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[00:01]
A
How do we actually get our processes to stick? Like, how do we actually follow the processes that we create? Because most process projects don't fail because the process itself was bad. They fail because under pressure, humans default to what's easiest and most familiar. So if the old way has 500 reps and the new way has only like 12 reps, your brain is going to want to grab the old way every single time time things get hectic. So I want you to think of implementation as a totally separate skill from process design. Design is phase one. Making it a habit is phase two. So that's what we're getting into in today's episode.
[00:42]
B
My name is Jessica Cole, and I just finished the Efficient Advisors Systems to Scale Group Coaching program. I run Synergy Wealth Partners in Marlborough, Massachusetts, and I came to Libby drowning. We were taking on more clients through referrals than we could handle with an understaffed team. Libby helped us step back and clarify the vision of our firm and our ICAs being clear on those. Let us tailor our processes to the clients we want to service and not get bogged down with things our clients don't actually care about. We are still a work in progress, but we wouldn't have gotten where we are without Libby. If you feel bogged down, you need to sign up for this program. You won't regret it.
[01:17]
A
Before we jump in, I want to share something exciting.
[01:19]
C
Over the next few weeks, I'm going to be curating a group of advisors to help them grow towards their first 1 million of revenue and beyond. It's called the Systems to Scale Group Coaching program.
[01:31]
A
And here's what I know. What gets you to mid six figures stops there. So if you're at 500 to $700,000 a year of annual revenue, you probably feel this.
[01:41]
C
What got you here won't get you there. And you need someone inside of your business showing you the way forward. So over the next 10 months, you'll work with me personally and each other to refine your business model, prepare for hiring, simplify your operations, and build a business that grows more sustainably, more profitably, and more independently of you. Details are waiting for you atthe efficient advisor.com under the group Coaching tab. But I have to warn you, spots will go fast. If you're a financial advisor who wants a practice that runs without you working 60 hours a week, who wants energy left over for the people you love, you are in the right place. I'm Libby Griwe, host of the Efficient Advisor. I built and sold a seven figure 100% referral only, planning, practice as a solo advisor, all While working just three days a week and taking off 14 full weeks a year. So, so that I could be an awesome mom, a wife, a friend and a travel obsessed human. On this show I share the exact systems, processes and tiny tweaks to help you scale, get organized and dramatically reduce stress and overwhelm in your business. This is your efficient practice playbook. If you're ready to stop being the bottleneck and start being the CEO, let's dive in.
[03:15]
A
Okay, so like I said in the intro, right, Systems are different than implementation of the system. So it's kind of these two different phrases. So if you listened to last week's episode where we did kind of that 20 minute diagnostic to figure out what do you need to work on first, this would kind of be a follow up episode. You didn't have to listen to that one in order for this one to make sense. But one of the biggest questions that I get asked a lot is how do I actually get myself and my team to follow the process? Like when things get hard, we abandon and we just start doing things the old way. And this is one of the reasons that our systems to scale group coaching program is a 10 month container, not like a 30 day sprint, right? Because it takes time to build the process and then it takes time to make it the new default. So you have to expect the dip. Your new process that you just built will not get tested on a very calm Tuesday. It will get tested when three clients call at once, all needing something major. Somebody on your team is out sick and your custodian is having issues and you're drowning an email. That's when your brain will scream, forget the checklist and just get it done. That temptation, totally normal. And it doesn't mean that the process doesn't work. It doesn't mean that your team sucks. It just means that you're human. So if you tell your team this up front, right, we're all going to want to bail when it gets busy. That's normal. They're way less likely to actually abandon it in the moment. Now the next step, right, we need to slow down in order to speed up. So one of my favorite phrases with teams is go slow now so you
[04:58]
C
don't have to do it over later.
[05:00]
A
When someone skips the checklist just this once to save three minutes, what usually happens, we miss a step, we confuse the client, we're not very clear in what the next step is for them. We create, rework and follow up calls and suddenly that three minute shortcut now cost us 30 minutes. The process isn't what actually slows us down. Cleaning up after it. Like cleaning up after not following that process is really, really the thing that genuinely gets in the way and slows us down. So suddenly that three minute shortcut, now you're 30 minutes deep and you're frustrated. So it's not the process that slows us down, it's that cleaning it up. And then it's important for us to use the process every single time. So we have to frame this with ourselves and with our team that the rule is no special snowflakes. There is no, okay, well this one's really easy and I've worked with this client forever and they're super sweet. Or this one