Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Giving Timely Advice That Matters

A colleague told me a story yesterday that brought a chill to my spine, but got me thinking about the art of giving timely advice that matters.

John's son had completed an unremarkable year in college and was working for his uncle for the Summer.  His uncle owned a successful, small business and lived in a very nice home with a comfortable living.  The uncle had never completed college.

John's son decided he was going to drop out of college and, like his uncle, pursue a different route to dreams of success that didn't involve college.  He confided in his uncle his plan.

His uncle let him have it. 

The uncle really berated him on that decision and told him the boy would never be successful with that approach.  He called him a quitter.  He really took the risk of sacrificing his relationship with his nephew to make sure his point got across.

That night, coincidently, the uncle had a fatal heart attack at age 45.

John's son changed his mind about his drop-out decision and, now in his third year in college, is thriving and well on his way to a productive college career and a brighter future.

Now, that's, timely advice that mattered.

Thanks for sharing, John.

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