Advice – Who Has My back?
People occasionally need guidance for professional development, managing others, handling leadership and performance issues, making business decisions, and choosing career paths. The question is: who can provide reliable advice to help achieve goals, avoid mistakes, and take action? Additionally, who should be avoided? Let’s explore both aspects to identify the best sources of advice.
The Best Places to Look:
One of the best sources of professional advice is someone who has been in your shoes and has succeeded in your field, role, or industry. This could be a mentor, a senior colleague, or a role model. They can offer insights, feedback, tips, and even connect you with others in their network. People with experience and wisdom can quickly elevate your skills, build your confidence, and provide perspectives that weren’t even on your radar. You can find such individuals through your network, online platforms, professional associations, or at events.
Another good source of professional advice is to seek individuals who offer their knowledge and experience for a living — such as a trainer, a consultant, a teacher, or a colleague. The benefit of these professionals is that they tend to have expertise and knowledge in specific areas. They can provide valuable insights, resources, tools, and the latest trends and strategies to enhance your performance, productivity, and leadership. You can find them through online searches, referrals, books, podcasts, blogs, or newsletters.
Probably Don’t Look Here:
Not all sources of advice are equally helpful or trustworthy. Here are a few places to approach with caution:
People who have a vested interest in your decision or outcome. These individuals may have something to gain or lose depending on the path you decide on. They might have ulterior motives, hidden agendas, or conflicts of interest that can bias their advice or influence your judgment.
People with no relevant experience or knowledge in your field or industry. This includes friends, family, neighbors, or social media sources. While their intentions may be good, they might offer irrelevant, outdated, or inaccurate advice that could mislead you or steer you in the wrong direction. Proceed with caution!
People who tend to have a negative or pessimistic attitude. These people may point you in directions that might discourage you or undermine you. Or they can be unhelpful in their feedback, and they might also project their own fears, doubts, or failures onto your ambitions.
The bottom line is to be selective and critical when it comes to seeking and evaluating professional guidance. Choose your sources wisely and verify their credibility and reliability. As you reflect, my advice, above all else, is to find an individual who will empathize, listen, challenge your thinking, and provide realistic and actionable guidance. Ultimately, you are the one who must make the final decision and live with the consequences.
By: Matt Francoeur