Trusted Ears

Do you ever ask for advice? Do you try out your new ideas on people before they are seen by the public? Probably.

My experience is that the world is divided into several groups when it comes to critiques:

One group likes everything. Tell someone an idea and she'll love it. This could be because she has such esteem for you, or it could be because it's easier than being critical.

Another group hates everything. These folks have discovered that if you are harshly critical early on in a process, it means you won't be responsible for failure of the idea later.

A third group eggs you on. These are the people who push you to make it sharper, more remarkable and, yes, riskier.

The last group pushes you to tone it down. To go ahead, but carefully. To round off the edges.

Yes, there are people who are able to jump from group to group, who have unpredictable insights. I know one person who is unpredictable... except for the fact that she is always 100% wrong about my ideas (if she likes it, we've got trouble).

The interesting thing is that you get a choice. The choice of who to ask.

So, who are you asking?