IT DOESN’T HURT TO ASK FOR ADVICE

There is not a person in the world that knows everything about every subject. Yet, we have all run into a person that has an opinion or feels he is an authority on any subject that may come up in a conversation. The trick is finding a person that has a background in the area for which you are seeking advice.

This week I had the opportunity to have breakfast with a man who was a capital fundraiser for a major University. (He is now retired) I am working out some dynamics for working with non-profits for my current project, Palm Springs Wild WestFest http://www.palmspringswestfest.com.

I said “This is the issue, what would you do?”

He methodically explained his approach. I listened closely for I respected this man and the years of real experience working in the field. During the course of the conversation, my colleague arrived for a cup of coffee. He was able to hear the “why” the approach was sound from someone else other than me.

Once the retired fundraiser had explained his approach, I talked to him about my findings, which matched his advice completely. He smiled and said, “Kathy you did something really well. You did not tell me what you had decided, instead you asked for my advice. You didn’t put me in the position of having to tell you your approach was all wrong.”

As I drove away, I smiled. What a nice compliment. I realized that my business communication skills had automatically kicked in. If you ask for advice, listen first.

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION TIP:

When you are going to be working on a project for any length of time, be sure you subscribe to the local newspaper before you arrive. You will learn the issues facing the community. In addition, you will learn about the restaurants and even activities that you might want to put on your calendar.