I know by heart. Every exception that you make to actually opening up the SOP and following the process tells your brain, hey, this process is optional. You're not just doing the task, you're training a habit. So for the first few months you have to insist on we use every workflow every time, even when it feels annoying. Then we have to make the process stupid simple to access. So if people have to hunt for it, they're not going to use it. If they have to dig through three folders to find this, if they have to open a 12 page word doc, right? If they have to ask somebody like where is this? Where does it live? They're going to skip it. So the process literally needs to be one click away. It needs to be in, in like our group coaching program, we teach having a process tree. So think of it like a digital filing system where it's broken down. Like you open up a tab for process and it's right there, you know exactly which process it is. You're not more than a couple clicks away from finding the process. So it either has to live in the CRM in your task management tool. And then what I like about like the way that, that we do it right is we create SOPs. I'm a big fan of having everything live outside of your CRM and then have the automations and stuff built inside of your CRM. But I love having everything from a CEO perspective live outside of the CRM so that you can sit down and literally look through something step by step. That way if you switch CRMs, and I promise you, I've never once like as much as they tell you, like, oh, everything will transfer over and it all is going to work perfectly. That's a lie. It does not. There's something about being able to just sit down and say, what is our process for our first 100 days? And you can go through it step by step versus having to click around in your CRM and find the seven different automations or workflows that you have inside of the CRM. We want to have it in one tool, but when I teach us sop, I teach that there needs to be a couple of different categories and you can find episodes on this, but you have what is the task? What is the thing that we're doing? Very specifically, we are sending the pre paperwork party email. When does this task occur? It occurs right when the client says yes. After that meeting, when we set up the paperwork party time, whose role on the team, like who is responsible? Who owns this step of the process? This is the onboarding specialist, or you know, this is the advisor, whatever, whoever's job it is. And then here is a hyperlink to the actual template that we use or here is the exact language and attachments that we use inside of this email each and every time. So when you have it documented like that, there is no questioning. It makes it so simple. Like, okay, I'm Libby, I'm the operations manager. I send this out right after the client schedules the paperwork party. Here is the exact email that I'm supposed to use. I'm not recreating the wheel, I'm not typing it from scratch. I'm using the email that my advisor has created and approved that speaks directly to my ICA and has all of the unreasonable hospitality, you know, fun connecting components to it, maybe a little surprise, some congratulations, whatever you're including in there. And this is the three attachments that I am supposed to attach to this email. Here is the, you know, checklist of something that I need to bring. Here's a breaking up with your previous advisor. Whatever, whatever you're including in here. We want to have everything easy to find, easy. It should be all right there encapsulated in something. So if it's hard to find, your team will skip it. So you have to make the process stupid simple to access. We also want to build in what I call pause points. Pilots use checklists not because they don't know how to fly, but because humans forget under pressure. You also develop this thing called knowledge bias, right, where you do something so many times that you feel like you can rely on your expertise. You can do the same thing that pilots do. Like in your workflow, you can build these pause points. So you could build a pause point before opening an account. You could Put a pause point in before submitting paperwork. You can put a pause point in before ending a client meeting or before marking a task complete. Something that a lot of advisors do inside of their workflows is they actually have a task setup that somebody on the team has to click and close that says did we actually follow every step of the process this time? So having these little pause points can save you hours and hours and hours of cleanup later.
[10:54]
C
Okay, Sorry to interrupt, but I often get asked Libby, if you are still running an advisory business today or what would some of the tools and things that you would be using if you
[11:05]
A
were doing your business now?
[11:07]
C
And if we're going to talk about efficiency, right? You wouldn't build a financial plan without a very clear visual of your client's
[11:15]
A
entire financial picture, right?
[11:17]
C
I personally would use Asset Map to
[11:20]
A
keep myself super organized and to be
[11:23]
C
able to see all of my clients complex data in one easy to understand, easy interactive snapshot. It helps you engage clients, drive better decisions and boost efficiency in every meeting. If you want to streamline your practice and deliver more value in less time, make sure you check out Asset map today@asset-map.com Libby AssetMap Reimagining Financial Planning okay, so we've all been on an AI journey together and I know, I know all of this AI and integrating it into your practice can feel super overwhelming. And we all know how important it is, right? AI is transforming how financial advisors work. It's streamlining everything from client onboarding to communications to meetings to creating deliverables for you. I mean gosh, you can even use it to write your investment policy statements and so much more. At BMO Automation they do it all for you. It's a done for you customized solution for founded by a former advisor. So instead of an off the shelf
