How to be a Credible Advisor

Bob Lapidus, CSP, CSMS

Are you a credible advisor?  Do people at work come to you for help in solving problems?  Do your children readily turn to you for assistance?  Does your spouse feel comfortable asking you for advice?  Do your friends see you as a good source for information and support?

A person who is credible is believable, trustworthy, a giver rather than a taker, dependable, reliable, sincere, a helper.

 

How do you think you would evaluate yourself on the following attributes of being a credible advisor?

 

	Place a Check in the Appropriate Column
Attributes of Being a Credible Advisor	Excellent	Above Satisfactory	Satisfactory	Below Satisfactory	Poor
1.  Creating trusting relationships.
2.  Recognizing success in others.
3.  Inquiring as to expectations.
4.  Getting input prior to advising or acting.
5.  Customizing your advice.
6.  Providing reasons for your advice.
7.  Keeping others’ priorities in mind.
8.  Providing alternative suggestions.
9.  Being a helper, not an enforcer.
10.   Staying out of the spotlight.
11.   Avoiding saying I told you so.
12.   Being proud to be part of the group.
13.   Being on time.
14.   Responding to all requests for help.
15.   Being an active listener.
16.   Being positive in your communications.
17.   Seeking to anticipate potential problems.
18.   Being honorable.
19.   Enhancing your knowledge and skills.
20.   Seeking to be proactive.
21.   Generating excitement in your life.

 

How did you do?  Are you a credible advisor?  Do you have some attributes that need to be improved upon or enhanced?  Would you be willing to ask people in your life to give you advice on the above 21 characteristics so you can improve your relationships?  The advice would have to be specific so you would know exactly what you need to change.

Over the past twenty years, I have taught over 600 safety training classes and I was evaluated on every one of those classes.  Yes, I loved getting good ratings, but I also appreciated receiving advice on how to improve what I was doing and how I was advising the attendees.  I changed almost every class I taught each time I taught it based upon input from my evaluations.  Continuous improvement was the goal.

I did not satisfy every student.  My teaching style and even the course material did not fit everyone who took the courses.  But by and large, via continuous improvement, I became a better teacher and advisor and the classes got better because of the evaluations.  That’s good.

 

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For More Information:

Go to www.safetycenter.org for more information about Safety Center’s Safety Management Specialist Certificate.

After completing this nine-day program, graduates may take the exam to achieve the Certified Safety Management Specialist (CSMS) designation. Recipients of the CSMS receive a beautiful plaque and become part of an elite group of safety specialists who have achieved this recognition.  Once this certification is attained, successful candidates keep it for the rest of their lives without any additional requirements or fees.