13/03/14

We all like to listen to and take good advice, don’t we? However, as there is no universally accepted benchmark against which the quality of advice can be judged, whatever we consider “good” or “bad” advice is purely relative.

So, how about some advice about… advice?

If you find this circuitry perplexing and yet inexplicably compelling check out: 5 Rules for When to Listen to Advice (And When Not To)

 

Listen

advice 

Glossary

  • utilize – to put to use
  • chaff – the husks of grains and grasses that are separated during threshing.
  • mindful – attentive, aware, or careful (usually followed by of )
  • astray – out of the right way
  • solicit –to make a request, application
  • strike out – to set forth; venture forth
  • fraught with peril – full of danger
  • hurdle – a difficult problem to be overcome; obstacle

 

Think about it

 

Based on the article decide whether the following statements are true or false.

  • Honest advice is always right regardless of context.
  • Those who are too eager to give you advice are often narcissistic in a way.
  • It is only the people uninvolved in your business directly that can offer you valuable advice.
  • Smart questioning techniques can easily expose valueless advice.
  • Successful people are always a great source of invaluable advice.

 

Practice makes perfect

Put the words in bold in the blanks to create expressions.

relationship, room, picture, years, techniques, tequila, profitable, determining

  • ______ factor (Tip: It will help you make a decision)
  • ______ avenues (Tip: Ways of making money)
  • marketing ______ (Tip: a way of marketing things)
  • board _____ (Tip: The most important people in company gather here)
  • ______ shooters (Tip: Excessive intake can affect your memory)
  • working ______ (Tip: You know each other well and can work well together)
  • younger ______ (Tip: Usually childhood, adolescence, youth)
  • bigger ______ (Tip: Overview)

 

Now put the expressions you’ve just created back into the original text.

Always be mindful of the context on which advice is given. Great advice can come in a bar or in a ______ ______. But great advice rarely comes at a bar at 2 a.m. after a night of ______ ______.

In my ______ ______ I had a ______ ______ with a CEO of what would one day become one of my first company’s early competitors. During a conversation concerning ______ ______ he led me astray as to potentially ______ ______ of business. You see, being more seasoned than I was at the time he recognized that I was soliciting advice as to how to be his competitor. Knowing the context of the request he sold me a bridge. If only I had understood about context at that time I would not have bought it.

So strive to understand the ______ ______ and the context in which the advice is being given as one ______ ______ for the weight that should be given to it.

Explore it more

 

 


(707)