Advice is Everywhere - But Who Should You Actually Listen To?

The Noise of Advice

Advice is cheap. And it's everywhere. Especially in construction. You can't walk across a jobsite without somebody telling you how you "The problem is that….”  and “Here’s what needs to be done”. Some of it is well-meaning, some of it is self-serving, and a whole lot of it is just… noise.

The crazy part? Most people giving advice are doing it with good intentions. They believe what they're telling you. But that doesn't automatically make it right for you. And that's where it gets tricky.

I once worked with a guy, Richard, who was fresh out of college but a bit older due to a stint in the military.  Since he was older, he seemed wiser, so another fresh out of college guy, Tommy, would listen to Richard as he spouted off all kinds of advice.  Dude said it with confidence and was a little older, but it wasn’t good advice, things like “Ignore your subcontractor’s first invoice to set the tone and show them they need you.”  WTF, Richard, but Tommy ate it up.

Context Is Everything

Advice is almost always contextual. It’s shaped by personal experiences, biases, and sometimes… egos. Even when two people go through the "same" situation, they don't actually experience it the same way. Their background, their role, their goals  -  all of it colors their perspective.

Take construction for example. A young superintendent sees the project through the lens of field execution: getting things done, solving problems now. A young office engineer might be thinking more about documentation, procurement, planning two months ahead. Both are vital. Both have important lessons to share. But if you're not careful, you can end up getting advice that's perfect… for someone else's job.

The "Successful Person" Trap

And that's just the tip of it.

There's this old saying: "Don't take advice from someone you wouldn't want to trade places with." It's good advice... until it isn't. Because even that can lead you astray. Sometimes, someone "successful" got there by pure luck  -  the lottery ticket effect. Just because someone won doesn't mean their strategy was good. It might just mean they hit the jackpot and now they’re preaching "buy more lottery tickets" as if it's a plan.

Meanwhile, the person who’s quietly been grinding, making thoughtful decisions, staying steady… they're not shouting from the rooftops. They're working. Living. Being consistent. Which brings me to another tough truth:

The Quiet Ones May Know the Most

The people who give the best advice usually aren't the loudest ones.

It's ironic, isn't it? The folks you really should be learning from  -  the ones with the scar tissue and the wisdom  -  usually aren't chasing you down to tell you how smart they are. They're too busy living it. Meanwhile, the loudest voice in the trailer? The guy with an opinion on everything? He's often the last person you should listen to.

Boring Advice Is Often the Best

And if you think about it, this isn't just a construction thing. Look at the fitness world. You’ve got Paleo, Keto, CrossFit, intermittent fasting, juice cleanses, "eat for your blood type" - a thousand different "expert" opinions. But the real, boring truth? Eat a little less, move a little more, stay consistent for a long time. Not flashy. Not marketable. But it works.

Same in construction. The "boring" advice like:

• Communicate early and often.

• Document everything.

• Take care of your relationships.

• Don't let small problems fester into big ones.

• Be patient.

It’s not sexy. It doesn’t make for a viral post (!). But it’s the stuff that builds lasting careers.

Turn Advice Into Data Points

So where does that leave you?

It’s this: Treat advice like data points.

Every piece of advice you get is just another input. It’s your job to filter it. Compare it to your goals. Hold it up to your own experience. Question it. Ask yourself:

• Where is this person coming from?

• What biases might they have?

• Does their situation actually map to mine?

• Are they telling me something hard to hear or something easy to hear?

Most importantly: Does it resonate with the kind of person and professional I want to become?

Build Your Own Wisdom

In construction - and honestly, in life - there’s no one-size-fits-all playbook. Your career isn't built off of other people's scripts. It's built moment-by-moment, decision-by-decision, based on what you choose to internalize and act on.

Seek out the quiet professionals. The ones who’ve built respect over time, not the ones who demand it loudly. Watch how they work. Watch how they carry themselves when things go wrong. Ask thoughtful questions. Listen more than you talk.

And then… trust yourself to put it all together in a way that's right for you.

At the end of the day, nobody else is living your career for you. And nobody else is stuck with the consequences of your choices. Only you.

Advice is just information.

Wisdom is knowing how to use it.

And be careful taking advice from from random guy on the internet...

What's the most batshit / "Richard" piece of advice you've heard?