Get Thee a Saddle

I recently came across this Yiddish Proverb:

If one man calleth thee a donkey, pay him no mind. If two men calleth thee a donkey, get thee a saddle.

I love it! I learned this same lesson from a boss that I admire. He is a great believer in getting feedback from friends, colleagues and customers. He would always tell me to "look for patterns" in feedback. If he started to see a pattern, he would make a change in our product. But, if the feedback was only mentioned by one person, he would ignore it, even if he agreed with the thought.

Feedback and continuous improvement are important concepts that we should incorporate in our businesses and personal lives. It is not an easy thing to do and can be expensive and/or painful. But the benefits of correctly looking for positive ways to be better or improve will pay off in the long run.