[12:35]
A
or trying to connect things together, which
[12:36]
C
all are totally cool and have their place, if you want something totally custom tailored to your unique needs, you need to check out BMO Automation. And as an Efficient Advisor listener, because you're awesome, you get to visit BMO automation.com efficient advisor to get a free consultation and complimentary AI blueprint for your business. You will not regret sitting down and having someone map out all of the things that AI could be doing for you in your business.
[13:12]
A
Then we want to celebrate compliance, not luck. So when someone follows the process and it still isn't perfect, celebrate it.
[13:21]
C
Why?
[13:22]
A
Because now we can improve the process. When somebody skips the process and gets lucky, we are not celebrating that. Otherwise you're rewarding Gambling. So the mantra that I love is we don't judge people, we improve systems. So we want to create an environment for ourselves and our team that celebrates when we did the process, even if
[13:42]
C
it didn't work perfectly.
[13:43]
A
And we do not want to celebrate. We don't want to chastise, but we don't want to celebrate when we skip the process and we get lucky. Because again, we're training our brain that, hey, we didn't need to follow that step by step. And just because it feels like you're getting lucky on your side of the business does not mean that that is the biggest, best experience for your client. So a lot of like what I focus on in our group coaching program and right now we're doing, we're rerecording all of the videos and we're doing this unreasonable hospitality overlay right where we're looking at everything like we did in the first 100 days course through that lens of how is the client experiencing it? So how do we make this better, faster, smarter, cheaper, easier for our business? How do we make it more efficient? But how do we make sure that we are giving the best possible client experience? So just because you got lucky and the money transferred over just fine, doesn't mean that the experience that the client had was the best. Some of those emails that we send letting them know where we're at with stuff, letting them know what they can expect next, maybe not be necessary for the business to process business, but is really necessary for the client experience. We want to make sure that we are celebrating compliance with the processes. Okay? And then we want to audit the process, not the person. So instead of asking in a team meeting, who forgot this? Why did it get forgot? Right? We want to ask why was it so easy to forget? Was the step buried? Was the step unclear? Is the checklist too friggin long? The goal isn't blame. The goal is to make the right action, the easiest action. So you have to have this auditing or compliance we have to be reviewing. So like your job as the advisor, as the owner of the business, is to actually make sure that the processes are being followed. So it's not just good enough to create the process. We actually have to put points in whether it's in our team meetings or whether it's in some of your CEO time to actually look back and say, did my team do what I asked him to do? Are we following the process? Am I personally, if you're a solo, am I following my own processes? We have to audit and make sure that the right action is the easiest action. When people feel safe raising their hand and saying, hey, this step is really confusing, your system gets better and your culture gets stronger. Just because it makes sense in your head and in your language doesn't mean it's going to make sense to somebody else. We want to create a culture in our office that people can raise their hand and say, hey, this isn't clear. I have an idea. I think we can make this better by doing X, Y and Z. Or, oh, did you know we have software that can do that? Or now we can ask AI to do these things. Okay. Repetition creates culture. Process reps. Culture isn't what's on the wall or in your vision statement. Culture is what you repeat over and over and over again. So build process reps. When you roll out a new workflow, walk through it together, roleplay the scenarios, run a couple of fake cases, do five dry runs before you need to do a real one. Just like anything else in life, you're a beginner until you're an expert and you've got to do reps. You've got to put the reps in. So by the sixth or seventh time, it starts to feel kind of normal. So in your weekly team meeting, asking the one simple question, did we follow this new process this week? Where did we drift? If you ask that question every week, eventually you won't have to. It just becomes the how we do things here. We also need to create a minimum standard under pressure. So one last concept that I love to share with teams especially, is minimum standard under pressure when everything is on fire. What are the three? Three. What are the three things we never skip? Right? So we can have that with a process. I mean, ideally, we're never skipping anything, but you can have, like the. Hey, no. Like, literally when things go bananas, when things hit the wall, when everything is on fire, what are the bare minimum things in this process that we are never, ever, ever going to skip? Maybe it's using this checklist. Maybe it's the communication component with the clients to make sure that they're included. So, like in our first 100 days, we