How can you be helpful without being condescending?
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How can you be helpful without being condescending?
Assuming the words are not hurtful, we sound helpful not patronizing when we:
- Learn what they think or feel instead of presuming to know.
- Check our motives before we speak.
- Ask permission to help before we give advice or a helping hand — regardless of our motives.
- Be helpful in a way that the other person will value.
How do you express advice?
English speakers use the modal verbs “should,” “ought to” and “had better” to express that they think something is a good (or a bad) idea. “Should” is the most common way to give advice.
How do you deal with condescending behavior?
A Foolproof Guide For Handling Condescending Coworkers
- Don’t Take It Personally. First and foremost, keep calm and carry on, as they say.
- Call Them On It. You can address bad office behavior by telling people when their actions are not okay with you.
- Neutralize Your Body Language.
- Ask For Clarification.
How do you give effective advice?
Removing your ego from the advice you give makes the quality of your wisdom much higher. Tell a story. Dry information and stats don’t inspire people to make a change or listen to you. Storytelling is how you make your advice human, relatable and real.
How do you offer advice without sounding pretentious?
As Gil points out, one way to offer advice without sounding pretentious is to avoid “You should” statements: “You should…” statements can come off as pretentious and judgmental at times. They can also make us responsible for any negative outcomes the advice seeker experiences. Using “I feel…”
How do you deal with unsolicited advice?
1) Make sure the person actually wants advice. No type of advice is worse than unsolicited advice. No one is more likely to be ignored than a nosy know-it-all. Make sure the person you’re trying to help is actually looking for help, lest you come across as a condescending asshole.
What happens if you give someone advice that they don’t want?
Here’s why giving advice that wasn’t requested can go badly: People don’t like being told what to do. People don’t like being told they are wrong. Dropping advice on someone can feel like an insult or confrontation if they weren’t expecting it. Friends and family members can become defensive, decreasing the chance they’ll listen to you.