Nice vs. Honest; A Woman's StruggleWhy is it that so many women have a hard time being "honest"? Honest in the sense that when a colleague or peer asks for advice on a task that they've done, an article they've written, or a new project they've created.... women will tend to be "nice" as opposed to honest. Instead of giving them an honest response and critique, women many times will just say, "It's wonderful", "It's perfect', or "I think you did a great job", when in reality they may think it needs a lot of improvement.
This is not to say that by giving your honest opinion you are being rude and putting down another person's work. But if you are asked an opinion and you know that what has been created is something that will not enhance that person's business or has mistakes - be honest in a caring and encouraging way. Point out the good ideas and qualities that you can see in their work and then make the suggestions as to how it can be better. If you are able or willing, offer to help them with the redesign of their project and idea.
We owe it to each other to be honest in the feedback we give. And we owe it to ourselves to not take critiques and constructive criticism personally but to be grateful that our friends and associates care enough for us to put our best foot forward. In the long run, this type of honesty helps all women business owners, as we all create better and more efficient businesses.
I have a very close friend in that neither of us holds back anything on our opinions of each other's work and ideas. I thank God I have someone like that because she has been so helpful with her pair of eyes and providing a springboard for me. We both know and trust each other and would expect nothing but an honest opinion, even if it means throwing out an entire concept or project we had spent hours on creating.
So - keep asking for those opinions of others, and when asked for yours, tell the truth, in a way that you would want to hear it from others.
Cyndi Webb is the Founder and President of Moms Network
www.momsnetwork.com- an organization dedicated to the promotion and success of Moms in business. Since 1997 she has promoted and worked with thousands of work at home moms in coaching and guiding them in how to help grow their businesses. Over the years Moms Network has evolved to include more than 15 websites offering free resources to moms from all walks of life, the Connecting @ Home print magazine and the annual Celebrating Moms Expo which attracts thousands of moms in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Cyndi makes her home in Minnesota with her husband and two children.
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