Today I want to talk about advice and more specifically this idea that advice is not about telling someone what to do. It is about guiding them towards the right outcome.
I give advice every day. It is part of working in financial services and part of supporting people through decisions around lending, investment, and the complexities that sit around money. But I think our industry often treats advice as something simple. Something direct. Something where the expert announces the answer and the client nods and follows along.
But real advice is not like that at all.
Advice Is a Partnership
Good advice is a partnership.
It is a privilege.
And it is never a dominant position.
Helping someone shape a decision that is right for them is much closer to coaching than directing. It is curiosity. It is connection. It is the willingness to look at a person’s full picture and help them understand the options that sit in front of them.
Because the moment we treat advice as instruction, we stop empowering people. We stop growing their capability. And we stop creating trust.
Why Pros and Cons Matter
When people ask me for advice, whether personally or professionally, I try to give them something more complete. I offer my view, I frame it in their context, and I share the pros and cons.
Because pros and cons help people think clearly.
They help people consider the whole picture.
They help people make the decision that feels right to them rather than the decision that feels right to me.
Advice Is a Shared Journey
Being asked for advice is a gift. It means someone trusts you with something that matters to them. And when we treat that moment as an instruction instead of a partnership, we do them a disservice.
Advice should be about guidance.
It should be about support.
It should be about walking beside someone while they figure out the outcome that fits their life.
It is a small shift in thinking but it makes a huge difference in how we show up for others.
So that is my chat for this Monday morning. Have an amazing week. Get out there and smash it and enjoy your coffee.