• What have I stopped doing that I need to start doing again?
• What have I started doing that I need to stop?
• What am I doing that I should do more of?
• What does my recent success tell me about the future?
• What do my recent failures tell me about the future?
• What can I do to leverage my expertise, or that of others, to directly benefit my business?
• What were the biggest factors contributing to my actual results during the past three months?
Press play. Once you have taken mental inventory of the past, it is now time to look forward.
More sample questions for you to consider, include:
• Why should somebody do business with me?
• What characteristics do my ideal clients have?
• What financial issues stress them out?
• How do I effectively remove that stress?
• How can I effectively deliver this message to the marketplace?
• How do I see my business changing in the near term?
• What steps are needed for this to happen?
• How can I create scale in my business while enhancing the service I offer to my existing clients?
• What vacation am I going to take so that I can maintain my energy and conviction?
• What small, incremental change do I want to focus on this quarter?
• How can I augment my strengths?
The 10% difference
In working with financial advisors I have witnessed a marked difference between those who think constructively and those who don’t. I call this the 10% difference. I believe that unplugging yourself from your business for one day each quarter will make at least a 10% difference in your profitability. This is meaningful when you compound that growth over a few years.
Tips for constructive thinking
1. Forgive yourself first. When you start this process, allow yourself permission to screw up — don’t be so hard on yourself that you dread this process.
2. Literally unplug yourself from the world. Tell your staff, family and friends that you are going to hide away for the day. Yes, they will think you have lost your marbles. Don’t take calls or allow any distractions except for emergencies.
3. The exercise of thinking is difficult at first. Like a muscle, it gets easier with practice. Bring a pre-determined list of questions. Force yourself to write down the answers.
4. If it works for you, use music as a mood stimulator. I find music helps put me in a relaxed, creative state.
5. Set aside one day each quarter and lock this day into your schedule. I know some advisors who will dovetail this day with a trip to a spa or a drive in the country.
6. Think of your business as an object and examine it from the same perspective a third party would… call it an out-of-body experience.
Dr. Maxwell Maltz, a pioneer in thinking, once said “2% of people think, 3% think they think and 95% are afraid to think.” My hope is that this format will help you heighten your ability to think clearly about your business.
Shawn O’Brien is vice-president, Atlantic Canada, at Connor Clark and Lunn. For more information, contact Shawn at sobrien@cclgroup.com.
• What have I stopped doing that I need to start doing again?
• What have I started doing that I need to stop?
• What am I doing that I should do more of?
• What does my recent success tell me about the future?
• What do my recent failures tell me about the future?
• What can I do to leverage my expertise, or that of others, to directly benefit my business?
• What were the biggest factors contributing to my actual results during the past three months?
Press play. Once you have taken mental inventory of the past, it is now time to look forward.
More sample questions for you to consider, include:
• Why should somebody do business with me?
• What characteristics do my ideal clients have?
• What financial issues stress them out?
• How do I effectively remove that stress?
• How can I effectively deliver this message to the marketplace?
• How do I see my business changing in the near term?
• What steps are needed for this to happen?
• How can I create scale in my business while enhancing the service I offer to my existing clients?
• What vacation am I going to take so that I can maintain my energy and conviction?
• What small, incremental change do I want to focus on this quarter?
• How can I augment my strengths?
The 10% difference
In working with financial advisors I have witnessed a marked difference between those who think constructively and those who don’t. I call this the 10% difference. I believe that unplugging yourself from your business for one day each quarter will make at least a 10% difference in your profitability. This is meaningful when you compound that growth over a few years.
Tips for constructive thinking
1. Forgive yourself first. When you start this process, allow yourself permission to screw up — don’t be so hard on yourself that you dread this process.
2. Literally unplug yourself from the world. Tell your staff, family and friends that you are going to hide away for the day. Yes, they will think you have lost your marbles. Don’t take calls or allow any distractions except for emergencies.
3. The exercise of thinking is difficult at first. Like a muscle, it gets easier with practice. Bring a pre-determined list of questions. Force yourself to write down the answers.
4. If it works for you, use music as a mood stimulator. I find music helps put me in a relaxed, creative state.
5. Set aside one day each quarter and lock this day into your schedule. I know some advisors who will dovetail this day with a trip to a spa or a drive in the country.
