In a recent Future Adviser article, Professional Paraplanner’s Editor – Natalie Dawes, looked at some of the things that could slow progress towards becoming an adviser. Having identified those development areas, the next question is whether the opportunities to work on them are closer than you realise.
One of the things I asked aspiring advisers to do in my previous article was identify the area most likely to slow their progress towards becoming an adviser.
For some, it may have been confidence. For others, gaining more client exposure, developing communication skills or building an understanding of the business development side of the profession may have come out on top.
Whatever your answer was, identifying it was only really the beginning. After all, understanding what you need or would like to develop and actually finding opportunities to develop it are two very different things.
It’s all very well highlighting something with a fluorescent pen and committing to work on it, but at some point, there needs to be a move from reflection into action.
It’s something I’ve found myself thinking about quite a lot since writing that article. And it’s also something I can relate to myself.
When we think about development opportunities, there can sometimes be an assumption that they’re something that sits somewhere in the future.
Perhaps they arrive with a new role, a promotion or a formal adviser development programme. Maybe they appear once a manager decides somebody is ready for the next step.
And a lot of that places development in the hands of someone or something else.
I speak to a lot of advisers and very few describe a moment where they suddenly became the adviser, they wanted to be. Instead, they talk about smaller experiences that gradually helped build towards that point.
Sitting in on more client meetings, becoming more involved in discussions and spending time understanding how advisers prepare for meetings, how they think through recommendations and how they manage conversations when things don’t quite go to plan.
Looked at individually, those experiences may not seem particularly significant. Looked at collectively, they often form a large part of the development journey.
It does make me wonder how many opportunities already exist within firms that simply aren’t being fully utilised.
I appreciate every business is different. Some firms have clear development pathways and structured programmes. Others are much less formal, particularly where teams are smaller and everyone is already wearing several hats.
However, if client exposure was the area you highlighted in the previous exercise, have you really exhausted all the opportunities available to you?
If you’re not currently attending meetings, have you asked to?
If you’re already attending meetings, have you asked whether there might be opportunities to become more involved?
Have you ever sat down with an adviser afterwards and asked why a particular question was asked, why a recommendation was framed in a certain way or how they felt the meeting went?
Sometimes it isn’t the meeting itself that provides the most valuable learning – it’s the conversation afterwards.
The same thought applies to many of the other development areas aspiring advisers identify.
If communication skills are something you’d like to develop, are there projects, client interactions or internal discussions where you could become more involved?
If business development feels unfamiliar, have you spent time with the people responsible for building relationships and bringing new clients into the business?
One of the things that comes up regularly in conversations with aspiring advisers is wanting more opportunities. That’s entirely understandable. But I do sometimes wonder how often those opportunities are discussed openly.
Which brings me to another question that I suspect doesn’t get asked enough.
What do I need to do for you to see me as an adviser?
It’s a simple question, but I suspect it’s one that many aspiring advisers have never actually asked.
Part of the discomfort comes from not knowing what the answer will be. You might discover you’re much closer than you think. Equally, you might uncover development areas that hadn’t even crossed your mind.
Either way, it’s useful information and leaves you far clearer than you were before you asked the question.
The interesting thing about development is that we’re all looking at it from our own perspective. We know what we find challenging, where our confidence dips and which situations make us feel uncomfortable.
What we don’t always know is how other people see us.
A manager, mentor, business owner or supervising adviser may have a very different view. They may see strengths that you’ve completely overlooked, or opportunities that have been there all along but have never featured on your radar.
Bringing those perspectives together is often where the most useful conversations happen.
Of course, there will be situations where the opportunities you’re looking for don’t currently exist within your firm.
That can feel frustrating, particularly when you’re keen to gain experience and build momentum. However, development doesn’t always have to come directly from your day job.
One of the things I’ve always admired about this profession is how many opportunities exist beyond the office.
Industry events, professional body initiatives, regional groups, mentoring programmes and committee roles can all help build skills and confidence in different ways. In some cases, they can also introduce you to people who have already walked the path you’re hoping to follow.
Sometimes the opportunity you’re looking for is within your business, sometimes it’s sitting just outside it.
The important thing is recognising that development rarely just happens. Sometimes opportunities present themselves, but often it’s about taking a more active role in your own development and being willing to seek them out.
Whether that’s asking for more exposure within your current role, having a conversation about your ambitions or looking beyond your firm for opportunities to develop, there is usually more than one way to make progress.
Maybe that’s a challenge I can leave you with. Take another look at the development area you highlighted in the previous exercise and ask yourself a question:
***Am I waiting for an opportunity, or am I actively looking for one?***
The answer may tell you more than you think.
Main image: opportunity, open door, jan-tinneberg-tVIv23vcuz4-unsplash