talk about the pizza tracker, right? Like how Domino's sends you through this pizza tracker. Once you order the pizza, then, you know they're putting the toppings on. Now it's in the oven, now it's being set out for delivery. There's a quality control in there. And now it's been deliver. We want our clients to have that same experience, and that's really important. So you might say, hey, in our first 100 days we are never going to skip the communication with the client piece. We might skip something on our back end that's helpful but not necessary. But these are the bare minimum standards. Like these are the core things that we're going to do every single time. So like I said, designing the systems is 80% of the battle. The other part of the battle, the other 20% is getting in enough reps that under pressure the new way beats the old way. So let me kind of review all of those things again. So we need to, number one, we need to expect the dip. We need to know that your process will not get tested on the calm Tuesday. It's going to get prep tested under a lot of pressure. We need to slow down in order to speed up. We know that if we take a little bit longer to follow our process, it's going to save us time on the back end. And we have to set that rule. No special snowflakes. We have to use the process every single time. There is no unique special client. Right. If you are doing everything customized, that is impossible to achieve scale and you will be the bottleneck and you will be required to be in on every single decision. Nobody wants that. We have to make the process stupid, simple to access. We have to build in those pause points. We have to celebrate compliance, not luck. We need to audit the process, not the person.
[19:48]
C
And repetition creates culture.
[19:52]
A
And then finally minimum standard under pressures, those 10 things together. Designing great systems is part of it, but we've got to make sure they're like they're not going to do any service for you if they're not being utilize again. That's why like our systems at scale group coaching program is not a 30 day sprint. It's not a 30 day boot camp. It is a 10 month container where we design all of the workflows, we work to install them and then support you and your team for the next year while you build the habit of following them. That's the whole reason that we created the alumni community was that you would have support after the 10 months because that's when, that's when stuff gets real. Like that's when things actually get really hard stuff. So we want to make sure that you have Support beyond that 10 months as you're running them in your practice, as you're using them with clients. So let's say for example, if we're talking about the first 100 days, right, you might only onboard a couple of clients during that window that you're practicing and it's going to get really hard. So it might not be until the fourth or fifth time that you're like, hey, I noticed a problem and that's why I want to be there to support you beyond that. So the alumni community is included in the group coaching program for a full year and then you can opt to stay in it if you want to. Forever, never. You get all of the updates that we make to the program. So for alumni listening to this, y' all are gonna get all the new recordings rolled out here. It's super exciting and I'm gonna do it nice and slow for you. So I'm not like gonna inundate you with all of the things, but we install the workflows or we design the workflows, we install them and then support you while you're building the habit of following, of following them. So if you listen to this and thought we've built processes before, but we never stick with them, that's exactly what this episode is designed to fix. So go back, listen to the 20 minute audit episode and that's your killer combo, right? Find out where your biggest ops problem is. Then make sure you actually create a solution and stick to the solution enough for it to work. Thank you so much. I hope this was helpful for you guys and I hope you have an amazing rest of your week. And again, I would love to invite you to join us inside of the Systems to Scale group coaching program. Registration ends August 13th, so we are wrapping up and we're getting close to being full, but I would love for you to join us. I'm super excited about this round and all of the new stuff that we are releasing and launching with it. And I would love to work with you personally to help you build out and stick to all of these systems inside of your financial planning practice. Thanks so much and I hope you have an amazing rest of your week.
[22:31]
D
My name is Carrie Alberto and I own Core Wealth Management, a financial planning firm just outside Denver, Colorado. I completed the Systems to Scale coaching program in 2024. Even though the program ended about 18 months ago, it still feels fresh because of two things Libby implemented. First, there's a great alumni community and Libby continues to share content that reinforces what we learned during the program. Second, during our time together, she painstakingly organized advisors in into small accountability groups or pods. She did such an excellent job matching people that our POD chose to continue meeting after the program and still meets to this day. The accountability from both the alumni community and our POD has helped me continue implementing the massive amount of material that we covered throughout the 10 month program. I've been listening to Libby's podcast for years, and if you're a listener who loves the ideas that you hear on the podcast but struggles to find out time to actually implement them, I highly encourage you to join the next round of the System to Scale program.

