Do you ever seek advice when you already know the answer? You know, the right answer. For YOU, not the right answer for others.
Me too.
There are great questions to ask when people seek you for advice, here are a few:
- What do you think?
- If you knew the answer, what would it be?
- Can you tell me more?
- What does your gut tell you?
- If time and money weren’t an issue, what would you do?
Any of these questions open the door for people to find their answers, not yours. When you take the bait and answer the “advice” people are seeking, you inject our perspective which is valid; for you.
Though we seek to help others circumvent pain, shortcut problems and move more quickly, we often insert our agenda into theirs. It’s a less direct route when it’s not authentic. When in doubt, ask.