Written by: Vickie Sullivan | November 23, 2021
How to Handle Conflicting Opinions and Advice
When making big decisions, you likely solicit advice from clients, colleagues, and trusted team members. It’s great to get such feedback, but it could be a lot and they might provide contradictory opinions. And that could make it difficult for you to decide.
It’s a delicate situation. You want a variety of feedback, but you may not have a systematic approach to evaluate that information. As a result, decisions drag on and confusion reigns. Or worse, team members might start arguing for their perspectives.
To keep feedback from becoming an obstacle, here are two distinctions I use all the time:
• Talent takes the lead. If I’ve hired someone who has specific expertise, I’ll give their advice more weight than that from a well-meaning friend who has other gifts. I’ll use the latter to ask questions such as “what about…” to vet ideas or get a heads-up on potential obstacles. If I’m satisfied with those answers, I move forward with the expert’s approach.
Listen: 3 Little Words That Clarify Conflicting Opinions
• Compare situations. If a close colleague shares what’s worked for them, I pay close attention to their situation compared with mine. Are they in the same market? How are their buyers different? Are their goals the same? Those answers help me take the best of their ideas and make them work in my scenario.
Outside advice is critical for success, especially when you make big decisions quickly. The key is to not let opinions become personal.
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