The Authentic Advisor

Business Health Checks are a great foot-in-the-door business advisory offering for professional service firms wanting to add client value and bridge the gap between 'the numbers' and more intensive advisory services such as strategic planning workshops & implementation.     But where do you start? Sharing her playbook, Lisa Wilson talks about how professional service firm Morrows design, price, deliver, promote and resource business health checks and why using Mindshop diagnostics, the Now-Where-How methodology and one page plans are integral to their success. Touching on how to generate internal referrals, Lisa also talks about capacity issues, reveals the power of 'BAMFAM' and shares ideas on how to use business health checks as a springboard into further advisory work.      Time Codes  00:00:51 Lisa's background and business advisory journey  00:02:40 Morrow's business advisory service range  00:03:41 Maturity of client base wanting business advisory services  00:04:47 Who's delivering business advisory services at Morrows?  00:05:38 Types of Business Health Checks  00:06:15 Pricing Business Health Checks   00:08:13 Weaving in financial insights  00:09:27 Internal referrals & marketing  00:12:22 Getting further advisory work  00:15:38 Managing capacity  00:16:33 Emerging demand for advisory services  00:18:47 Final tips & thoughts 

Can a business get away with operational deficiencies if they're run by a passionate group of people? Jason Langford-Brown shares his experience as a senior business advisor and coach as to whether culture is a bigger contributor to success than a winning strategy (as the well-known aphorism suggests).  Do most organisations have an accidental culture? How is it businesses with seemingly toxic cultures still succeed?  Jason and James Mason discuss what problems arise if a business holds onto staff that don't align with core values and how culture can be fit for purpose, ultimately posing the question, 'can culture be too perfect?'     Time Codes  00:00:42 Jason's background and business advisory journey.  00:02:27 Is culture a bigger contributor to success than a winning strategy?  00:04:54 Can you succeed with an amazing culture but poor strategy?  00:06:17 Can having a deep passion for what you do compensate for a lack of execution?  00:07:24 What are the keys to a high performing culture?  00:10:26 Is culture the fashionable silver bullet?  00:12:13 Poor performance v bad behaviour.  00:13:22 What are the first steps an advisor should take with a client when addressing culture and strategy?  00:19:17 Aligning core values throughout an organisation.  00:20:32 Can a culture be too perfect?  00:23:22 Does culture eat strategy for breakfast? 

Rod Willers, an independent advisor, and James Mason discuss the shift towards profitable and purposeful growth in businesses. They explore the differences between low and high growth organizations, emphasizing the importance of sustainability, commitment, and alignment of values. The speakers highlight the significance of continually evolving and innovating in a dynamic business operating system with the support of advisors and a supportive community.

How did a firm of 500+ staff go about identifying £1.5m of potential savings by finding opportunities to increase productivity and reduce waste? Lynsey Light of Kreston Reeves takes James Mason on a step-by-step journey through a far-reaching efficiency project using Mindshop tools & resources combined with business advisory know-how. Resulting in not only process efficiency, but also building credibility, skills and confidence to roll waste reduction services to clients over time. With Lynsey's top tips on communication, getting senior buy-in and staff ownership and engagement. 

Why have a community purpose? What difference does it make to the culture, operations and success of a firm?  Jack Edmonds, Crowe UK talks to James Mason about the power of having pervasive values fully embraced from the managing partner to the newest recruit. How a clear community purpose benefits the firm, clients, and the staff personally along with knock-on effects to wider society. Jack shares his tips on how to structure programs, communicate values, where to start and the importance of authenticity. An uplifting and positive podcast for those looking to make a real difference.  

What does it take to drive continuous improvement in an organisation? James Mason talks to Quinton Whitehead, Manager – Business Improvement about using Mindshop tools and processes at AG Coombs, Australia's leading specialist provider of building services.  There are numerous challenges for an organisation with over 1000 employees to successfully drive change. Quinton reveals what tools, processes and approaches he has taken to create a company-wide, consistent approach, overcoming change fatigue and creating a culture that embraces continuous improvement.  Listen in for insights on successful blended learning ideas, shifts in change management from AI, and how to coach and facilitate successfully for quality improvement and change success. 

Owning and operating a successful accounting / business advisory firm is challenging enough on its own. How does Matt Sharwood, Director, Advise Accountants find the time to pursue his entrepreneurial aspirations whilst still maintaining excellent client outcomes?   Matt discusses with James Mason the insights, benefits, technology and planning approaches he uses to successfully juggle running a high performing firm while growing a diverse number of businesses in areas like Kitchen manufacturing, Tiling and Property development. Matt shares how he identifies each business opportunity and his tips to ensure each are successful. Finally he touches on the two strategies he embraces for greater work / life balance. A great podcast to listen to for advisors and accountants who want to take the next a step into investing in diverse opportunities. 

Why are Mindshop diagnostics so effective uncovering deep client insights and saving business advisor’s time? Simon Drum, Managing Director of PSVC Advisory talks to James Mason about how diagnostics are a cornerstone of his business advisory model, in workshops, for process performance and due diligence activities and as a key part of his sales cycle.      Simon talks at a granular level about how he uses Mindshop diagnostics, gathering comparison data prior to workshops from a broad set of respondents to supplement qualitative interviews to test if the ‘words and music’ match. Discussing how diagnostics allow advance incubation of ideas for richer discussions in the workshop, Simon talks about the benefits of understanding key issues rather than ‘going in blind’ so time is spent more effectively, with better client outcomes.   Listen in as Simon reveals how he goes beyond simple lead generation questionnaires to move prospects rapidly through the sales cycle, delivering immediate value to clients with diagnostics that address key questions relevant to the business advisory services offered. 

With vast amounts of content available through abundant channels it's easy to become overwhelmed when building capability. What's the best way to select, access and apply learning and development resources to meet your own current and future needs? If you're a business advisor or coach, how do you meet the changing learning needs of your clients? JoAnn Labbie, Chief People Officer, Allinial Global and James Mason talk about shifts occurring in learning and development, the importance of creating a career success plan, and how to maximise time available for skill development in a busy schedule. In this podcast, JoAnn shares her opinion on the future of learning, and the importance of 'soft' skills such as critical thinking, emotional intelligence and listening. Don't miss JoAnn's tips on how advisors can effectively upskill clients in the current unpredictable environment.

What are the latest shifts in leadership and culture? Nikita Tomlinson, Director at Sudburys Ltd, Northland, New Zealand talks to James Mason, Mindshop about what's working for successful clients, and the top challenges they currently face. Exploring the key elements essential to building a high-performing culture and the impact on leadership strategies as businesses shift their focus back to profitability by streamlining operations. A must-listen for independent advisors and firms looking to get cutting edge insights on today's leadership and culture consulting. Join Nikita and James as they reinforce the importance of developing a solid strategy in this area to help clients succeed.