6. Think of your business as an object and examine it from the same perspective a third party would… call it an out-of-body experience.
Dr. Maxwell Maltz, a pioneer in thinking, once said “2% of people think, 3% think they think and 95% are afraid to think.” My hope is that this format will help you heighten your ability to think clearly about your business.
Shawn O’Brien is vice-president, Atlantic Canada, at Connor Clark and Lunn. For more information, contact Shawn at sobrien@cclgroup.com.
• What have I stopped doing that I need to start doing again?
• What have I started doing that I need to stop?
• What am I doing that I should do more of?
• What does my recent success tell me about the future?
• What do my recent failures tell me about the future?
• What can I do to leverage my expertise, or that of others, to directly benefit my business?
• What were the biggest factors contributing to my actual results during the past three months?
Press play. Once you have taken mental inventory of the past, it is now time to look forward.
More sample questions for you to consider, include:
• Why should somebody do business with me?
• What characteristics do my ideal clients have?
• What financial issues stress them out?
• How do I effectively remove that stress?
• How can I effectively deliver this message to the marketplace?
• How do I see my business changing in the near term?
• What steps are needed for this to happen?
• How can I create scale in my business while enhancing the service I offer to my existing clients?
• What vacation am I going to take so that I can maintain my energy and conviction?
• What small, incremental change do I want to focus on this quarter?
• How can I augment my strengths?
The 10% difference
In working with financial advisors I have witnessed a marked difference between those who think constructively and those who don’t. I call this the 10% difference. I believe that unplugging yourself from your business for one day each quarter will make at least a 10% difference in your profitability. This is meaningful when you compound that growth over a few years.
Tips for constructive thinking
1. Forgive yourself first. When you start this process, allow yourself permission to screw up — don’t be so hard on yourself that you dread this process.
2. Literally unplug yourself from the world. Tell your staff, family and friends that you are going to hide away for the day. Yes, they will think you have lost your marbles. Don’t take calls or allow any distractions except for emergencies.
3. The exercise of thinking is difficult at first. Like a muscle, it gets easier with practice. Bring a pre-determined list of questions. Force yourself to write down the answers.
4. If it works for you, use music as a mood stimulator. I find music helps put me in a relaxed, creative state.
5. Set aside one day each quarter and lock this day into your schedule. I know some advisors who will dovetail this day with a trip to a spa or a drive in the country.
6. Think of your business as an object and examine it from the same perspective a third party would… call it an out-of-body experience.
Dr. Maxwell Maltz, a pioneer in thinking, once said “2% of people think, 3% think they think and 95% are afraid to think.” My hope is that this format will help you heighten your ability to think clearly about your business.
Shawn O’Brien is vice-president, Atlantic Canada, at Connor Clark and Lunn. For more information, contact Shawn at sobrien@cclgroup.com.
• What have I stopped doing that I need to start doing again?
• What have I started doing that I need to stop?
• What am I doing that I should do more of?
• What does my recent success tell me about the future?
• What do my recent failures tell me about the future?
• What can I do to leverage my expertise, or that of others, to directly benefit my business?
• What were the biggest factors contributing to my actual results during the past three months?
Press play. Once you have taken mental inventory of the past, it is now time to look forward.
More sample questions for you to consider, include:
• Why should somebody do business with me?
• What characteristics do my ideal clients have?
• What financial issues stress them out?
• How do I effectively remove that stress?
• How can I effectively deliver this message to the marketplace?
• How do I see my business changing in the near term?
• What steps are needed for this to happen?
• How can I create scale in my business while enhancing the service I offer to my existing clients?
• What vacation am I going to take so that I can maintain my energy and conviction?
• What small, incremental change do I want to focus on this quarter?
• How can I augment my strengths?
The 10% difference
In working with financial advisors I have witnessed a marked difference between those who think constructively and those who don’t. I call this the 10% difference. I believe that unplugging yourself from your business for one day each quarter will make at least a 10% difference in your profitability. This is meaningful when you compound that growth over a few years.
Tips for constructive thinking
1. Forgive yourself first. When you start this process, allow yourself permission to screw up — don’t be so hard on yourself that you dread this process.
2. Literally unplug yourself from the world. Tell your staff, family and friends that you are going to hide away for the day. Yes, they will think you have lost your marbles. Don’t take calls or allow any distractions except for emergencies.
