Mike was struggling to stay asleep. His wife Mary recently purchased a FitBit to monitor her health, including sleep patterns. She told Mike to buy one to observe his sleep, but Mike resisted her advice.

I suggested Mary share how the FitBit benefitted her, rather than telling Mike what to do. When sharing the watch’s benefits, Mike was more responsive. Self-disclosure is more effective than advice. People don’t like to be told what to do.