Distraction-Proof® Advisor Ideas

2008 Preparing for Excellence Series – Issue 11

We are entering the final countdown to the 2008 Olympic Games, and Olympic Trials are on! With the Olympics starting in Beijing in just two months, hopeful athletes are competing in meets to be selected as the final competitors who will earn the opportunity to go to the Games.

For the athletes who have been working over the past year or even longer to have the chance to make history at these upcoming Games, the Trials are an opportunity for a check up. They have consistently been thinking, planning and training for their Olympic goal, and these meets give them a clear idea of the overall international standard in their discipline and let them see how they are tracking in relation to this standard. They need not to get caught up in how they compare to any one specific competitor, but they do need to know where they stand among the field of competitors.

This is a balancing act – the same one advisors must also face. Like the Olympian, you as an advisor have your own objectives, and need to resist the temptation to spend too much time and energy comparing yourself directly to colleagues. On the other hand, you need to remain aware of industry standards, general trends and client expectations to ensure you are competitive and realistically on track toward your goals.

So how do you find this balance?

Olympians review the results of the Olympic Trials to learn what is happening around the world and use the information to gain a better sense of the standard needed to be successful in Beijing later this year. Advisors also must have a method to look outside their own practices to keep in touch with industry developments and evaluate their businesses to ensure they’re staying relevant and competitive in their marketplace.

With Olympic Trials coming up over the next several weeks, do what the athletes hoping to make history are doing right now:

• Get your finger on the pulse
  Stay abreast of what’s happening in your field. Set a regular, but limited, amount of time to review trade journals and practice related newsletters, pulling out information specifically helpful to moving you toward your goal. Use continuing education requirements as opportunities to genuinely brush up on your skills and practice techniques rather than just going through the motions to meet a licensing requirement.
   
• Get the advice of those who have already traveled the road you’re on
  Identify those in your industry who have achieved what you aspire to do and make contact with them in an effort to learn from them. Find out about their challenges along the way and the solutions they used to overcome them. A succinct, polite email with brief, pointed questions or a request for a 15 minute informational interview over the phone often yields exceptionally helpful results. Be brief, ask specific questions you genuinely want the answers to, respect time limits, and follow up with thank you notes.
   
• Use the knowledge you’ve gained to honestly assess your performance and approach
  Be honest about what you see. Then, if you need to make an adjustment, do it quickly to get yourself back on track. If you are already on track, deepen your conviction even more and move ahead.

Expand your horizons,
Paul

Copyright Paul Kingsman 2008
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Does your business need a check-up? Paul Kingsman – Olympic medalist, professional speaker and executive coach – helps advisors gain a big-picture perspective of their practices and then develop and implement specific day-to-day activities to practically and measurably move them toward their long-term goals.

To find out more about how he can help equip you or your team to achieve your own Split Second Success® through his keynote presentations or executive coaching, contact him at http://www.paulkingsman.com.

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