Revocable Trusts – Do Your Clients Need One and What Are the Pitfalls?

By Howard S. Krooks We hear a lot about trusts these days. Everyone seems to want one. But for the financial advisor and consumer alike, a trust may not be for everyone. There are a variety of trusts that can be established, and they serve a multitude of distinct purposes. As a financial advisor, what […]

Your Values As A Leader Speak Louder Than You Do

Values Based Leadership

From Forbes.com Values-based leadership, having clear cultural values, knowing what your team values — these are all important concepts much discussed in today’s business circles. As a leader, your values will impact the tenor of your firm and will tell your employees, customers and vendors what matters most to you. Identifying and communicating them is important.

Networking: Why Can It Feel So Difficult?

I approach professional skill building from a behavioral perspective. It would be an oversight not to mention, however, when it comes to networking, there definitely seems to be a difference between men and women in terms of their comfort and commitment to this important aspect of managing your career and cultivating new business opportunities. Women […]

Seven Hiring Tips for Great Team Members

Seven hiring tips

Employee management can be an incredible drain on time, energy and resources. Getting it right is so important. The “right” hire depends on each situation. To make a hire, or ensure someone you have is operating at full capacity, here are my “Seven Hiring Tips”: #1: Know the job Too many advisors hire because “We’re […]

Managing Your Time More Effectively

Advisors are often confronted with a problem: “I have the desire but I just don’t have the time!” Time is in increasingly short supply. Even with the continuous advancements made by technology, most advisors experience a sense of falling behind. Remember, time management is a misconception – you can’t manage time; everyone gets the same […]

LinkedIn Dos and Don’ts

LinkedIn (LI) can be a great tool to research, see what others are doing, learn new information and meet people. But it is becoming abused as a way to find prospects and pitch to them. If you are interested in using LinkedIn for outbound marketing, use these tips for greater effectiveness: Don’t connect just to […]

Need to Make High Impact Changes in Your Firm? Apply the SHIFT Model® for Success

Businessman jumping over hurdles

Many people in the corporate world, in firms large or small, have not learned the art of overcoming obstacles. It’s easy to get stuck and focus on what’s wrong or expect the boss to fix things. Or, as the boss, it’s easy to focus on solutions and expect your employees can deal with the problems. […]

How To Help Your Team Embrace Change

Team Embracing Change

Originally published on Forbes.com As a manager and leader, you probably spend a lot of your day trying to get people to do things — oftentimes, things they don’t really want to do. Whether it is a change in your organization, a new task they need to learn or an unpopular addition to their job description, […]

Learning to Fire Well

Yes, Managers, There is an Art to it! I’ve received many calls lately from people who have been “managed out” of their positions. They have been told “your job is being eliminated” or “we no longer need your services” or “we are downsizing or rightsizing” or “we are moving in a new direction”. Whatever the […]

Embrace Risk: Our quest for survival

Man walking on ledge

Jump off a cliff, skydive without the parachute, place your life savings on single bet in Vegas: that’s how most people feel about risk. It’s scary and full of uncertainty. Part of the reason we think this way is that our brains are hardwired to survive — to keep us alive by making the right decisions. Sensing risk sets […]