In business, as in life in general, there are a lot of influencing forces. You have customers, potential customers, competition, industry forces, and internal staff including interns, managers and executive leadership. No doubt, all of them have a different perspective on almost every situation you encounter. In most cases, if they have provided advice or counsel, they might even have a vested interest in the outcome.

How do you decide who to listen to? Who gets the biggest voice aside from your own? And, more importantly, who do you ignore, and why? These questions might seem fundamental in nature but if you don’t take the right information in, you can most certainly take the wrong action in return. It is very easy to listen to the loudest voice, and act upon everything you hear; but keep in mind perspective, goals and long term vision when you are listening.