Quiz: What Kind of Advisor Are You?

As advisors, we wear many hats – and this is a good thing! The most successful advisors have the ability to flex their skills to meet the clients needs. However, there are times when we can become enmeshed in our preferences, unaware that our styles may be impeding both our own progress and the success of our clients. Take a moment to complete this pop quiz. It is not scientific, but rather, based upon our many years of watching advisors in action.

As you read the situation and then look for the answer that works for you, you’ll quickly see that you do ALL of the things listed. However, for the purpose of self-discovery, what is the FIRST thing that pops into your mind? What is the first reaction that you might have to the situation?

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(10 questions)

1. When you visit with a potential client, which are you more likely to do?

Spend most of your time asking them questions.

Share your background and experience as a way to instill confidence.

Find yourself trading stories and experiences back and forth.

Look for opportunities to design a discovery process.

Tend to zero in on the glaring issues as you see them.

2. When you hear a potential client discussing the issues that are interrupting his/her business, which are you more likely to do?

Listen for areas where the problem intersects with your experience.

Feel genuine empathy for the client and express this to them in the conversation.

Find yourself thinking about the systemic issues that might be causing the problem.

Generate more questions, particularly those that might encourage deeper exploration of the problem.

Find yourself holding back from telling them what they really should be doing or explaining how they probably got here in the first place.

3. As you work to build trust with your client, which of the following do you believe serves you best?

Connecting emotionally - making sure that the client understands that you understand how they are feeling and what they are experiencing.

Making sure that the client knows that you have the knowledge, experience and skills to tackle the job.

Guiding the client to the realization that they have what it takes to solve the problems and with your help, will discover this for themselves.

Assuring the client that you will be solving the problems together, in a process designed to empower the organization.

Assuring the client that you can take charge of the situation, that they can depend on you because you have seen this before.

4. When you are working with your client on solving a problem in their business, which are you more likely to do?

Take a firm and direct approach - being clear on what needs to be done and driving them toward those solutions for their own good.

Use your specific expertise to design the solutions - ensuring you are delivering the promised results and meeting project expectations.

Ensure that you are working with the appropriate groups of people whom you believe are necessary to solve the problem and guide them through the process.

Spend extra time with the client, building a trusting, empathic relationship where they feel they can talk to you about anything.

Develop a clear approach for working one-on-one with the client and guiding them through a discovery process that leads to generating solutions.

5. When you experience a lack of motivation or action on the part of your client, which are you more likely to do?

Experience curiosity and address this directly with the client, seeking to understand the context and mutually discover a path forward.

Experience frustration and address this directly with the client, pointing out that this is wasting time and money.

Experience concern and look for the issues that might be hindering progress.

Step back and look at your process and try to assess how it can be designed to work more effectively before addressing the client.

Experience empathy and compassion and ask the client what you an do to help or support them.

6. You tend to believe you have done a good job with a client when:

Their process of self-discovery has lead to some significant personal shifts in how they work and interact with others.

The organization has embraced the process and is using it independently to now solve their problems.

You are certain that the client sees you as a trusted advisor that he/she could or would call anytime to help them through a difficult time.

You feel certain that you accomplished the task and the client got exactly what they paid you to do.

You are confident that your leadership and skills saved the day and the client is deeply grateful.

7. You are most likely to get frustrated with a client if he/she:

Ignores you. Doesn’t answer your calls or seems distant when you do connect.

Doesn’t follow through with what you agreed would get done. They drop the ball.

Constantly push back on your ideas or do the opposite of what you agreed.

Disrupts the process, making it difficult for you to complete the process that you thought had been agreed.

Doesn't appear to be committed. They say that they want to change, but you are not seeing the level of commitment that you expect.

8. In your sales pitch or marketing materials, which aspect do you stress more?

Your years of experience.

Your ability to get results.

Your collaborative approach.

Your desire to build a positive relationship.

Your emphasis on coaching rather than doing.

9. When you describe your style to your clients or colleagues, which words fit more closely?

A seasoned expert in your field, bringing a wealth of experience.

A compassionate, empathic advisor focused on relationships.

An engaging process facilitator that can provide structure and results.

A results-oriented driver that will ensure accountability, productivity and agreed outcomes.

An excellent listener with the ability to help clients find their own solutions through focused discovery.

10. Would your client say you spend the most time:

In front of a group, leading a process?

Telling them what to do, what not to do and guiding them and the organization through changes?

Asking questions, doing assessments, and helping to craft a plan to move forward?

Talking and sharing ideas and experience, being a sounding board and a confidant?

Assessing the situation, outlining the process to move forward, and using your knowledge to implement the improvements?

Almost there! It is possible your quiz results will identify a preferred style that you like to use, but we encourage you to read through the descriptions of all five styles to compare. Remember, the purpose of the quiz is to open up some discussion and remind us to stop and look at our style every once in a while - just as we ask our clients to do!

Be sure to check out the 5 Advisor Styles article for a more complete description of your quiz results. Remember, many of us tend to combine two or more styles on a regular basis!

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