Giving the advice to help other individuals to improve their life, career, business and whatever they need is a good choice to make a positive change in our life. But how to offer good advice that can be accepted? 

If someone on your team comes to you asking for help, take note of these tips to become a trusted counselor that everyone respects.

How many times have you given advice just to see that the person to whom you gave it does exactly the opposite? The way we generally give advice (imposing our opinion) is often ineffective, and even harmful.

Knowing how to give good advice - especially when you are the boss - can improve your work relationships and lead you to make better business decisions. So, apply these four tips to become a good advisor that others respect:

1. Just give your advice when you are asked

Many of us give advice automatically when someone shares a problem. But good intentions can turn out against us. "Decision makers perceive unsolicited advice as intrusive and as an implied criticism," says psychologist Reeshad Dalal. "It is a significant threat to their autonomy."

The unsolicited advice sends a message that you are intruding because the person can not handle the problem on its own. That makes him feel less competent and capable, undermining his ability to control the situation. To make sure your advice is more useful than harmful, just share it when asked explicitly. Otherwise, just listen and be empathic.

2. Provides information on the options

In giving their advice, people with greater experience generally make the mistake of assuming that they know more than others. "While you can have great expertise on a topic, the person making the decision has more experience about the particular decision," says Dadal.

If you want to offer your expertise in a way that is useful, use it to inform the person of the decision. Tell them what you know about their options, possibly by giving them a recommendation, and then let them use that information to make a better decision.

3. Help him think about the problem

Traditional advice (saying what should be done) could persuade someone to agree with you, but this does not help you learn and grow. "Sometimes having a 'positive impact' involves the deliberate choice not to persuade," says Dalal.

Instead of imposing your opinion, guide them through the process you could use to come to a conclusion. Ask the questions you would ask yourself, and give them the opportunity to discuss the options with you. This strategy will help build problem-solving skills that can be used to solve future dilemmas.

4. Express Confidence in Your Judgment

When someone faces a dilemma, they need to have the self-confidence to follow their intuition and make an informed decision. "It helps to offer emotional support in addition to advice," Dadal recommends. "People appreciate both."

If someone comes to you for advice, let them know that you are there to help them, but trust that they will make a smart decision. Your confidence could be all the advice you need.