Passing On Advice – Are You All Ears?
Every year around graduation time people come up with lists of advice. I enjoy seeing what advice other people have been given and what advice they’re passing along. We learn by sharing ideas and thoughts; gleaning little nuggets here and there. Why wait until graduation to pass along golden nuggets? Here’s my list of the best advice I’ve been given from my mentors.
Everything Has a Price
The first time I heard this I did a little gasp. Did I really hear this correctly? EVERYTHING has a price?! Yes. EVERYTHING. I challenge you; name something that you think has no price. Do you have it? Now stop thinking only in terms of money and include time and life. Those things have value and thus have a price.
Why does this matter? The same philosophy behind the statement of missing 100% of the shots you don’t take. If you are interested in something, inquire about it. Many experiences, opportunities, and purchases will present themselves if only you ask, “How much does this cost?” Keep in mind, just because something has a price doesn’t mean you have to pay it. It is your decision if you are willing to pay the price. But everything does have a price. What matters is your consideration and decision on whether the benefit justifies the cost.
Pay It Forward
I am a compilation of investment from others. Time, thought, money, knowledge. I recall my mentor saying one day, “I invest in you and your generation, so that you can invest in someone else and their generation and the cycle will continue. Pay it forward when you can.”
Turns out investing in others is just as important to their growth as it is to your own. Paying it forward has a healthy impact on you as much as it does your recipient.
Answer the Unasked Question
This one is important because often people do not know what they don’t know. If I had no idea that it was possible for candy to be placed inside of a paper mache figure, how would I know that I should beat it until it busts? If people do not know what to ask, it’s most helpful if you answer the unasked question. To know if you are answering the unasked question, try playing the why game. Once you’ve exhausted most or all of the whys, you have answered the unasked question.
For example, “Do kids like piñatas at birthday parties?” could be answered with a simple yes, but then many why questions could follow. Instead a possible answer could be, “Yes, usually kids ages seven and older like piñatas at birthday parties because the coordination they demonstrate to hit the paper mache figure filled with candy until it bursts, while blindfolded, is entertaining as well as surprising.” The trick to this piece of advice, is knowing when to voluntarily provide this information and when a simple yes would satisfy. At ExactHire, we do our best to try to answer the unasked questions when working with clients on software implementations and ongoing support requests.
What kind of advice have you been given that has stuck with you?
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Image credit: Sage Advice 
by Randy Heinitz (contact)
