I have experienced this feeling dozens of times. Were all the ideas relevant or practical? Of course they weren’t. Though sometimes I shouldn’t have, did I spend money and time to pursue these ideas anyway? Of course I did!

A true entrepreneur wants to change, do better, improve the existing solutions and leave a mark. By definition, entrepreneurs tend to trust their own judgment, discounting obstacles and risks. Rightly so, otherwise they would not be able to deal with all the challenges and setbacks. True belief and determination are the best friends of the entrepreneur. The net result of combining belief with determination is the ability to create the energy and persistence required to build a better reality.

This stated, the pursuit of potentially lucrative ideas generally comes at a cost, one that I like to call the Traps Befallen to the Entrepreneurial Spirit. These traps come in various forms, four of which I would like to address with some observations from both the western and Chinese prospectives:

1. Lack of questioning: neglecting the art of asking questions. In China it could be combined with the issue of face.

2. Difficulty with listening well: Westerners tend to suffer more than Chinese given western selling habits and some aspects of self centeredness.

3. The assumption of being understood: falsely thinking that people understand your vision, which is clear in your mind, and which you feel you are clearly explaining. This false assumption occurs more often in China given the fact that leaders expect you to understand them and act accordingly without explanations.

4. Over promising and committing: In the course of explaining your vision, over promising may result as well as building potentially false expectations amongst investors and/or partners. In China it could also pertain to over promising within your own inside circles and groups.

Now, let’s assume that we are in agreement that these traps could potentially lurk in the background for those with a strong self belief and determination as they are pursuing what they believe to be potentially lucrative ideas. The next phase, then, would be to explore how to avoid these traps and consider what could be gained by pursuing an opposite pathway.

Lack of questioning trap:

Entrepreneurs generally focus more on action rather than questioning. In the general population, analysts and academics tend to be the best at asking pointed questions to collect the facts. Though entrepreneurship is not their specialty, we can nonetheless learn from their ability to exercise this important skill set, keeping in mind to remember the equally important skill set associated with the art of action.

Difficulty with listening well:

During his doctoral work, Dr. Shebet of Tel-Aviv University discovered that active listening helps to build an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect. It also helps to avoid an unpleasant or a proverbial “foot in the mouth” reply as well as potential behavioral or cultural missteps.

Dr. Shebet’s research included observation of conversations between sales people and costumers as well as between entrepreneurs and experts or leaders. More information was gathered and more help was offered in those conversations where the participants exhibited good listening skills like repeating the other side’s points, and the nodding of the head while looking into the other’s eyes.

The assumption of being understood trap:

In 1990 Dr. Elisabeth Newton, then a Ph.D. candidate, divided a group into two sub-groups. One subgroup was given a list of very famous songs and were asked to tap the melody of these famous songs with sticks. The second subgroup was asked to listen and identify the various famous songs.

Before the experiment began, the first group was asked to project the rate of success and estimate how many from the second subgroup would be able to identify the song. The first subgroup guessed that 50% of the second subgroup would be successful and projected that those in the second subgroup would be able to identify every other song. The reality, in the end, was astonishingly different. Only 2%-3% could identify the songs!

Why such a difference? When we know something and its ringing in our mind, we are sure that others understand as we do. But the simple fact is: others have no clue. In the case of Dr. Newton’s test, most in subgroup two, though they heard the taps, they did so without a decipherable associated musical pattern. The situation experienced by the first subgroup, of their listeners not understanding their message, often happens to entrepreneurs while fundraising or while selling to new costumers. And, it’s easy to get frustrated. Why don’t they get it (?!), you may ask yourself. But, in reality, it is the presumptions made by the idea seller that are getting in the way. A listener must be able to hear the music as you do in order to understand. As such, patience is indeed a virtue for the entrepreneur as he or she encourages his audience to join or at least appreciate his symphony of thoughts and ideas.

Over promising and committing trap:

Even giants like Sony and Microsoft admit that their internal entrepreneurial teams have on occasion over promised. Examples include the Vista case of Microsoft and the gaming of Sony. The cost was high in terms of losing market share and negative media in both cases.

When you over promise, expectations are high and every challenge you hit may result in disappointment by even your closest people. In China, your group and relationships mean much more than any country in the world. As a result, one should be even more careful with overpromising.

How to overcome the traps described above? Since my childhood, my parents told me, if you are already aware of a trap or that a problem exists, then 50% of the solution is already in your hands. We have reviewed some of the major pitfalls of entrepreneurialism. It is now up to you to exercise good judgment, good listening skills and make your best effort to speak the language of your potential partners in order to produce a symphony that will produce a win-win situation for all of those involved.