When clients have a say? Ambigous.

Expertise Superiority allows direct advising and may lead to more efficienc

 

 

 

 

The higher the competence of consultants/counsellors/coaches towards the client the more directive advising, even if more undemocratic, is accepted. The more expertise between interlocutors is similar the more clients perceive directive advising as authoritarian and invasive – since clients then prefer to have a say than just to listen.

That´s how a current US-American paper clarifies recent research results which have been often contradictory by considering both directive and participative advising as the only reliable approach respectively.

The scientists emphasize that inviting someone to have a say always fits. It is for sure not always the most efficient but always the less risky variant when it comes to acceptance.

Deng/Lam/Li/Guan/Wang/Johnson, “When Do People Prefer to Be Asked or Told? The Interplay Betweend Participative/Directovie Advising Style and Expertise Superiority in Recommendation Acceptance”, in: Journal of Applied Psychology, 2026, vol. 111, No. 6, 714-728.

From the practise:

For me excellent advising uses both approaches intentionally – regardless if there is actually or presumably a big gap in expertise. Why? Because even if there is unequivocally superiority in expertise on one side of the table, the phone or the monitor the other one does feel emotionally better heard if asked and involved from time to time.

In parallel the very same people are quickly fed up in case consultants and counsellors are not able to phrase precisely and crunchy what´s up and what´s to do next, though.

Moving back and forth between both styles is due to my experience crucial for advising professionally and successfully. And also for coaching. Since in this field the widespread approach “only” to reflect and to play back the balls prolongues processes frequently more than it benefits the client. So if the core competence (whatever this may be, mine is effective communication) of the coach is far beyond that one of the client and a question pops up where a technical response is possible and needed, then I consider it negligent not to advise directly just for the sake of participation.