It is already November and many readers’ thoughts may already be drifting to the end of the year. Your friends, family and business colleagues may soon be asking, “Have you had a good year?” You may also be asking yourself the same question as you reflect on 2014.
Thinking about the question from a business perspective, one could readily point to relevant key performance indicators (KPIs) in order to assess the year. The achievement (or otherwise) of targets for revenue, profit, new clients or client satisfaction may provide compelling evidence of business success (or otherwise).
Now I love KPIs and goal setting for business owners at least as much as the next person; but now I would like to approach the question from a different perspective. One of the questions that I like to ask my clients is, “What do you enjoy about work?” Or, using different words, “What makes a good day for you?”
I am fascinated by the wide range of answers that are shared with me. Here are the most common themes:
“I just enjoy the client relationships.”
These are the advisers who take pride in their long-standing relationships; who look forward to client meetings where they can catch up and share experiences. These are advisers whose primary source of satisfaction is regular interaction with their clients.
“I love solving complex problems.”
These are the advisers who thrive on overcoming financial challenges; who are happy to undertake research and brainstorming to discover fresh options for their clients. These are advisers whose primary source of satisfaction is resolving difficult situations.
“I’m happy when my clients are happy.”
These are the advisers for whom the most important outcome is taking away their clients’ worries, for whom delivering peace of mind is what it is all about. These are advisers for whom the intangible client outcomes are their primary source of satisfaction.
“I am excited when my clients achieve their goals.”
These are the advisers who live vicariously through their clients’ achievements; who are delighted when clients finally realise longstanding dreams. These are advisers for whom the tangible client outcomes are their primary source
of satisfaction.
Which themes resonate with you? Maybe it is something different. In my experience, the answers may sound like they cover a broad range, but the majority boil down to one common core theme – it is all about the client’s experience. I believe that the majority of advisers enjoy, above all, what they deliver for their clients: great trusted relationships; clever solutions to problems; fewer financial concerns; and/or achievement of aspirations.
In that context, let me repeat the question: Have you had a good year? Think about what you have done for your clients in 2014. What are you most proud of, over and above the business KPIs? Who is in much better shape now than they were back in January because of what you have done for them?
When you look at it like that you must wonder why you spend so much of your time on non-client activities. If a good year for you is when you produce great results for your clients, then why aren’t you devoting more effort to delivering even greater results for even more clients? If you want 2015 to be a better year than 2014, the secret may be to find ways to allocate more time to what motivates you and less time to what demotivates you.
These are the best of times to focus on what you really enjoy about work.
