Avoid stepping into a great man's shoes
Avoid stepping into a great man's shoes. A good friend of mine came to me because he needed some advice. I thought "Oh, okay". I wasn't sure I'd be able to assist because I am not the advice type. However, I am a good listener so I was pretty sure we could come up with a solution. To assist someone who needs advice, I often use the Socratic method, that is help using framing questions, this way you think that you came up with the solution on your own because you thought for yourself. It is effective because this way no judgments are cast and you don't give awful advice. The truth is that we already know what to do and often times we just need validation from the outside world. The art of giving good advice is getting the other person to lay out all his cards and ask questions. This way the other person is reflective and your job is done. Don't say what you think because that's not what the other person needs, plus your judgment is flawed in...