Another Manager Hack on Advice
- cynthia700
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Last week, I shared some thoughts on advice—when to give it, and how it lands. This week, I’d like to take it a step further.
Sometimes, the most transformative thing you can do in a conversation isn’t handing out the “right” answer—but guiding someone to discover it themselves. There's a compelling body of research showing that people are more motivated and committed to solutions they generate on their own rather than those presented to them.
One standout piece is “The Art of Giving and Receiving Advice” by David A. Garvin and Joshua D. Margolis, published in Harvard Business Review (Jan–Feb 2015). They argue that giving advice is less about having the perfect answer, and more about mastering a skillful process—and that empowering someone to craft their own insights is often far more impactful.
A Practical Advice Hack
The next time someone says, “I need your advice,” don’t answer right away.
Instead, ask them:
What have you tried so far?
What haven’t you tried?
What ideas do you have about the best way forward?
What concerns do you have?
What challenges do you anticipate?
How do you think you might overcome those?
You’ll be surprised how often people already know their answer—they just need space to uncover it.
And if, after all that, advice still feels needed, that’s when you drop the magic line: “Do you want my advice?”
Take This Coaching Skill Even Further
✨ This is one of the powerful coaching moves we practice in the Leader as Coach Mastery Program (LACMP)—where leaders learn to ask better questions, not just give better answers.
Ready to take these skills further? Registration is still open—and for this month of August only, we’re offering our biggest discount yet.
We’d love for you to join us and be part of a community that’s growing the kind of leaders the world truly needs.
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