Summary5 min read

Podcast Summary: The Efficient Advisor with Libby Greiwe

Episode 392: How to Make Your Systems Stick When Things Get Busy
Airdate: July 31, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Libby Greiwe dives deep into one of the most pressing challenges for financial advisors: ensuring that carefully crafted business systems and processes are consistently followed—especially under pressure and during chaos. Drawing upon her own journey of building a thriving, ultra-efficient planning firm, Libby shares actionable strategies for transforming process design into true habit, so that your business systems remain resilient, even in the busiest seasons. The episode is packed with practical tips, memorable analogies, and success stories from advisors who have implemented her “Systems to Scale” methodology.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Implementation Gap: Why Systems Fail Under Pressure

[00:00-04:57]

Libby’s Core Message:
“Most process projects don't fail because the process itself was bad. They fail because under pressure, humans default to what's easiest and most familiar.” (Libby, 00:05)
Implementation is a separate skill from process design. Design is step one; making it a habit is the real challenge.
Systems get tested during moments of chaos—never on a calm day. Expect the “dip” (the temptation to revert to old habits).
Advice: Forewarn your team about the temptation to abandon new systems when things get hectic; it normalizes the challenge and increases buy-in.

Slow Down to Speed Up

[04:57-05:30]

Insisting on completion of each process step saves far more time in the long run, even if it feels slower initially.
Mistakes from “just this once” process shortcuts (“saving three minutes can end up costing 30” - Libby, 04:59).

No Special Snowflakes: Ruthless Consistency

[05:30-07:20]

Every exception to the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) signals to your brain that processes are optional.
Strict rule: “We use every workflow every time, even when it feels annoying.”
Customization for every case is the enemy of scale. Eliminate “special snowflake” treatments.

Make Processes Stupid Simple to Access

[07:20-09:30]

Processes should always be a couple of clicks away—never buried in files or long documents.
Use a digital “process tree”: a simple, navigable repository for all SOPs and checklists.
Libby’s teaching: SOPs should specify task, timing, owner, exact templates, and related attachments, so there’s no ambiguity.

Building in Pause Points and Preventing Knowledge Bias

[09:30-10:54]

Incorporate checkpoints (pause points) just like pilots use checklists, “not because they don't know how to fly, but because humans forget under pressure.” (Libby, 09:35).
Tasks should include confirmation steps (e.g., "Did we actually follow every step of the process this time?").
Identify where knowledge bias may lead to forgotten steps; systematize review.

Celebrate Compliance, Not Luck

[13:12-13:41]

“When someone follows the process and it still isn't perfect, celebrate it. Because now we can improve the process. When somebody skips the process and gets lucky, we are not celebrating that. Otherwise you’re rewarding gambling.” (Libby, 13:20)
Foster a culture where following process is valued over accidental success.

Audit the Process, Not the Person

[13:42-15:20]

Never ask, “Who forgot this?” but rather “Why was it so easy to forget?”
Continual improvement is achieved by making the right action the easiest action.
Encourage team members to raise issues in process clarity; safety in feedback strengthens both system and culture.

Repetition Creates Culture

[15:20-17:05]

“Culture isn’t what’s on the wall… culture is what you repeat over and over and over again.” (Libby, 16:00)
New processes become habits through repeated use, roleplay, and scenario walkthroughs in team meetings.
Ask weekly: “Did we follow this new process this week? Where did we drift?”

Minimum Standard Under Pressure

[17:05-19:47]

Define clear, non-negotiable steps to never skip, even in chaos (e.g., client communication akin to the “pizza tracker”).
“When everything is on fire, what are the three things we never skip?” (Libby, 17:20)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On why systems break down:
“If the old way has 500 reps and the new way has only like 12 reps, your brain is going to want to grab the old way every single time things get hectic.” (Libby, 00:13)
On building system habits:
“Designing the systems is 80% of the battle. The other part…is getting in enough reps that under pressure the new way beats the old way.” (Libby, 19:25)
Team Engagement Example:
“When people feel safe raising their hand and saying, ‘Hey, this step is really confusing,’ your system gets better and your culture gets stronger.” (Libby, 14:20)
Celebrating Process over Luck:
“We don’t judge people; we improve systems.” (Libby, 13:30)

Client Testimonials: Impact of Systems to Scale Program

[00:42-01:16 & 22:30-end]

Jessica Cole, Synergy Wealth Partners:
“We were taking on more clients than we could handle…Libby helped us clarify our vision and processes so we focus on what our clients actually care about. Still a work in progress, but we would not have gotten here without Libby.” (Jessica, 00:42)
Carrie Alberto, Core Wealth Management:
“Even though the program ended about 18 months ago, it still feels fresh because of two things Libby implemented: the alumni community and small accountability groups (pods) that continue to meet. If you love the ideas but struggle to implement them, I highly encourage you to join.” (Carrie, 22:30)

