Every entrepreneur receives unsolicited well-intentioned advice. It comes with the territory.

Sometimes the advice can be helpful. But most of the time the advice starts with a ‘should’. 

Nobody likes to be ‘should’ on.

But I think we’re missing out on a great opportunity to gain some insight from someone generally interested in what we’re doing. If nothing else, we have the chance to hear how our business is being perceived.

So how do we re-frame these moments of unsolicited well-intentioned advice so that we have a better chance of hearing what they’re saying and learning something?

Curiosity.

Starting from a position of curiosity leads to a string of questions that can provide insight into our own business that we may have not considered before. Taking a few minutes to follow our curiosity about why this person is giving us this specific advice could reveal some blind spots.

And when the time comes for you to give the advice, remember that nobody likes to be ‘should’ on.