The Importance of Asking for Advice
Terms with similar meanings sometimes lose their nuance in a busy workplace. “Feedback” and “advice,” often used interchangeably, are the perfect examples. As the name suggests, feedback is an assessment of past performance; its scope is inherently limited by that restriction. In contrast, a request for advice is forward-looking. Advice incorporates the retrospective analysis of feedback but complements it with actionable recommendations for the future.
However subtle or overt the differences may seem, research published in the Harvard Business Review indicates that using one term over the other can garner responses that vary immensely in value. By substituting “feedback” with “advice,” the researchers obtained responses that identified 34 percent more areas of improvement and 56 percent more ways to improve.
Feedback vs Advice – The Different and Why
People are essentially nice and avoid giving criticism when they have the option. Unfortunately, this well-intentioned tact diminishes the value of their feedback. Advice, on the other hand, is an active solicitation for constructive criticism. With the “niceness” barrier removed by the person requesting guidance, focus shifts from a generic assessment to pinpointing specific areas for improvement.
Feedback also only has real value if the person giving it has been working with or observing the recipient. For instance, a senior teacher can provide feedback on a junior’s teaching skills only after watching them give lessons; you can give feedback on a practice speech only after hearing it.
Advice is more versatile. A teacher may get invaluable advice from a daycare worker on how to engage children even if they have never been in the same classroom together. You could give a nervous public speaker universally-applicable tips on addressing an audience, regardless of the content of their speech.
Ask and You Shall Receive
Some people find it difficult to ask for advice. Often, this reluctance is rooted in embarrassment at needing assistance or a fear of acknowledging their shortcomings. The advantages of asking for advice usually greatly outweigh the consequences of persisting alone.
More than just resolving the issue at hand, a request for advice breaks barriers. In acknowledging another’s greater knowledge or skill, you embody one of the most powerful traits of leadership. The exchange usually benefits the giver of the advice by appraising them of a situation they may otherwise have overlooked. This mutual benefit establishes good working and personal relationships, which just makes good management sense.
One of the pitfalls to avoid is insincerity in requesting guidance. Seeking validation or ignoring advice that diverges from what you expect to hear are tantamount to disrespecting the adviser. Rather than forging ties, it frays them. Before you ask for advice, be ready to accept and act on it.
Would you like more suggestions on how to ask for and offer advice? Please contact me today.
