Steve Blank repeatedly shares the same piece of advice with his students: When someone with experience in your field — like a professor, your boss, or even a more seasoned colleague — offers to share some of their expertise with you, disregard that person and their insights at your own peril.

"When people give you advice, you're getting a gift," says Steve Blank, an entrepreneur-turned-educator who teaches courses on innovation and his Lean Startup method at Stanford University.

You don't have to follow every single piece of advice you receive, of course. But ignoring it outright, especially when it comes from an experienced and well-meaning source, could mean missing out on an opportunity to learn something new or advance your career, Blank says. Or, you could burn a bridge with someone who might be helpful to you in the future.

"[Thoughtful] suggestions, and advice at work, are not distractions that can be ignored," says Blank, 72, who has written four books on the subject of entrepreneurship and helped build eight different tech startups, including four he co-founded. Retired for over two decades now, Blank's final startup, business software company Epiphany, sold to SSA Global Technologies for $329 million in 2005.

When any of Blank's students — or startup founders who seek his advice — turn around and ignore his suggestions repeatedly, he becomes less likely to offer his help in the future. The same is likely true for any potential mentor in your life, he says.

"If you ignore that advice once, OK," says Blank. "If you ignore it twice, they're going to look at you kind of funny. And if you ignore it three times, you've been written off by people, maybe, whose advice you needed."

How ignoring advice 'can limit your career'

Blank's theory is backed by research from Harvard University, which shows that disregarding advice often invites backlash from the colleague or mentor who provided it in the first place.

More often than not, advisors got offended when their suggestions were ignored, resulting in them distancing themselves from mentees and sometimes cutting them off completely, researchers found in a 2019 paper.

Getting well-intentioned advice from an informed and experienced source could be essential to your future success, whether you're an employee looking for ways to advance your career or a student preparing to enter your field of choice. Most highly successful people aren't afraid to ask for, and accept, advice at work, according to leadership expert Simon Sinek.

Cultivating mentor relationships at work can make you happier and more successful, research shows. And while you might not want to act on every single piece of advice you ever receive, showing that you've thoroughly considered their suggestions and taken them to heart is a key to fostering that relationship, psychologist Thema Bryant told CNBC Make It in April 2024.

"You can say, 'last time we talked you said it would be good for me to do these three things. I did these things and I wanted to check in,'" Bryant said. Just be aware that not following a mentor's advice can make it seem to them like your relationship is a waste of everyone's time, she added.

Blank says you should thoughtfully consider each piece of advice you receive: "Is it noise? Is it contacts? Is it patterns. Or, boy, if you're lucky, is it insights?"

"You want to understand why the advice was given," Blank adds. "And you want to ask: Is there some priority on following it up? Not understanding this can limit your career."

Do you want a new career that's higher-paying, more flexible or fulfilling? Take CNBC's new online course How to Change Careers and Be Happier at Work. Expert instructors will teach you strategies to network successfully, revamp your resume and confidently transition into your dream career. Pre-register today and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off $67 (+taxes and fees) through May 13, 2025.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It's newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.