Providing Advice: The Art of Collaborative Thinking

Providing advice. How do you do it yourself, really? Do you quickly come up with a solution, or do you first try to understand what is happening? Perhaps you notice that your advice sometimes does not resonate as you had hoped. Or that your conversation partner reaches a conclusion halfway through, while you are still in the midst of exploring. Or perhaps you get stuck in the entire dynamics of a consultation process. How are your advisory skills?

In this article, you will discover how giving advice becomes a collaborative quest, in which listening, structuring, and allowing space for choices are central. Because effective advice is not an answer; it is an invitation to think. Let's proceed.

What is giving advice?

Providing advice is a craft of its own. Unlike an expert, who describes how something works based on their expertise, an adviser helps the other to gain their own insights. Giving advice is not about being right; it is inherently a collaborative process. It is a journey of thinking together, structuring together, and discovering together. A joint quest for insight, direction, and opportunities. A good adviser knows: it is not about the answer, but about understanding the question. And that question is rarely straightforward.

An adviser:

·       Asks the question behind the question;

·       Clarifies the problem before seeking a solution;

·       Expands the client's thinking, making it broader, more open, and creative;

·       Remains connected to the client.

The five keys to effective advice

There are five fundamental principles that can elevate your advice to a higher level.

1. Connect first, advise later

An advisory conversation does not begin with a solution but with a relationship. By truly listening and connecting with the client's perspective, trust is established. Talking is already the first step towards insight — often the client advises themselves while speaking.

2. Thoroughly assess the problem

An adviser separates the issue from the solution. By asking, “So this is the issue?” the solution becomes less dominant. This is beneficial as it allows other options to become visible. What the adviser does is structure reality. It is an organisation puzzle that requires patience and precision. Providing this kind of advice requires practice.

3. Analyse and collaborate thoughtfully

A Trusted Advisor stays closely engaged with the client. Because that client is constantly changing. By continuing to ask questions, you open the other's thinking. You assist in structuring, not directing. The client determines the truth; you help them to find it.

4. Communicate clearly and synchronised

An effective piece of advice is not a dictation. It is an interpretation of possibilities, with their pros and cons. The adviser remains service-oriented, like a director in the wings. Not in the spotlight. And also like a waiter: present, attentive, and focused on the other's well-being. This means you must be continuously connected to the client; the client feels that you are there for them.

5. Allow room for choices

An adviser does not choose. They outline scenarios, specify consequences, and allow the client to make their own decisions. This fosters ownership. And that is crucial because an unendorsed piece of advice tends to be neglected. Therefore, always involve the executors in the process.

From insight to impact

These are the five keys to effectively providing advice. The outcome of an advisory process is often a final report in which all insights converge. But the real success lies in the process: in the conversation, the involvement, and the support base. Only then does advice become reality.

Would you like to learn how to provide advice more effectively and easily?

At The Ascent, we can teach you much more about providing advice in all its facets. The Ascent offers a variety of training courses that help business professionals advance in their development. Have a conversation with one of our advisers. Then you will discover together what is possible for you.

Here you will find a contact form for a preliminary telephone introduction. There are no obligations.