3. The exercise of thinking is difficult at first. Like a muscle, it gets easier with practice. Bring a pre-determined list of questions. Force yourself to write down the answers.
4. If it works for you, use music as a mood stimulator. I find music helps put me in a relaxed, creative state.
5. Set aside one day each quarter and lock this day into your schedule. I know some advisors who will dovetail this day with a trip to a spa or a drive in the country.
6. Think of your business as an object and examine it from the same perspective a third party would… call it an out-of-body experience.
Dr. Maxwell Maltz, a pioneer in thinking, once said “2% of people think, 3% think they think and 95% are afraid to think.” My hope is that this format will help you heighten your ability to think clearly about your business.
Shawn O’Brien is vice-president, Atlantic Canada, at Connor Clark and Lunn. For more information, contact Shawn at sobrien@cclgroup.com.
(08/26/08)
(August 2008) Honestly, why is it easier to administer advice than adhere to it?
I must admit this is true for me when it comes to thinking strategically about my business. I am always telling people to stop getting constantly stuck in the day-to-day details and look at the business from a higher, more objective position.
At the same time, I frequently catch myself spending too much time entertaining busy, fragmented thoughts in my own head. Can you relate?
You may ask whose head you should be thinking in, if not your own. It’s a good point. The way I see it, thinking comes in two forms, constructive and destructive. Constructive thought requires discipline, it is controlled and directed. It is destructive thinking that meanders on for days with no resolution.
Why is constructive thinking so important?
The answer is simple: If your thinking is scattered and indecisive, so too is your business. If you develop an ability to clearly articulate your business, what you do for clients, and create a vision of how it will continue to evolve, there is a much greater chance that evolution will be realized.
Everything starts with thought. It is a matter of whether you are a passenger or in the driver’s seat. Many advisors say to me “I find my business is running me.” My suggestion is this happens when the advisor is unable to step out of the business and think about it critically.
How do you think constructively?
I recommend three steps:
Stop. It is important to completely unplug yourself and find a distraction-free environment. Your desk, your home office or bed are not going to work.
My preference is the local library. No phones, no Internet connections, no disruptions. Bring a notepad, pencil and any other resources required to evaluate your business. (Your calendar is essential.)
Press rewind. Imagine that you have recorded your business for the past three months. Rewind this recording and review your activities over that period.
• What have I stopped doing that I need to start doing again?
• What have I started doing that I need to stop?
• What am I doing that I should do more of?
• What does my recent success tell me about the future?
• What do my recent failures tell me about the future?
• What can I do to leverage my expertise, or that of others, to directly benefit my business?
• What were the biggest factors contributing to my actual results during the past three months?
Press play. Once you have taken mental inventory of the past, it is now time to look forward.
More sample questions for you to consider, include:
• Why should somebody do business with me?
• What characteristics do my ideal clients have?
• What financial issues stress them out?
• How do I effectively remove that stress?
• How can I effectively deliver this message to the marketplace?
• How do I see my business changing in the near term?
• What steps are needed for this to happen?
• How can I create scale in my business while enhancing the service I offer to my existing clients?
• What vacation am I going to take so that I can maintain my energy and conviction?
• What small, incremental change do I want to focus on this quarter?
• How can I augment my strengths?
The 10% difference
In working with financial advisors I have witnessed a marked difference between those who think constructively and those who don’t. I call this the 10% difference. I believe that unplugging yourself from your business for one day each quarter will make at least a 10% difference in your profitability. This is meaningful when you compound that growth over a few years.
Tips for constructive thinking
1. Forgive yourself first. When you start this process, allow yourself permission to screw up — don’t be so hard on yourself that you dread this process.
2. Literally unplug yourself from the world. Tell your staff, family and friends that you are going to hide away for the day. Yes, they will think you have lost your marbles. Don’t take calls or allow any distractions except for emergencies.
3. The exercise of thinking is difficult at first. Like a muscle, it gets easier with practice. Bring a pre-determined list of questions. Force yourself to write down the answers.
4. If it works for you, use music as a mood stimulator. I find music helps put me in a relaxed, creative state.
5. Set aside one day each quarter and lock this day into your schedule. I know some advisors who will dovetail this day with a trip to a spa or a drive in the country.
6. Think of your business as an object and examine it from the same perspective a third party would… call it an out-of-body experience.
