Whether we’re selling a product or an idea, positive and negative feedback will impact our mindset and decision making process, it can work for us or against us. Imagine for a moment, you go to a friend with an idea. Here are some possible outcomes:

• Your friend tells you all the reasons why it will not work.

  The continuous voice of negativity can destroy self-esteem. For many people, finding possible flaws is a habit and easier than seeking or accepting solutions.

• Your friend simply doesn’t get it.

  Early adopters and visionaries may get it but many of your friends may not understand your ideas and foresight.

• Your friend says you’re very smart.

  A potentially disastrous position, being lead into a false sense of confidence, that your ideas are great and worth pursuing. An initial boost of encouragement sometimes sets people off in the wrong direction.

Of course, your friend could also be right, so a balance needs to be made, where we carry enough conviction to pursue our dreams yet equally keep both feet firmly placed on terra firma. We need to learn when to listen and when to ignore.

To better explore your ideas, you may need to downsize them and let them evolve. You may also need to test your ideas with more like minded people.

With each milestone we need to re-examine our journey as it is very easy to believe an outcome was based on sound judgment or execution when, in reality, luck played a greater part.

It may also help to keep a sense of perspective, feedback is relative to failure and success. When you get it right you’ll be cheered on, get it wrong and…

Here are some thoughts on how to respond to feedback:

• Recognise the benefits you are bringing to others.

• The world is in constant change, try to be more adaptable.

• Accept your failures and learn when to cut your losses. Don’t let your losses run.

• Remember people love to see actions, meaning and results.