Why do we so often give advice instead of asking questions?
We are being constructive, no? We simply want to help:
Oh, I know just how you feel. I felt the same way…
I had that same thing happen to me…
Let me tell you what I did in a similar situation.
Do these sound familiar?
We want to help solve the problem, take the problem away quickly. And yet, so often, our advice only serves to put more distance between the individual and the solution. What’s more, particularly when it most matters, it can erode the very trust and rapport we were intending to build.
So what else can we do?