Today’s post is all about how to make better business decisions, by filtering the advice and information you receive.
Bad advice with good intentions
There seems to be no shortage of people, eager to give their unrequested advice to business owners. I have been thinking about this a lot lately. A local business has recently changed ownership. The new owner told me that he’s being bombarded with well intentioned, yet bad business advice. He explained that those offering the advice, have told him they’ve never run a business and have no expertise in his field of business.
Yes, they are trying to help. Yes, they are sincere, as they tell him what to do and what to avoid. However, good intentions and sincerity do not transform bad advice into good advice.
Bad advice with powerful communication
The Internet is packed with voices, offering us the keys to business success. Some of these voices sound convincing. They come from people who are gifted communicators or powerful writers. The challenge, is that bad information that’s well communicated, is still bad information. Just as the intentions behind advice do not change the facts, neither does the way those facts are delivered. Toxic information, well communicated, will still damage us.
The lesson?
Before you act on business advice, detach the message from the intent and the delivery. When looked at in the cold light of day without all the hoopla, what seemed like a great idea often evaporates.