Why we commit to company-wide ‘Best Ideas’ meetings

Twice a year, the SK team comes together for what we call our Best Ideas meetings. But what exactly is this and why do we feel they are so important?

First and foremost, this meeting is about making sure each one of our clients, no matter who their adviser is, gets the very best service and advice we can offer. It guarantees consistency and efficiency and is a core part of our people centred approach.

As the name suggests, the Best Ideas meeting is about all of us getting together as a team to take a look at what has gone well with our individual clients. What products, services and initiatives have really stood out.

Consistency is key

We are a small team. Whether we’ve come into the office or are working from home, we are usually in client meetings or heads down on client reports. Importantly, we each have our own portfolio of clients. This approach is what allows us to offer tailored services and to really get to know our clients. It’s what makes it possible to offer a truly personal, people centred service, something we pride ourselves on.

But it is also important to us that our clients each get a consistent experience. And to achieve this, we need to talk to each other and stay up to date with  what’s working for our clients. This is where these Best Ideas meetings come in.

Conversations spark ideas

It is amazing how many new and interesting ideas come to light from the conversations we have with our clients. It might be that they have a specific problem and we have to do some deep research into which more niche products can solve it; it might be that a client has an idea about more targeted investments or product, such as Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) or lifetime mortgages, so again we do some research  into what the best options are; it might be that changes to the law are coming, such as the Pensions and Inheritance Tax changes, and a client has more specific questions or concerns about how this may affect them, so we review everything and pull an informed response together.

Whatever the situation, the likelihood is that this one client isn’t going to be the only one who has been thinking about it or for whom this information might be relevant. Of course, everyone’s situation is different, but there will still be other clients who have the same concerns, questions or interests. These meetings not only ensure we come together as a team, they give us the time and space to share what products, services and solutions we have been discussing with clients and what valuable information we have found out. It improves our team wide expertise. It helps us all stay up to speed with what’s available on the market and to find solutions to all kinds of different situations.

We also may invite product providers and other technical experts to our meetings to provide us with updates and information.  In addition, we are all working throughout the year on our Continued Professional Development (CPD), attending seminars, listening to webinars, reading technical atrticles and publications and our findings from these can also be shared with each other.

Time is our most precious commodity

And one final point. Unearthing interesting products and offerings from different investment companies, establishing a clear point of view on a particular topic and looking at different options for various situations takes time. But it is worth it. And if it is worthwhile for one client, it will undoubtedly be worthwhile for others. Not only does sharing these ideas and any research we do guarantee a consistent, informed approach across the team, it is also a powerful time saving exercise. It means that we work together, as a team in an efficient way and with really positive results.

No matter what job you do, it can be easy to find yourself constantly focused on what needs to get done that day. It can sometimes feel like you just don’t have time to do something like this. But the reality is that when you carve out dedicated time to reconnect as a team and share ideas, everybody wins.