“In times of crisis, give help first, then advice.”
Seems like a simple, easy to follow quote. Ever catch yourself giving advice first?
Here is an example:
Your friend routinely skips breakfast. By 1pm each day, he is ravenously hungry. You stop by his office to ask a question and there he is, eating pretzels by the handful. He starts to choke, and is visibly scared.
You could:
A – start lecturing him…”See what happens when you skip breakfast?…you always eat so fast at lunch it is no small wonder this hasn’t happened before!”
B – help him stop choking right away.
Think about this when a colleague has trouble at work finishing an assignment. Assisting in finishing a PowerPoint presentation may not be a life-threatening situation – but it can feel like it.
Help first, then advice.