Here’s how to get the best advice at work

• Show your interest and keep the conversation flowing. 
• Follow-up questions can make conversations less superficial.
• People are more willing to reveal sensitive or personal information when the toughest questions are asked at the beginning of the conversation. 
• Active listening will show your advice-giver that you are engaged and care about what is being discussed.

If you decide not to follow someone's advice, there is no better way to inform them than with compassionate directness.

Take a moment to talk with your colleague about why you decided to pursue another path, or rely on other information. Be straightforward in your conversation, but be sure to express the ways in which their advice was helpful.