Being an adviser has become a very lonely profession. The chances are that even though you may be with a large licensee the level and quality of interaction with your peers is minimal. As our industry has matured, we have moved from being quite a closely knit community with an abundance of face to face interaction between peers to something much more isolated. We once knew a significant number of our industry colleagues and their areas of expertise and often would go to them when looking for a professional opinion. Being able to call on mentors with expertise in other areas was something that was highly valued.
Today’s isolation is driven largely by the impersonal way we now go about our business. Today, there is much less face to face industry interaction with such things as monthly industry association functions and fund managers’ presentations being replaced with Webinars, GoTo meetings and video conferencing, all of which largely denies us the opportunity to mix with and get to know our colleagues on a more personal basis.
The opportunity to interact directly with our peers in professional discussions is invaluable for both our clients and ourselves. It creates innovation which, in turn, often translates into better client outcomes. This means if you are lonely and see value in building a network of peers to call on when you are dealing with potential clients outside your typical client demographic, then it is up to you to make the effort to get along to those events that provide the opportunity for face to face interaction with other advisers.
Some licensees who recognise the value of the sharing of ideas organise regular network meetings that provide a forum that encourages interaction between their advisers. These forums are not to be confused with traditional PD days where a significant proportion of attendees leave early and those that remain disappear immediately after the last session. Not making the effort to get face to face time with your peers denies you the opportunity of developing good professional relationships with others and stifles serious discussion.
A less obvious benefit for advisers of AFSL’s that encourage this culture of sharing is that it builds a close knit group where people respect each other. This has a positive effect on the overall culture of the network as people tend to mirror the behaviour of their peers. When people do the right things then their colleagues are inclined to reciprocate. It creates a sense of community and companionship, something that our industry has largely lost over the past so very difficult ten years.
However, if you are lonely and wanting to work with like-minded people. If you want to be with people who are interested in what you are doing. If you want to be involved with peers and a licensee that you can trust, then it is worth taking the time to get to find out whether you can respect the advisers alongside you and whether the environment being offered is the one in which you are going to enjoy operating.
In short, if working in a community style environment has appeal then when considering your AFSL options it is important to look past the standard dealer services to appreciate the significant benefits that can be gained, in enjoyment, from the peace of mind you get in being able to trust and in being aligned with your peers and your AFSL.
Dennis Bashford, Executive Chairman, Futuro Financial Services
SOURCE: Futuro Financial Services
