Over the last year and a half, I’ve noticed a trend in my boxing classes…
In boxing classes, near the beginning of the class we’ll pair up with a partner and one person will throw punches while the other works on defense.
When new people take the class, they won’t throw punches directly at the face of their opponent. They’ll throw them to the side of their head and the other person will either pretend to move or tell them to throw at their face.
Once they start throwing punches at your face, you have to move or else you get hit – and sometimes you do. But it makes you better.
Throwing punches to the side of someones head doesn’t help them. Opponents in the ring don’t do that.
People opt for being “nice” instead of being helpful.
To get better you need punches thrown at your face.
This also applies to ideas.
Ideas desperately need honest, direct feedback.
Feedback of “That’s good” or “I like it a lot” doesn’t help. Those are punches thrown to the side of the head.
The only way for ideas to get better is to expose them to critical feedback.
Though the thing about critical feedback is that it’s not always right. But receiving any sort of honest feedback generally makes you and your idea better. If I passionately disagree with someones feedback, I’m going to have a lot more clarity and a stronger vision after debating it with them. Feedback forces you to defend the idea and answer the big “why” behind it.
To get better ideas, we need to be willing to take a punch in the face.
Connect with me on Twitter: @BenNesvig