You’ve collected a top-notch team, but something isn’t quite right.  People just don’t seem to be giving it their all.  Why does it feel like they’re spinning their wheels and getting nowhere?

It’s imperative for financial advisors to know each of their team members, and that’s what the 7 Keys to Measuring Your Team’s Performance we’ve been considering in this blog series are designed to help you do.  If everyone is working at his or her full potential, your business runs like a well-oiled machine.

Epicurus, an ancient Greek philosopher, pondered a brilliant concept, and first coined the phrase “able and willing”.  While there are many factors in an individual’s behavior and principles that may qualify a person for your team, isn’t the primary consideration whether or not a person is both able and willing to serve?

A team member’s capabilities and enthusiastic desire to serve with you will continue to foster the growth of your business if you regularly assess whether they’re able and willing to do what is expected of them.  So, from both a human and business standpoint, you’re doing your team a favor. Epicurus, we’re certain, would agree. 

A great leader knows when it’s time to encourage a team member to step up and help move the business to the next level.  You, also, recognize when it’s time for an individual to move to another role (whether perceived as up, down or sideways) to keep the business moving forward.  If, however, you see that a team member needs to step down, you, as the leader, can expedite that reality in a supportive and caring manner.

Your mindset is crucial to making effective assessments of your team members.  Of course, you’ll want to identify any praises for the individual as well as any problems. But prior to meeting with the individual, consider the following questions so you’re prepared with the right mindset:

• Is this person able and willing to perform the current role?
• Would this person be more able and willing to perform another role?
• Is this individual performing…above my level of expectations? …at my level of expectations? …below my level of expectations?

As a financial advisor you need to pay close attention to whether your team members are happy, spirited and eager to serve your ideal clients.  If ever in doubt, just ask them:

• How happy are you here?
• Are you as excited today as you were when you started here?
• When have you been happiest here?
• How committed are you to our business vision?

Marcus Buckingham, author of First, Break All The Rules, found that the best business managers build an environment where individuals can positively answer these questions:

• Do I have the opportunity to do what I do best everyday?
• In the last seven days, have I received recognition or praise for doing good work?
• Do my opinions seem to count?

All of these could become topics for caring conversations with your team members. If you’re paying attention, any conversation with a team member can help you understand and assess that individual's willingness and happiness to serve on your team.

Challenge the status quo and care enough about your team members to assess their able-ness and willingness as Epicurus advised. Continually ponder what's best, not only for your team, but also for your clients.  Never forget that your ideal client's financial future depends on you, the financial advisor. It is your highest professional duty to ensure that you have the best team in place, able and willing to work for your clients.

Still feeling unsure about how to keep your team on track and delivering their best? Call 877-212-0945 Ext. 4 to schedule an interview or email your request to InterviewRequest@TrustedAdvisorToolkit.com and let’s talk about how The Trusted Advisor Toolkit System keeps team members doing what they should, when they should.