Dr. Maxwell Maltz, a pioneer in thinking, once said “2% of people think, 3% think they think and 95% are afraid to think.” My hope is that this format will help you heighten your ability to think clearly about your business.
Shawn O’Brien is vice-president, Atlantic Canada, at Connor Clark and Lunn. For more information, contact Shawn at sobrien@cclgroup.com.
(08/26/08)
(August 2008) Honestly, why is it easier to administer advice than adhere to it?
I must admit this is true for me when it comes to thinking strategically about my business. I am always telling people to stop getting constantly stuck in the day-to-day details and look at the business from a higher, more objective position.
At the same time, I frequently catch myself spending too much time entertaining busy, fragmented thoughts in my own head. Can you relate?
You may ask whose head you should be thinking in, if not your own. It’s a good point. The way I see it, thinking comes in two forms, constructive and destructive. Constructive thought requires discipline, it is controlled and directed. It is destructive thinking that meanders on for days with no resolution.
Why is constructive thinking so important?
The answer is simple: If your thinking is scattered and indecisive, so too is your business. If you develop an ability to clearly articulate your business, what you do for clients, and create a vision of how it will continue to evolve, there is a much greater chance that evolution will be realized.
Everything starts with thought. It is a matter of whether you are a passenger or in the driver’s seat. Many advisors say to me “I find my business is running me.” My suggestion is this happens when the advisor is unable to step out of the business and think about it critically.
How do you think constructively?
I recommend three steps:
Stop. It is important to completely unplug yourself and find a distraction-free environment. Your desk, your home office or bed are not going to work.
My preference is the local library. No phones, no Internet connections, no disruptions. Bring a notepad, pencil and any other resources required to evaluate your business. (Your calendar is essential.)
Press rewind. Imagine that you have recorded your business for the past three months. Rewind this recording and review your activities over that period.
• What have I stopped doing that I need to start doing again?
• What have I started doing that I need to stop?
• What am I doing that I should do more of?
• What does my recent success tell me about the future?
• What do my recent failures tell me about the future?
• What can I do to leverage my expertise, or that of others, to directly benefit my business?
• What were the biggest factors contributing to my actual results during the past three months?
Press play. Once you have taken mental inventory of the past, it is now time to look forward.
More sample questions for you to consider, include:
• Why should somebody do business with me?
• What characteristics do my ideal clients have?
• What financial issues stress them out?
• How do I effectively remove that stress?
• How can I effectively deliver this message to the marketplace?
• How do I see my business changing in the near term?
• What steps are needed for this to happen?
• How can I create scale in my business while enhancing the service I offer to my existing clients?
• What vacation am I going to take so that I can maintain my energy and conviction?
• What small, incremental change do I want to focus on this quarter?
• How can I augment my strengths?
The 10% difference
In working with financial advisors I have witnessed a marked difference between those who think constructively and those who don’t. I call this the 10% difference. I believe that unplugging yourself from your business for one day each quarter will make at least a 10% difference in your profitability. This is meaningful when you compound that growth over a few years.
Tips for constructive thinking
1. Forgive yourself first. When you start this process, allow yourself permission to screw up — don’t be so hard on yourself that you dread this process.
2. Literally unplug yourself from the world. Tell your staff, family and friends that you are going to hide away for the day. Yes, they will think you have lost your marbles. Don’t take calls or allow any distractions except for emergencies.
3. The exercise of thinking is difficult at first. Like a muscle, it gets easier with practice. Bring a pre-determined list of questions. Force yourself to write down the answers.
4. If it works for you, use music as a mood stimulator. I find music helps put me in a relaxed, creative state.
5. Set aside one day each quarter and lock this day into your schedule. I know some advisors who will dovetail this day with a trip to a spa or a drive in the country.
6. Think of your business as an object and examine it from the same perspective a third party would… call it an out-of-body experience.
Dr. Maxwell Maltz, a pioneer in thinking, once said “2% of people think, 3% think they think and 95% are afraid to think.” My hope is that this format will help you heighten your ability to think clearly about your business.
Shawn O’Brien is vice-president, Atlantic Canada, at Connor Clark and Lunn. For more information, contact Shawn at sobrien@cclgroup.com.
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(August 2008) Honestly, why is it easier to administer advice than adhere to it? 
