“Those who are truly open to guidance (and not just looking for validation) develop better solutions to problems than they would have on their own. They add nuance and texture to their thinking – and, research shows, they can overcome cognitive biases, self-serving rationales, and other flaws in their logic.
“Those who give advice effectively wield soft influence – they shape important decisions while empowering others to act.”
Advising (when done well) is a collaborative process, as the above excerpt from a Harvard Business Review article on “The Art of Giving and Receiving Advice” suggests.
As a dynamic, versatile communications agency, Flow Communications draws on the wide range of strengths, abilities and experience of its 50-plus staff members. Flowstars themselves are also always learning on the go from colleagues with different perspectives and skills.
As a fun and thought-provoking morning exercise during a recent company video-conference meeting, CEO Tara Turkington asked team members to share snippets of the best advice they had ever received.
Here’s a selection of 25 of the many inspirational responses that flooded every Flowstar’s computer screen:
- Get enough sleep
- Pick your battles
- Your life, your standards
- Don’t ever stop learning
- Don’t die with regret
- Dream big
- Respect is a two-way street
- Save, save, save, save. It will help you in the long run
- Always add love to whatever you are cooking
- Love your child unconditionally. And let them know you love them unconditionally
- Surround yourself with the best people you can find
- Be patient
- From my grandpa when I was moaning about my young kids: he told me to appreciate this time with them; they grow up so quickly. It’s true and they did
- And these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of all is love
- Time and health are the most valuable assets you will ever have
- From my grandfather: you can please some of the people, some of the time. But you can’t please all of the people, all of the time
- Keep moving forward
- No! is a complete sentence
- You can’t change how other people behave; you can only change how you behave
- Buy everything cash
- You are enough. When you give your best, you’ve done your best
- Always be true to yourself
- If you do not like something in your life, you have the power to change it
- You can’t judge a person until you’ve walked in their shoes
- Travel all you can. No one can ever take memories away from you. You might not have money in the future, but you will always have your memories
Whether you need encouragement, motivation or simply entertainment, there’s sure to be a nugget of truth and wisdom just for you among these quotes.
Finally, consider three recent pieces of wise counsel from former United States president Barack Obama to high school students graduating in May 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Advising them on how to go forth into an uncertain world, he said: don’t be afraid, do what you think is right, and build a community.