Break out of the given framing
When people seek your advice regarding a problem, they frame it in a certain way, such as, “By the time I reach my office at the other end of the city, I’m stressed. So I want to buy a car with an automatic transmission. Which would you recommend?”
Most people just take the question literally and answer by suggesting specific models:
A smarter thing to do is to break out of the framing. In addition to the above suggestions, explore territory outside the frame to figure out what the true question was, as opposed to the stated question. For example, ask, “How about a two-wheeler, so that you can spend less time in traffic?” or “How about hiring a driver?”
Ignoring the presented framing is important because the advice-seeker may not even have thought about these possibilities1 that may produce a better result for him. For example, while an automatic transmission is easier to drive than a manual, even easier is hiring a driver.
Break out of the given framing.
The person seeking advice may not have communicated his question accurately. Humans don’t communicate questions 100% precisely, so taking the question literally amounts to missing the true question.