Summarized List of Libby’s “Ten Keys to Making Systems Stick”

Expect the Dip – Prepare to face old habit temptation under pressure.
Slow Down to Speed Up – Insist on completing the process for long-term gain.
No Special Snowflakes – Apply workflows without exception.
Make it Stupid Simple – Ensure processes are a click away and crystal clear.
Build Pause Points – Create check-in spots within workflows.
Celebrate Compliance, Not Luck – Incentivize following systems, not shortcuts.
Audit Process, Not Person – Analyze system failures, not personal failures.
Repetition Creates Culture – Practice until it becomes habit.
Minimum Standard Under Pressure – Define unbreakable rules for the worst times.
Support After the Install – True habit (and real business change) takes extended support and accountability (as provided in her coaching alumni community).

Actionable Takeaways

System design is only part of the solution. The real key is building process habits through repetition, culture, and ruthless simplicity.
Forewarn teams about human behavior under stress and normalize the struggle for buy-in.
Insist on consistency, eliminate exceptions, and make processes as easy to access and use as possible.
Use pause points and auditing for continuous improvement—and always celebrate the right behavior, not “lucky” outcomes.

For More

Previous, Related Episode: Listen to the “20-minute Audit Diagnostic” episode for a complementary deep dive.
Libby’s Group Coaching: Details at theefficientadvisor.com > Group Coaching tab. Registration ends August 13.

