Advisory Shouldn't Live in One Person's Head

Your next great advisor might already be sitting in your team. They might not have the title of advisor. They might not be the most senior person in the firm. And they may never have been given the opportunity to have an advisory conversation with a client. But that doesn't mean the potential isn't there. In this episode of Advisory Secrets, I look at how to recognise the advisory potential that may already exist within your accounting or bookkeeping team. Traditionally, we've trained people to complete tasks accurately and efficiently. But advisory requires us to look for something more — curiosity, judgement, communication skills and the ability to notice when something doesn't quite add up. It might be the bookkeeper who spots a pattern in a client's cash flow. The team member who asks a really good question. Or the person who understands the client's business incredibly well because they're working with their numbers every day. Those are advisory skills starting to show. The important thing is creating an environment where people feel confident enough to speak up, share what they've noticed and contribute their ideas. Because building an advisory team doesn't mean turning everybody into a lead advisor. It means recognising the capability you already have and giving people the opportunity to develop it. And sometimes, the person with the greatest advisory potential isn't necessarily the person you would have expected. Takeaways Your next advisor may already be working in your firm. Advisory potential isn't necessarily linked to seniority or job title. Look for people who are curious, observant, good communicators and willing to ask questions. Team members working closely with the numbers can often spot things that create valuable client conversations. People need to feel safe to say, "I've noticed something here..." without worrying that they're stepping outside their role. Not everyone needs to become a lead advisor — advisory capability can exist at different levels across the team. Developing advisory capability isn't simply about delegating more work. You're developing people's thinking, judgement and confidence. Find Out More To find out more about developing advisory capability across your team, visit APX Training. You can also join our free Advisory Teams Facebook community for more conversations around building advisory teams.