In a world full of advice

Advice

A comment made by a friend over dinner the other night about some advice she had been given has triggered one of my pondering sessions….

Having started a new role she is now working from home for some of the time and was telling me that she has been advised to setup an office space at home. To go to work and to use this setup to keep work separate from her home life. She looked a bit surprised when I said that this method didn’t work for me. In part because my office is possibly the darkest room in the house and I crave natural light but also because one of my cats seems to take offense at me working in there but will settle quite happily it I sit on the bed or on the sofa in the conservatory.

The thinking that this story triggered for me was around the whole topic of advice.

As I say in the title of this piece, the world seems to be full of it at the moment but it is rare that anyone stops to ask what you are trying to achieve before they share their wisdom with you.

Not only are we all different but we are also looking to create different things in our lives. For me working hom home is about creating a more relaxed lifestyle where work is enjoyed as a seamless part of my daily routine and can be slotted in between different things. Like the washing, shopping, watching tv and catching up with friends. For those working from home but employed by someone else it is likely that core hours will need to be covered, phonecalls or video conferences will need a quiet and well set out space and the freedoms that I enjoy just won’t work… but they might.

Receiving advice tips:

  • Listen
  • Ask questions
  • Find out why
  • Decide what you need
  • Cherry pick the best ideas to achieve it

Giving advice tips:

  • Ask about the situation
  • Find out what the other person is looking to achieve
  • Give options
  • Encourage ‘tweaking’ of options for a perfect fit
  • Help create a brainstorming session
  • Remember the outcome isn’t yours

…and if you catch me wading in with advice before asking what you are aiming for… please feel free to clip me round the ear ?

Posted in General, Tips and tools

About Clare Wildman

Life coaching from Lincolnshire. Having moved from Milton Keynes I'm now based between Boston and New York, in the UK. Looking forward to welcoming clients to the new coaching room and having the option for walking as we talk or taking advantage of sunny days in the garden.