Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings

The only thing you can do with good advice is to share it with someone else. He will never be useful to himself.-Oscar Wilde

First of all, make sure the person you are talking to is really looking for advice. Perhaps he just needs someone to be around and listen to him, just understanding, empathy and compassion. Don't feel like everyone always needs advice. Of course, you may have some understanding of the problem, but before drawing conclusions, you need to listen carefully to the person and understand his situation. If and only if your friend really ASKES for advice, only then is it worth offering something. When you are asked for advice, it is a great honor and at the same time a great responsibility. Good advice can help a person make the right decision or find the right path in life, while bad advice can be disastrous. Fortunately, we have the ability to reflect and distinguish between good and bad.

Steps

1. 1 Listen to someone who has come to you for advice. Each situation is unique in its own way, so never assume that you know everything you need to know about the problem. Listen carefully before giving advice, and understand the situation as thoroughly as possible. If you need to clarify something, ask questions. Active listening will not only help you offer good advice, but it will also increase the chances that the person will take your advice.
2. 2 Put yourself in this person's shoes. Try to imagine yourself in his situation. If you've been in a similar situation, remember what she taught you, but don't just rely on your own experience - imagine that you need to find advice for the unique situation of this particular person.
3. 3 Think about the possible consequences of your advice. Think about the possible consequences of being not give advice. If there is not much difference, then your advice is not bad, but also not very useful. The same goes for the situation when it is impossible to follow your advice. If the possible outcome of following your advice is worse than the alternative paths, it is most likely not worth giving.
   • Take some time to think. If possible, think seriously and continuously about how events might unfold, and evaluate the pros and cons (or benefits and costs) of each option. This is especially important if the problem is complex.
   • Think about both the short-term and long-term implications of your advice. The most important decisions matter because of the long-term effect. Try to look as far as possible into the future.
4. 4 Show compassion. Many questions require tact and serious analysis. If you really want to put yourself in the other person's shoes (as suggested above), chances are you can naturally show empathy. Even so, be mindful of how you formulate your advice and be sensitive to the other person's reactions. Advice is not just a logical exercise. It is usually designed to help a person deal with conflicting emotions and options.
5. 5 Invite the person to brainstorm. Sometimes simple and clear correct there are no answers. In this case, try to help the person analyze the alternatives so that they can come to a decision on their own. Even in simple situations, it is much more useful to help a person give himself advice, if only for the sake of being more likely to follow it.
6. 6 Be honest. If your advice potentially has a downside, warn the person about it. If you feel that you do not have enough knowledge or experience to advise something, honestly admit it. Your goal is not just to get someone to blindly follow your directions. Your goal is to help the person make the right decision, so don't act like a sales consultant.
7. 7 Set a good example. If you advise one thing and do another, your advice will be disingenuous. If you do what you suggest, people will respect your opinion.
8. 8 Be prepared that the person might not take your advice. If someone asked you for advice, this does not mean that he is obliged to follow it. Remember that the person himself always knows his situation and his desires much better than you, so you can never be 100% sure that your advice is the best solution. Remember that sometimes people ask for advice just to exchange ideas with you, so don't be surprised if the person turns down apparently good advice and decides to follow their own mistakes. Accept this and allow the person to live with their own decisions.

Tips

• Think twice before giving advice that was not asked of you. If you are not asked for advice, intrusion can be perceived as hurt, and your relationship is at risk of deterioration. Moreover, unwanted advice is usually ignored. At the same time, if someone close to you is about to make a big mistake in his life, you should warn him about it. If someone is contemplating something that could cause serious harm to themselves or others, you should contact the authorities.
• Do not give advice that you would not follow yourself. This is a very good test for the quality of the advice.
• Never be afraid to admit that in a certain situation you do not have good advice. If you cannot advise anything, but still want to help the person, suggest that he contact a specialist who has more knowledge about such situations.
• Almost any advice is subjective one way or another. Learn to separate facts from opinions, but feel free to share both.

Warnings

• Refrain from giving advice if you do not have the required qualifications, for example, on legal or medical topics. It is okay to share what you hear about, say, a specific illness or a specific law, but if you are giving advice, make sure the person is aware that you do not have the required qualifications.
• If you find out confidential information, do not share it with anyone.
• Always be aware of any potential conflict of interest between you and the person who came to you for advice. If you expect a benefit for yourself if the person follows your advice, but there is a risk that his own interests will be affected, refrain from advice, unless you are able to completely openly discuss your motivation with him.