across social media. Particularly "inspirational" quotes such as
"Don't let the voice of critics paralyze you. Believe in yourself. You can do anything you set your mind to!"
On the surface, that sounds like great advice. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained," and all that.
However, the problem comes when entrepreneurs cannot accept any criticism, and instead write off unpleasant truths as the sour grapes of "haters".
So, how can you gauge when criticism is constructive and when it is truly just jaded attempts at crushing your dreams? Ask yourself these questions...
Does this person love me? Or, do they at least like you or care about you? There is the possibility that a loved one will be more cautious than optimistic, as they don't want to see you suffer a setback. Someone who is just a casual friend or acquaintance might be more encouraging, as its more important to them that you like them.
Alternatively, what is the likelihood that this person despises you to the extent that they would actively attempt to prevent your success? If the person disparaging your plans is an actual avowed enemy, feel free to ignore their criticism (and, perhaps, avoid interacting with them socially at all).
Think back to those hopeless "American Idol" contestants. The judges don't critique them because they hate them, and many of the contestants families offer them excessive encouragement out of blind (or, in this case, deaf) love. The judges are able to be objective because of their personal indifference to the individual.
Does this person stand to gain or lose from my failure or success? If you are discussing a new business venture with someone who would be a direct competitor, they probably are not rooting for your success.
However, if they are a spouse or someone with whom you are financially entwined, it's possible that their criticism is coming from a place of caution. While they might share in your success, they also stand to lose along with you in the event of failure.
Also beware of "friends" who are willing to build you up but not invest in you. There are people who will encourage you into risky ventures in the hopes that you will remember them in your success, but who will abandon you should you fail. While someone is patting you on the back, make sure they aren't also trying to hitch onto your coattails.
Am I paying this person and, if so, what am I paying them for? Obviously, as people in the business of providing financial guidance, we believe in the value of business coaching and related fields.
However, we do not see the value in "yes men".
There seem to be two types of people you can hire to help you with your business: The first type is how we at The Bookkeeper fancy ourselves. We want to help you succeed, but we don't think you're paying us just to give you "'Atta boys!" We want to help you set and achieve realistic goals and, if that means saying something you're not happy with, well, that's part of the service we're being paid for.
The second type of business professional (one that seems to be becoming more popular lately) is the professional encourager. They provide endless affirmation and assurance that, "If you can dream it, you can do it!"
They are paid cheerleaders.
And, as long as you know what you're getting into and that's what you want, that's fine. By all means, pay someone to tell you what a great job you're doing; it's your money.
But be aware that all of those good vibes do not guarantee your success. There have been countless business ventures that have failed despite entrepreneurs really believing in them.
Therefore, we hold to a less popular old saying: "When two people in business always agree, one of them is superfluous."
Disagreement can be healthy. We live in an imperfect world where not every idea is a good one and not every venture will succeed. Recognizing that can help you to recognize who is acting as a critic out of "hate", and who is doing it out of love.
How the Service Industry Prepares You for Entrepreneurship
Per the Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, service industry jobs in America outnumber manufacturing jobs almost 10-to-1. In 2012, retail and hospitality employees numbered 28.6 million, with that number projected to grow to 31 million (a 10.7% increase) by 2022. Currently, almost 1-in-10 Americans work a service-based job.
With so many Americans in the service industry, it stands to reason that many of the entrepreneurs of the future are the retail and hospitality workers of today. All of us at The Bookkeeper have at one point in our lives bussed tables or ran a cash register. That's how we know there are several professional skills you develop in the service industry that better prepare you for life as an entrepreneur.
Service industry employees work with a sense of urgency. Few businesses are more fast-paced than a restaurant. Everyone, from the front-of-house to the kitchen, knows that tasks have to be completed immediately. The slightest delay in taking orders or prepping an entree can result in backlogs, unhappy customers, and decreased revenues. If you get anything resembling "down-time", you hustle to complete side work and other prep that can help you when you get busy again.
How can you make it work in entrepreneurship? Former service industry employees know how to keep busy. You do jobs as they come in, without putting off the more difficult or frustrating tasks. You are great at maximizing your free time, answering emails or promoting your business on social media in between meetings and assignments. Clients are often impressed at how quickly you complete projects and respond to their needs.
Working with urgency makes you better at prioritization. Three days before Christmas, the store is packed, the registers are backed up, three customers are waiting for help finding items, another customer is on phone line 1 while your district manager is waiting on line 2. What do you do first?
For someone who has never worked retail, this is the sort of nightmare scenario which makes the service industry seem all the more undesirable. For those of us who have been in this sort of situation, this hypothetical has an easy answer: Help the customers in the store first, then the customer on the phone, get back to the DM when you can. There's no way to please everyone right then, so deal with the immediate areas of need first.
How can you make it work in entrepreneurship? You learn what fires need to be put out immediately and which ones can smoke a little while longer. You have an innate knack for putting your to-do list in the perfect order so you can do all you need to while keeping everyone as happy as possible.
You develop customer service skills and a thick skin simultaneously. It is no secret that employees in the service industry are often treated terribly by customers. Service industry workers are frequently (sometimes daily) required to withstand being verbally berated, not only without retaliating, but smiling throughout and heartily apologizing afterward (regardless of whether they personally have done anything wrong). Over time, you get better at both anticipating customers' needs and moods (thus avoiding such tirades) and letting verbal abuse roll off your back.
How can you make it work in entrepreneurship? Many small business owners have an incident or two where they face unwarranted criticism, whether it be an unfair Yelp review or bad word-of-mouth from a client fired for non-payment. Though the initial desire may be to fire back at whoever is spreading lies and gossip about you, this rarely works out well. (See the Amy's Baking Company fiasco.)
The better (though less initially satisfying) option is to prove your disparagers wrong with your continued professionalism and exceptional customer service. By refusing to let others drag you down into the muck, you keep your company's reputation so sterling that no mud slung can stick to it.
You become prepared for anything. Anyone who has worked in the service industry for even a few months has at least one crazy story, something virtually unbelievable. I have several, but my favorite remains the customer who became disgruntled when she spilled her alcoholic beverage.
This was not in a restaurant. It was in a dog grooming salon.
She spilled her drink because she was carrying it in a regular, open-topped glass. Loose in her purse.
Again, this was an adult woman, and not a toddler. Concepts like "liquid" and "gravity" should not have been a mystery to her, yet she was shocked and infuriated (at me) that her mojito had tipped over and was soaking through the bottom of her very expensive shoulder bag.
How can you make it work in entrepreneurship? Once you have had the experience of fetching towels to help a woman clean rum out of the bottom of a Dolce & Gabbana bag, and have apologized because she didn't believe the towels looked clean enough, few things can throw you off your game anymore. Deadlines being moved up or employee sick days just become minor hiccups, instead of major obstacles, and you develop an air of unflappability that instills confidence in clients. Remaining composed in the face of extraordinary circumstances is a hallmark of a great entrepreneur, and surviving the service industry lets you enter the game with that skill already equipped.