Let's continue our discussion about one of the most common issues with which I hear Trusted Advisor's and their office support people struggle: "overload."  

Here is the second most common response I hear which, if unresolved, will sabotage your efforts to deliver fully comprehensive financial services through a Best-in-Class Deliverables Team of Subject Matter Experts.

CRIPPLING HINDRANCE #2 of 2: After a Trusted Advisor has committed their office to The Trusted Advisor Toolkit™methodology, but before they have acquired their complete Deliverables Team I some times see a misunderstanding about the need to ultimately separate the duties between Subject Matter Experts and the TA support people who oversee and coordinate those efforts.  For example, if, in the "old world" an advisor created financial plans, or selected investment allocations (or whatever), it is a mistake to permanently delegate that work (or elements of that work) to the Administrative Manager.

This is similar to CRIPPLING HINDRANCE #1 but is actually a different form of sabotage.  While hindrance #1 is a lack of understanding (or commitment) to delegate work to Subject Matter Experts, hindrance #2 deals with a organizational misunderstanding. Since the Trusted Advisor, and support team's, job is to oversee and enforce high standards with the Subject Matter Experts, the people administratively supporting the Trusted Advisor should not also be Subject Matter Experts. For offices who try this, I predict unacceptable results. 

Solution #2: While it's OK to invite a Deliverables Team Member to take-on two Subject Matter Expert roles (but not 3), we recommend you do not permanently have any of the Trusted Advisor's administrative support people (such as the Administrative Manager) also serve as a Subject Matter Expert (or Subject Matter Expert support person), for whom they are responsible for helping to oversee. Too often I see advisors willing to delegate Subject Matter Expert tasks, but they mistakenly create permanent hybrid positions with their Administrative Manager serving as both Subject Matter Expert and Trusted Advisor Support Person. Create a "fire-wall" between the Trusted Advisor's Administrative Manager and the Subject Matter Experts they help coordinate.

Just as with Solution #1, the solution here is to set a goal date for the Trusted Advisor's Administrative Manager to full transition out of any Subject Matter Expert work and to delegate all that work to another (internal or external) Deliverables Team Member's support team.  Again, if more Ideal Clients must be acquired to afford the transition, or if licensing is required by an individual or any other transition obstacle is identified, be up-front in spotting all the issues, create strategies and a time-table around each & commit to transitioning all this work away from your Administrative Manager on a timetable which makes sense to your business plan.

Assertively addressing these two critical hindrances will reduce "overload" felt by your internal support team and accelerate your efforts to ensure your entire Deliverables Team is capable of helping each of your Ideal Clients get their "financial house in perfect order and keep it that way forever."