Can I give you some advice? Have you heard that before? Well, if I were you, I would…. I would have never made that decision. What were they thinking?

As a leader, many people will look at the decisions you make and provide advice. Do you accept advice from others? How do you determine who and what advice to follow? In addition, people will seek advice from you. When and how will you provide advice?

“Whether you’re receiving or giving advice, flawed logic and limited information complicate the process. Advice seekers must identify their blind spots, recognize when and how to ask for guidance, draw useful insights from the right people, and overcome an inevitable defensiveness about their views. Advisers, too, face myriad challenges as they try to interpret messy situations and provide guidance on seemingly intractable problems.”-The Art of Giving and Receiving Advice by David Garvin and Joshua Margolis, Harvard Business Review, 2015

In the following chart from the article, understanding the different types of advice needed helps guide a targeted response. Many times people may be seeking validation in which they are not interested in hearing anything other than their own opinion.

We can explore this topic a little deeper with more thoughts, questions, examples, and discussions. It is an important topic, skill, and need in our role as leaders and learners.

What is the best advice you were given? What is the best advice you gave? Please share with all of us! Thank you for being a solution daily. We need you.

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