Self-Deception

There’s a Jungian idea that other people can tell you more about yourself than you can. By being emotionally removed they can assess from a more objective perspective—they see how you act, what you spend your time on, and what you avoid. 

The same thing could be said about our guests. If we don't make an effort to see from their perspective or call on them for feedback, we really have no idea how well we’re doing. Maybe we have a line out the door, money consistently hitting the bottom line, and relatively low turnover. But if we don’t know Why this is happening, can we sustain it? And while it might look like we’re crushing it, how much better could we be?

Of course, not all feedback is created equal. We want feedback from people who get it, not anonymous trolls or one-time hitter quitters. We want feedback from our guests, not just randos. 

There is a sweet spot. No feedback and we’re not as good as we could be. Feedback from the wrong people and we risk becoming confused or chasing shiny new objects instead of focusing on higher-level goals.

Listening to people tell you how you’ve fallen short of their expectations can be uncomfortable. But the opportunity to learn and grow in good faith stings less than the pain that ultimately comes from blindly leaning into your own self-deception.

At some point, a business unexamined and unchallenged falls apart.