Episode 6: How to shift from an Expert to an Advisory Mindset in 6 steps (Part 1)
Sam dives deeper still into the mindset shifts that accountants and advisors need to make to have better conversations with clients, build different styles of businesses and meet or even be the disruption in a more agile way going forwards.
Despite talking about the need to move away from compliance focus for decades, the reason the industry hasn’t actually done it yet is because we haven’t addressed the fundamental need to shift from the mindset we had in the past to the mindset we will need to meet the future that is coming.
By the end of this episode you will have more clarity around the importance of this shift, awareness of the six attributes of the mindset shifts that need to be made, and have some practical tips to integrate these into your day to day work.
This episode follows on from previous episodes about the Advisory Mindset, and the challenges of the difficult conversations we need to have with our clients and with ourselves.
Listen to a snippet
What we cover in this episode
Why mindset shift is needed in our industry
The blocks around mindset shift that have meant we haven’t made the shifts until now
What is mindset?
The importance of mindset and the six attributes of expert vs. advisory mindset
Attitude 1: Reactive versus proactive
An example and a practical strategy for this attitude
The simple steps in planning that will help you be proactive
Attitude 2: Telling answers versus Asking Questions
An example and a practical strategy for this attitude
The important of and attributes of listening
Attitude 3: Apathetic versus Empathetic
An example and practical strategy for this attitude
The importance of moving from apathy to empathy
The four attributes of empathy
Extra information from this episode
Some simple steps in planning
Clarify WHAT you want the final result to look like
Establish HOW and break down the steps in the job
Establish WHO is best to complete the step
Establish WHEN the due dates are
Communicate all of that to everybody involved
The attributes of listening
Don’t interrupt or rush the conversation
Be present—don’t think ahead or finish clients sentences for them
Take a breath of at least three seconds
Constantly work on this skill of listening
Ask and be curious
The four attributes to empathy
See the world as others see it
Be non-judgmental
Understand the person’s feeling
Communicate that understand of the feeling back to the person
Quotes
“No change, no matter how small, is effective without a shift in your mindset. This is why I think we've been talking about moving from a reactive, compliance focus for decades and we just haven't done it because we haven't addressed the fundamental need to shift from the attitude and mindset that we've had in the past…to a more advisory, proactive one going forward.”
“The ultimate goal in this mindset shift is to be able to quickly anticipate and identify client's needs and take the action to deliver the solutions before they actually arise. We can actually quite often anticipate and identify our clients needs around a lot of the ATO and tax obligations.“
“We are actually trained to tell our answers, because we are experts and we do know what we're talking about. However, if you really want to get people acting, and understanding how you can actually solve their problems, you really need to ask and be curious and [listen] to find out what the client's problems are.”
“Listening is a skill that you constantly have to work on. I constantly work on this particular skill. It really is so important…because you can't be curious without listening and you can't truly understand what people's problems are and help them solve them without listening.”
“Our impassiveness is not because we don't care. It's because we haven't got some of the time that we need to really drill down and have these conversations [with our clients]. So sometimes our industry does come across a little bit apathetic because we are so busy.”
Links
Brené Brown's work on empathy
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