Are you getting the right advice?

Being a senior-level executive in your company doesn’t mean you always have all the answers. However, asking for advice can lead to mixed results. How do you ensure you get the right advice in the most efficient means possible?

​The best advice comes from the right advisor 

Most advice comes from well-intentioned people who want the best for you. Yet they may be unclear on the exact problem you’re seeking advice. If you incorrectly define your problem, it can be hard for you to find solutions to your challenges. 

Here are some ways for you to ensure you receive correct advice that matches your situation. 

1. ​Ensure the problem is diagnosed correctly

Are individual KPI’s impacting the accurate description of the root cause? 

A company can easily lose sight of its strategy and instead focus strictly on the metrics that are meant to represent it. For an extreme example of this problem, look to Wells Fargo, where employees opened 3.5 million deposit and credit card accounts without customers’ consent in an effort to implement its now-infamous “cross-selling” strategy. 

• Don’t just focus on the numbers: It's your job to explain the insights behind the numbers, their purpose and their impact on your organisation. They should be used to support your main point. 
• Use metaphors and analogies to explain your insights and avoid jargon 
• Be honest and transparent: Tell it how it is to ensure you instil confidence and trust in your audience. People don’t want to feel like you are hiding something or gloss over the bad news.

Are there emotional attachments? 

Whether it's a personal choice or a strategic business decision, emotions often crowd out objectivity. Make sure you create your own decision rules, don’t decide alone and seek external advice based on previous experience. 
 
Are there random boundaries being placed around problems? 

A leader must never view a boundary as a restriction, but rather as a strategic enabler for continuous improvement and opportunities previously unseen.

2. ​Communicate effectively

Have you communicated the full story? 

Problem solving requires transparent communication where everyone’s concerns and points of view are freely expressed. It is difficult to get to the root of the matter in a timely manner when the right people have not been interviewed or do not speak-up. 

Are there biased accounts of the problem? 

Organisational silos are the root cause of most workplace problems and are why many of them never get resolved. Transparent communication requires you to break down silos and enable a boundary-less organisation whose culture is focused on employee and customer experience.  Unnecessary silos invite hidden agendas rather than welcome efficient cross-functional collaboration and problem solving. 

Do behaviours inhibit open communication? 

A few signs of a toxic work culture that inhibit open communication are backstabbing, scapegoating, lack of accountability, low morale and playing favourites. Culture is the backbone that runs the business. If your company’s culture isn’t carefully nurtured and cultivated, it can quickly become your biggest liability and destroy all your hard work. 
 
Do personal views complement overall business strategy and goals? 

By aligning company goals with employee (or personal) goals, an organisation can be more productive and move forward in the same direction. Organisations need to: 

• Have clear and simple goals that are SMART 
• Communicate organisational culture, strategy, vision constantly and hire ONLY the culturally fit 
• Move to outcome-based models that are focused on goals and avoid incentives (short term gains) 

3. ​Provide a frame of reference

Once the problem has been correctly diagnosed, you can begin to build the framework to solve your challenges by utilizing the following strategies: 

• Assess individual goals against overall corporate objectives to understand motivational drivers 
• Share contextual information from prior experiences 
• Brainstorm a range of ideas and alternatives 

​The best advice comes from the right advisor 

Now that you have a well-defined problem, the next step in receiving the right advice is to partner with an advisor that understands your unique challenges and is able to identify a solution that meets your specific requirements.  

At SMA Consulting, we strive on building one-to-one personal experiences that are tailored to provide you with the tools, expertise and experience you need. 

SMA Consulting
Best Practice for Providing Advice

Not only do we possess the knowledge and proven track record to support you, we take the time to unpack the unique challenges of your organization to then offer the right options and recommendations.   

Contact us today to discuss your organization’s challenges.