Having discerning judgment and being able to evaluate people and situations is an important element to being successful in business–even a small, home-based business. For some of us, however, we might be taking things too far. Constant judgment and picking our clients and customers to shreds with our criticism and judgment can keep us from providing good customer service and building lasting relationships in our work.
As hard as I have tried, I have not yet been able to eradicate judgment entirely from my personality. I just cannot help but size up people and situations and try to put them into categories. I know that this is not all bad, but I can let my tendency to quick-judge individuals get in the way of my giving them a chance. I am sure you can see how this can be an issue when running a business. While there is something to be said for following one’s gut and tapping into instinct–judgment is something entirely different.
To combat my tendency to be judgmental, I have learned to slow things down and talk myself through having an open mind while I gather more facts and details. If I tell myself I am going to suspend judgment until I have known someone for two weeks, a month or whatever, it gives me more time to build a relationship or connection before passing judgment. By then, I generally have a more level-headed view of things. Additionally, keeping the focus on business and the task at hand can help to keep my judgment at bay.
Tearing customers and clients apart with critique and judgment–even if you are careful to do it in the privacy of your own home and not in front of them or with other colleagues–is dangerous ground. How can we NOT let it affect the way we treat these people an interact with them? Not to mention, there are some very perceptive people out there who will know we are not being genuine with them and they will take their business elsewhere.