Absolute Engagement: A Vision of What’s Possible

The hypothesis

Initially I created the concept of Absolute Engagement as an observer, by watching the approaches of the most successful advisors I met. More specifically, I focused on individuals who had not only built large businesses, but who seemed to have achieved momentum or flow, moving from success to success. They seemed genuinely happier and more fulfilled.

That observation led me to my hypothesis. There is a group of advisors who have structured their businesses in a way that fully aligns the vision they have for their lives with the vision they have for their businesses. The result is that they’re laser-focused, grow faster and are more fulfilled. They weren’t just engaged, but absolutely engaged. I saw this in action, but I wanted some evidence as to what these advisors did differently.

To understand the drivers of Absolute Engagement I conducted a series of interviews, each of which lasted over two hours. From there I conducted an in-depth, quantitative study among 600 financial advisors who each took the time to describe how they approached both their businesses and their lives. Based on that data, I was able to isolate a group of advisors—about 15 percent of the total—whom I would describe as Absolutely Engaged.

They were Absolutely Engaged because they had designed their businesses in three very specific ways. The impact of the approach they took was staggering, not only on their businesses but their lives.

15 percent of advisors are Absolutely Engaged.

What the absolutely engaged do differently

Advisors who are Absolutely Engaged have both defined and are living their ideal in three areas.

• Clients. They have identified the clients they’re passionate about working with, for whom they can do their best work and who need what they want to offer. Just as important, they have successfully built businesses that target these individuals so that the majority (if not all) of their clients fit into this target group.

• Work. They have clearly defined the kind of work they want to do for clients—their ideal offer. Just as important, the bulk of the work they do (if not all) reflects this passion.

• Role. They have identified the role they want to play on the team, focusing on the activities that they (and they alone) can do to drive the business forward. Just as important, they have structured their businesses and their teams to allow them to focus on that work.

On the next chart you can see how drastically the Absolutely Engaged differ from the other 85 percent of advisors on the basis of these three areas of their business.

Simply stated, the Absolutely Engaged have intentionally designed their businesses around the things they are most passionate about, whether they be: the clients with whom they work, the work they do or the role they play. Combined, these three things represent their personal vision, a reflection of what is important to them.

Those who are Absolutely Engaged use that personal vision to drive the business vision. I don’t want to suggest that personal vision is some sort of feel-good strategy. Absolute Engagement starts with personal vision but is just as much about how you execute that vision. Absolute Engagement is like passion with a game plan.

The impact of absolute engagement

We’ll explore the path to Absolute Engagement in the chapters that follow. But let’s start by reassuring ourselves that the path is worth taking. If you’re going to embark on any significant journey, you’ll probably want to know what will happen when you get there.

The best way to understand the impact of Absolute Engagement—the impact of doing the three things highlighted earlier in this chapter—is by comparing them to other advisors. The differences are stunning.

Greater Confidence, Clarity and Control

Those who are Absolutely Engaged had greater confidence, clarity and control when it comes to professional goals. They were:

• 1.7x more likely to say they were “very clear” about their long-term professional goals

• 1.6x more likely to say they were confident they would reach those goals

• 1.7x more likely to feel in control of reaching those goals

This higher level of clarity, confidence and control also spills over into the personal goals that the Absolutely Engaged have set.

Greater Focus

When you’re clear on your goals, you get clear on how you spend your time. On average, those who are Absolutely Engaged invest more time on the activities that they know will propel their businesses forward.

Greater Financial Success

When you focus on the activities that drive the business forward, financial success follows. Those who are Absolutely Engaged are 1.7x more likely to be generating $1 million-plus in annual topline revenue in their businesses than those who are not.

More Time Off

With financial success comes the comfort to spend more time away from the office. Those who are Absolutely Engaged are more likely to work fewer than 40 hours a week (and they take more vacation time as well).

Enhanced Sense of Well-being

Focus, financial success and more time off have a net positive impact on your sense of well-being. Those who are Absolutely Engaged are:

• half as likely to feel high stress at work as the others
• twice as likely to report excellent health
• nearly 1.5x more likely to wake up feeling energized

Absolute Engagement isn’t only tied to professional success but to personal well-being and that’s exactly what I love about this concept. And, just like you, I wondered why this might be the case.

Part of the explanation for the Absolute Engagement phenomenon might be found, surprisingly, in a small area of Japan called Okinawa. According to Dan Buettner, it’s known as a “blue zone,” one of the few areas in the world with a very high density of people over the age of 100. Buettner is a National Geographic Fellow who has written several New York Times bestselling books that examine the people who live in these areas of the world and what they do differently. In his TED Talk, How to Live to Be 100+, he points out that the average person has the capacity to live to 90 years of age, which means that the average North American is leaving about 12 years of potential life on the table. The Okinawans have reclaimed that lost time, and then some.

While studying the Okinawan people, Buettner learned a lot about food, community and exercise but he also learned some important lessons about purpose. The Okinawan community, it turns out, doesn’t have a word for retirement. The concept simply doesn’t exist because the goal of work is tied to finding meaning in what you do each and every day. Instead, they have the concept of “Ikigai.” Loosely translated, your ikigai is your “reason for getting up in the morning.” It’s both the source of value in your life and it’s something that acts as a lightning rod for action, even if you don’t feel inspired in the moment.

When you look at the outcomes associated with Absolute Engagement, it’s clear that when you build a business around what is ultimately a personal vision of how you want to live, there’s a net positive impact on you and your business. Those who are Absolutely Engaged have created something that represents an elusive combination—a business that is both wildly successful and profoundly fulfilling. My take on this is that it’s due, in part, to having focused on something they consider meaningful and valuable—their ikigai.

So now all we need is a path forward and, thankfully, we have one.

The recap

• Absolute Engagement is about intentionally designing a business that supports the life you (really) want to live and a life that fuels your capacity to do just that.

• About 15 percent of advisors are Absolutely Engaged. They have both defined and are living their ideal as it relates to the clients with whom they want to work, the work they do and the role they play on the team.

• The impact of intentionally designing a business around your ideal work, clients and role includes:
  • Greater confidence, clarity and control when it comes to professional goals
  • Greater time spent on the right activities
  • Greater financial success
  • The ability to take more time off
  • Enhanced well-being, including more energy, lower stress and better health
  • The reason for such a significant impact is due, at least in part, to creating a business that has clear purpose and reflects what is most important to you.

You can purchase the Pursuit of Absolute Engagement at http://www.absoluteengagement.com/book

Julie Littlechild is a speaker, writer and the Founder of AbsoluteEngagement.com. She has worked with and studied top producing advisors, their clients and their teams for twenty years. She is a recognized expert on driving deeper engagement and growth and the author of a popular blog. Julie sat on the national board of the Financial Planning Association from 2010 – 2013, was twice identified as one of the 25 Most Influential People in Financial Planning by Investment Advisor Magazine and won the Influencer Award in practice management from Financial Planning Magazine. She works in the US, Canada, UK and Europe and holds an MBA from the University of Toronto.

We have created a brief series of exercises to help you take action on the concepts in this chapter, on your way to achieving Absolute Engagement.

Click here to access the Chapter 2 exercises

Read more articles by Julie Littlechild