The Advice and Guidance Manifesto
This is the future….I love working with interesting people who challenge me and push new ideas out for testing to see if the idea will improve whatever we are working on.
This applies at work and in my leisure (rowing) life…. and at home too.
I have worked with great people who have helped me along the way Honor Chapman, Pip Errington, Mark Adams, Richard Sheahan, Adriana Lukas, Marianne Grand, Julian Wells [where are you now?], Vyla Rollins [ditto].
I have also worked with great people who have NOT helped me along the way. Sad but true.
Time for payback. These people are GREAT. They have skill, ability, strategic thoughts and they are very generous with their ideas. And so here is my manifesto.
The Advice and Guidance Manifesto
Ever noticed how great, talented peoplet are free with advice and guidance? Why do they do it?
1. Because they aren’t threatened by sharing their ideas
2. Because even if I could use every idea they tell me today there are dozens more they are formulating which will keep them ahead of me for a while yet
3. Giving for free brings payback multiplied many times over (client referrals, new speaking opportunities, new ideas, building reputation….)
4. Because someone helped them when they were starting out and the responsibility cascades down the generations
5. So start doing it yourself - TODAY!
I know this. It happens here, on this blog. As I write 9.72 unique visitors read this site daily. Who are you? Delighted you are visiting. Presumably one or two are re-visiting - particular thanks to you, the faithful. Wow. Cheers. Pass the message on.
December 19th, 2006 at 1:29 pm
Really enjoying this blog. Thanks.
December 23rd, 2006 at 10:16 am
Well, they say “bread upon the waters cast returns as buttered toast at last”.
Ive had some fantastic advice and support from people. I lOve them for it, but I cant say I ever got to the stage where I didnt need their advice any more.
And I’m not sure that my advice was ever as valiable to anyone as theirs was to me
June 16th, 2007 at 5:26 pm
Hi I was just reading your Advice and Guidance manifesto (thank you for the
honourable mention - I’m delighted if anything I have said has been useful)
I’m afraid I am not sure I agree with point 3 now though – I think there is
an increasing tendency (for clients in particular) to suck us dry and not
look to reciprocate at all. Well that’s how it feels at the moment anyway.
Obviously most of them are under great pressure to do more for less and it
is very difficult to sort the ‘suckers’ from the genuine ‘explorers’. I
would find it difficult to stop being this way as I really believe that most
organisations need to pay their customers more attention but perhaps should
be more restrained.
June 22nd, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Hi Rebecca. Tina Fegent told me about your blog. Should we talk??
Check expertadviceonline.com or reply on kevinduncan@expertadvice.co.uk