Shaded Advice

Sometimes it's great to get unsolicited feedback and/or criticism. An outside pair of eyes can be very helpful in assessing your strengths and weaknesses, especially when it comes to customer service. But problems can arise when advice is accepted from a source that isn't very good. Let me illustrate this point with a true story:

Jack is the house manager at a theater. Much of his time is spent dealing with customers who are never shy about sharing their opinions. One day at intermission, an obviously upset woman approached him.

"The theater is too dark," she declared with venom. "I can't see anything. I know you like these artsy performances but you're putting on a show in the dark."

Jack looked at the woman and paused before saying, "Ma'am, do you know that you're wearing sunglasses."

The woman stared at Jack for a moment and then turned and walked away without a word.

It's easy to give advice and feedback. That doesn't mean that you should accept it from all sources. It's too easy to let bad advice impact you negatively.