“The Best Advice Show” is a podcast all about giving advice, as the name implies.
But in a recent episode, the guest of the day, Julia Putnam, the principal at the James and Grace Lee Boggs School in Detroit, offered the following tip: “I’m only telling you this because you’re asking me, but my advice is that you should never give unsolicited advice,” Putnam told podcast host Zak Rosen.
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Here’s why: the general idea is that most people know what they should do or what they want to do in any given situation, Putnam said.
There is usually a reason they’re not taking this course of action already.
Maybe they’re not ready. Maybe they don’t want to. So when you give the tip in an unsolicited way, there might be some resentment or resistance. And then some advice-givers will get mad when their wisdom isn’t taken or received well, so the whole situation creates more problems than it solves, Putnam said.
Listen to the whole episode here -- it’s only a few minutes long.
Putnam told Rosen about a really strong example involving a friendship.
The concept is simple, really: If you’re asked for advice and you feel capable of giving some, go ahead. Otherwise, it might not be the best plan.
Rosen wants to hear from you next.
To contribute some of your advice, drop him a voicemail at 844-935-BEST. Leave your name and your tip, followed by your email address in case he has any follow-up questions.
He’s not so much interested in platitudes and truisms, but instead, looking for the specific, odd, uplifting, effective, real advice from you about how you make it through your days.
“The Best Advice Show” is a product of Graham Media Group. Download it wherever you listen to or access podcasts.