Loading summary

Transcript26 lines

[00:01]
A
How do we actually get our processes to stick? Like, how do we actually follow the processes that we create? Because most process projects don't fail because the process itself was bad. They fail because under pressure, humans default to what's easiest and most familiar. So if the old way has 500 reps and the new way has only like 12 reps, your brain is going to want to grab the old way every single time time things get hectic. So I want you to think of implementation as a totally separate skill from process design. Design is phase one. Making it a habit is phase two. So that's what we're getting into in today's episode.
[00:42]
B
My name is Jessica Cole, and I just finished the Efficient Advisors Systems to Scale Group Coaching program. I run Synergy Wealth Partners in Marlborough, Massachusetts, and I came to Libby drowning. We were taking on more clients through referrals than we could handle with an understaffed team. Libby helped us step back and clarify the vision of our firm and our ICAs being clear on those. Let us tailor our processes to the clients we want to service and not get bogged down with things our clients don't actually care about. We are still a work in progress, but we wouldn't have gotten where we are without Libby. If you feel bogged down, you need to sign up for this program. You won't regret it.
[01:17]
A
Before we jump in, I want to share something exciting.
[01:19]
C
Over the next few weeks, I'm going to be curating a group of advisors to help them grow towards their first 1 million of revenue and beyond. It's called the Systems to Scale Group Coaching program.
[01:31]
A
And here's what I know. What gets you to mid six figures stops there. So if you're at 500 to $700,000 a year of annual revenue, you probably feel this.
[01:41]
C
What got you here won't get you there. And you need someone inside of your business showing you the way forward. So over the next 10 months, you'll work with me personally and each other to refine your business model, prepare for hiring, simplify your operations, and build a business that grows more sustainably, more profitably, and more independently of you. Details are waiting for you atthe efficient advisor.com under the group Coaching tab. But I have to warn you, spots will go fast. If you're a financial advisor who wants a practice that runs without you working 60 hours a week, who wants energy left over for the people you love, you are in the right place. I'm Libby Griwe, host of the Efficient Advisor. I built and sold a seven figure 100% referral only, planning, practice as a solo advisor, all While working just three days a week and taking off 14 full weeks a year. So, so that I could be an awesome mom, a wife, a friend and a travel obsessed human. On this show I share the exact systems, processes and tiny tweaks to help you scale, get organized and dramatically reduce stress and overwhelm in your business. This is your efficient practice playbook. If you're ready to stop being the bottleneck and start being the CEO, let's dive in.
[03:15]
A
Okay, so like I said in the intro, right, Systems are different than implementation of the system. So it's kind of these two different phrases. So if you listened to last week's episode where we did kind of that 20 minute diagnostic to figure out what do you need to work on first, this would kind of be a follow up episode. You didn't have to listen to that one in order for this one to make sense. But one of the biggest questions that I get asked a lot is how do I actually get myself and my team to follow the process? Like when things get hard, we abandon and we just start doing things the old way. And this is one of the reasons that our systems to scale group coaching program is a 10 month container, not like a 30 day sprint, right? Because it takes time to build the process and then it takes time to make it the new default. So you have to expect the dip. Your new process that you just built will not get tested on a very calm Tuesday. It will get tested when three clients call at once, all needing something major. Somebody on your team is out sick and your custodian is having issues and you're drowning an email. That's when your brain will scream, forget the checklist and just get it done. That temptation, totally normal. And it doesn't mean that the process doesn't work. It doesn't mean that your team sucks. It just means that you're human. So if you tell your team this up front, right, we're all going to want to bail when it gets busy. That's normal. They're way less likely to actually abandon it in the moment. Now the next step, right, we need to slow down in order to speed up. So one of my favorite phrases with teams is go slow now so you
[04:58]
C
don't have to do it over later.
[05:00]
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When someone skips the checklist just this once to save three minutes, what usually happens, we miss a step, we confuse the client, we're not very clear in what the next step is for them. We create, rework and follow up calls and suddenly that three minute shortcut now cost us 30 minutes. The process isn't what actually slows us down. Cleaning up after it. Like cleaning up after not following that process is really, really the thing that genuinely gets in the way and slows us down. So suddenly that three minute shortcut, now you're 30 minutes deep and you're frustrated. So it's not the process that slows us down, it's that cleaning it up. And then it's important for us to use the process every single time. So we have to frame this with ourselves and with our team that the rule is no special snowflakes. There is no, okay, well this one's really easy and I've worked with this client forever and they're super sweet. Or this one I know by heart. Every exception that you make to actually opening up the SOP and following the process tells your brain, hey, this process is optional. You're not just doing the task, you're training a habit. So for the first few months you have to insist on we use every workflow every time, even when it feels annoying. Then we have to make the process stupid simple to access. So if people have to hunt for it, they're not going to use it. If they have to dig through three folders to find this, if they have to open a 12 page word doc, right? If they have to ask somebody like where is this? Where does it live? They're going to skip it. So the process literally needs to be one click away. It needs to be in, in like our group coaching program, we teach having a process tree. So think of it like a digital filing system where it's broken down. Like you open up a tab for process and it's right there, you know exactly which process it is. You're not more than a couple clicks away from finding the process. So it either has to live in the CRM in your task management tool. And then what I like about like the way that, that we do it right is we create SOPs. I'm a big fan of having everything live outside of your CRM and then have the automations and stuff built inside of your CRM. But I love having everything from a CEO perspective live outside of the CRM so that you can sit down and literally look through something step by step. That way if you switch CRMs, and I promise you, I've never once like as much as they tell you, like, oh, everything will transfer over and it all is going to work perfectly. That's a lie. It does not. There's something about being able to just sit down and say, what is our process for our first 100 days? And you can go through it step by step versus having to click around in your CRM and find the seven different automations or workflows that you have inside of the CRM. We want to have it in one tool, but when I teach us sop, I teach that there needs to be a couple of different categories and you can find episodes on this, but you have what is the task? What is the thing that we're doing? Very specifically, we are sending