Why We Take Bad Career Advice and Three Steps to Avoid It
Bad career advice can be subtle, with impacts not immediately apparent. Developing a consistent process to select the best career advice is crucial for advancement. Without effective systems in place, there’s a heightened risk of making a misstep that could damage your reputation and slow or even block career progression.
This post explores two main points: 1) why we often take bad career advice and 2) three steps to avoid this common trap.
Understanding Why We Take Bad Career Advice
In today's world, bombarded by a constant stream of career advice from modern media and the aftershocks of the pandemic, filtering the good from the bad can feel overwhelming. This information overload, combined with our own biases, social influences, and the lack of effective filtering systems, makes it challenging to objectively evaluate and choose the best advice for our careers.
The Information Trap
The digital age bombards us with information, leading to decision fatigue. Stuck in an endless search for answers, we sometimes latch onto the most appealing advice without considering all options. Without reliable decision-making systems, our brains often go into information overload and settle for the "best-sounding" solution.
Echo Chambers and the Halo Effect
Within our tight-knit professional circles, familiar advice often gets repeated and becomes unquestioned truths, regardless of their relevance to our unique situations. This reliance on familiar (and potentially suboptimal) advice, combined with the "halo effect" — our tendency to overvalue advice from successful individuals — can further cloud our judgment.
The Importance of Systems
All these factors point to the requirement for effective systems to assess and optimize career advice. In high-stress situations, we often follow advice that promises quick relief, regardless of its long-term implications. Implementing systems helps us evaluate and align career advice with our long-term goals.
Navigate Your Career with Confidence: Three Steps to Avoid Bad Advice
The post-pandemic landscape has transformed office politics, information overload reigns supreme, and internal biases cloud our judgment. In this environment, discerning good career advice from bad can feel like navigating a minefield. But fear not! Here are three key steps to refine your advice-assimilation process and empower you to make informed career decisions.
Step 1: Seek Wisdom from Proven Leaders
The source of your advice is just as important as the advice itself. Focus on successful leaders who have traversed a similar career path to your aspirations, whether it be Director, Vice President, CEO, or Board Member. Their experience in overcoming similar challenges offers invaluable insights.
Considerations for Evaluating Your Advice Sources:
Track Record: Look for mentors with a proven track record of success. Have they achieved, or are they on track to achieve, the level you aspire to? Prioritize those whose achievements align with your goals.
Experience Over Credentials: Impressive titles are not everything. Seek mentors with practical experience in the leadership roles you desire. Avoid those who lack first-hand experience, even if they hold prestigious titles like Ph.D.
Motivation Matters: Consider the advisor's motives, especially within your organization. Leaders often have agendas, both positive and negative. Analyze their advice through this lens to identify potential biases.
Step 2: Develop Systems to Filter Information
Information overload is the enemy of good decision-making. Implementing systems to categorize and evaluate career advice is crucial. Here’s a powerful tool to get you started:
The Career Advice Assessment Matrix/Rubric
This matrix is a systematic approach to tracking career advice objectively over time. It provides valuable feedback in two ways:
Identifying Reliable Sources: Over time, the matrix helps you identify which sources consistently offer the most reliable and high-quality career advice.
Monitoring Shifting Advice: By actively managing the matrix, you can track changes in the quality or reliability of advice from specific individuals. This can be an early warning sign of shifting loyalties or potential relationship challenges within your organization.
Creating the Matrix/Rubric:
The matrix can be a simple Google/MS spreadsheet or table with the following columns:
Source: Advisor offering the advice.
Date: Advice was received.
Advice Summary: Key points of the advice.
Outcome: (Optional) If implemented, record the outcome of following the advice.
Evaluation: Evaluate the effectiveness of the advice (met expectations, exceeded expectations, etc.)
A Matrix/Rubric above is ideal for this task because the data is easily converted into a longitudinal format for longer-term analysis.
Advice Decision Tree:
Before evaluating career advice, review your professional objectives and actions, and ensure they’re aligned. Take a few minutes to create a personal objective statement. Also, outline your high-level action plan to achieve this objective(s).
Below is a straw decision tree, but is only a “starting place”.
The above decision tree is just a starting point to develop further. A decision tree will assist in the development of the critical mindset required to effectively filter career advice and make the sound decisions required to propel your professional journey forward.
Step 3: Leverage Independent and Outside Perspectives
An independent viewpoint is crucial for unbiased guidance:
Consult Independent Experts: These professionals, such as professional coaches, provide an objective assessment, free from the emotional or political biases that might influence advice from colleagues or mentors within your organization.
Value Outside Perspectives: Sometimes, the best advice comes from those who have no personal stake in your decisions. Their detachment can offer clarity that is not muddled by personal interests or corporate politics.
Guard Against Manipulation: Recognize that not all advice is given with the best intentions. Some may be geared towards manipulating your choices for others' benefits. An independent perspective helps in identifying such motives.
Seek Independent Correlation: Actively look for alternative opinions that challenge or confirm advice. The goal is to broaden your perspective and expose hidden biases and/or missed opportunities.
Question Motives and Content: Always analyze why the advice is being given and how it applies to your situation. This helps in distinguishing between generic, potentially misleading guidance and advice that is genuinely beneficial.
Ensure Alignment with Current Trends: Ensure the advice you take fits not just your personal or organizational context but also aligns with broader industry and market trends. What worked in the past may not work in a different economic climate or technological landscape.
Conclusion
Understanding why we fall for bad advice allows us to be more vigilant and selective in our decisions. By carefully choosing our advisors, developing a critical approach to evaluating advice, and incorporating independent perspectives, we can significantly enhance the quality of decisions we make. These steps not only protect us from potential pitfalls but also empower us to forge a path that is informed, thoughtful, and aligned with our ultimate career objectives. Embrace these practices, and you will find that navigating the complex world of career advice becomes a more manageable and successful endeavor.
Copyright © 2024 Lee Johnston