The No-Nonsense Guide to Advice for Startup Executives
In today's startup world, advisors, board members, consultants, investors, and mentors –collectively termed here as 'advisors' – encounter a paradox: Despite the prevalence of challenges and information, there's a noticeable lack of clear guidance. Additionally, with emotions and sensitivities often intensifying, advisors need to embrace a straightforward, no-nonsense advising approach. Yet it comes with its own set of risks.
Delivering clear, and actionable advice that is truly honest is a skill that can significantly impact the lives of those around you. It can also impact your relationship with the specific person or team you advise.
Here's how to navigate past the unnecessary details, deliver your message succinctly, and foster a transparent, truthful rapport with those you're guiding:
Understand the Context: To give advice that resonates, you need to understand the situation fully. This means listening intently and asking questions to grasp the nuances of the problem. It can't be over-emphasized: listening is imperative. To tailor advice to the person and situation - in other words, grounded in the recipient's reality – it is necessary to get beyond platitudes by listening and understanding.
Be Direct, But Kind: I have learned a lot (painfully) about this point. You can be straightforward - direct if you will - without being abrasive. (I'm still imperfect on this; it's a work in progress.) The key is to express your thoughts clearly and concisely, ensuring your advice is easy to understand and implement. Remember, the goal is to help, not to hurt.
Focus on Solutions, Not Problems: It's easy to point out what's wrong, but it's more helpful to provide a pathway to improvement. When giving advice, focus on actionable solutions. I like to enumerate them. This approach makes your advice more organized and valuable and empowers the recipient to make positive changes.
Use Experience as a Guide, Not a Rule: Sharing your experiences can be incredibly helpful, even powerful, providing the context and relatability are right. However, it's important to remember that what worked for you might not work for someone else. Use your experiences as a guide but encourage others to find their path.
Encourage Self-Reflection. Encourage the recipient of your advice to reflect on their situation, goals, and how they can achieve them. The time they spend on self-reflection can lead to insights far more profound than any external advice – even yours.
Know When to Step Back: Sometimes, the most helpful thing you can do is acknowledge when you don't have the answers. Encouraging others to seek multiple perspectives or professional help when necessary is vital to giving good advice.
Follow-Up: Following up shows that you care about the outcome and are there to provide continued support. It also provides an opportunity to adjust the advice as the situation evolves.
True collaboration thrives on a dynamic exchange of ideas and mutual respect between advisors and startup executives. This two-way street, rooted in seven key principles (above), fosters innovation, problem-solving, communication, and a culture of empathy, action, and continuous learning.
On a personal note, I’ve understood that impactful advice requires a blend of directness, empathy, and understanding. While delivering practical guidance is natural for me, I'm constantly refining the art of effective communication, recognizing the unique challenges faced by each startup executive I encounter.
By sharing these insights, I hope to empower you to become a more impactful advisor and positively influence those you guide.