the pre paperwork party email. When does this task occur? It occurs right when the client says yes. After that meeting, when we set up the paperwork party time, whose role on the team, like who is responsible? Who owns this step of the process? This is the onboarding specialist, or you know, this is the advisor, whatever, whoever's job it is. And then here is a hyperlink to the actual template that we use or here is the exact language and attachments that we use inside of this email each and every time. So when you have it documented like that, there is no questioning. It makes it so simple. Like, okay, I'm Libby, I'm the operations manager. I send this out right after the client schedules the paperwork party. Here is the exact email that I'm supposed to use. I'm not recreating the wheel, I'm not typing it from scratch. I'm using the email that my advisor has created and approved that speaks directly to my ICA and has all of the unreasonable hospitality, you know, fun connecting components to it, maybe a little surprise, some congratulations, whatever you're including in there. And this is the three attachments that I am supposed to attach to this email. Here is the, you know, checklist of something that I need to bring. Here's a breaking up with your previous advisor. Whatever, whatever you're including in here. We want to have everything easy to find, easy. It should be all right there encapsulated in something. So if it's hard to find, your team will skip it. So you have to make the process stupid simple to access. We also want to build in what I call pause points. Pilots use checklists not because they don't know how to fly, but because humans forget under pressure. You also develop this thing called knowledge bias, right, where you do something so many times that you feel like you can rely on your expertise. You can do the same thing that pilots do. Like in your workflow, you can build these pause points. So you could build a pause point before opening an account. You could Put a pause point in before submitting paperwork. You can put a pause point in before ending a client meeting or before marking a task complete. Something that a lot of advisors do inside of their workflows is they actually have a task setup that somebody on the team has to click and close that says did we actually follow every step of the process this time? So having these little pause points can save you hours and hours and hours of cleanup later.
[10:54]
C
Okay, Sorry to interrupt, but I often get asked Libby, if you are still running an advisory business today or what would some of the tools and things that you would be using if you
[11:05]
A
were doing your business now?
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C
And if we're going to talk about efficiency, right? You wouldn't build a financial plan without a very clear visual of your client's
[11:15]
A
entire financial picture, right?
[11:17]
C
I personally would use Asset Map to
[11:20]
A
keep myself super organized and to be
[11:23]
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able to see all of my clients complex data in one easy to understand, easy interactive snapshot. It helps you engage clients, drive better decisions and boost efficiency in every meeting. If you want to streamline your practice and deliver more value in less time, make sure you check out Asset map today@asset-map.com Libby AssetMap Reimagining Financial Planning okay, so we've all been on an AI journey together and I know, I know all of this AI and integrating it into your practice can feel super overwhelming. And we all know how important it is, right? AI is transforming how financial advisors work. It's streamlining everything from client onboarding to communications to meetings to creating deliverables for you. I mean gosh, you can even use it to write your investment policy statements and so much more. At BMO Automation they do it all for you. It's a done for you customized solution for founded by a former advisor. So instead of an off the shelf
[12:35]
A
or trying to connect things together, which
[12:36]
C
all are totally cool and have their place, if you want something totally custom tailored to your unique needs, you need to check out BMO Automation. And as an Efficient Advisor listener, because you're awesome, you get to visit BMO automation.com efficient advisor to get a free consultation and complimentary AI blueprint for your business. You will not regret sitting down and having someone map out all of the things that AI could be doing for you in your business.
[13:12]
A
Then we want to celebrate compliance, not luck. So when someone follows the process and it still isn't perfect, celebrate it.
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C
Why?
[13:22]
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Because now we can improve the process. When somebody skips the process and gets lucky, we are not celebrating that. Otherwise you're rewarding Gambling. So the mantra that I love is we don't judge people, we improve systems. So we want to create an environment for ourselves and our team that celebrates when we did the process, even if
[13:42]
C
it didn't work perfectly.
[13:43]
A
And we do not want to celebrate. We don't want to chastise, but we don't want to celebrate when we skip the process and we get lucky. Because again, we're training our brain that, hey, we didn't need to follow that step by step. And just because it feels like you're getting lucky on your side of the business does not mean that that is the biggest, best experience for your client. So a lot of like what I focus on in our group coaching program and right now we're doing, we're rerecording all of the videos and we're doing this unreasonable hospitality overlay right where we're looking at everything like we did in the first 100 days course through that lens of how is the client experiencing it? So how do we make this better, faster, smarter, cheaper, easier for our business? How do we make it more efficient? But how do we make sure that we are giving the best possible client experience? So just because you got lucky and the money transferred over just fine, doesn't mean that the experience that the client had was the best. Some of those emails that we send letting them know where we're at with stuff, letting them know what they can expect next, maybe not be necessary for the business to process business, but is really necessary for the client experience. We want to make sure that we are celebrating compliance with the processes. Okay? And then we want to audit the process, not the person. So instead of asking in a team meeting, who forgot this? Why did it get forgot? Right? We want to ask why was it so easy to forget? Was the step buried? Was the step unclear? Is the checklist too friggin long? The goal isn't blame. The goal is to make the right action, the easiest action. So you have to have this auditing or compliance we have to be reviewing. So like your job as the advisor, as the owner of the business, is to actually make sure that the processes are being followed. So it's not just good enough to create the process. We actually have to put points in whether it's in our team meetings or whether it's in some of your CEO time to actually look back and say, did my team do what I asked him to do? Are we following the process? Am I personally, if you're a solo, am I following my own processes? We have to audit and make sure that the right action is the easiest action. When people feel safe raising their hand and saying, hey, this step is really confusing, your system gets better and your culture gets stronger. Just because it makes sense in your head and in your language doesn't mean it's going to make sense to somebody else. We want to create a culture in our office that people can raise their hand and say, hey, this isn't clear. I have an idea. I think we can make this better by doing X, Y and Z. Or, oh, did you know we have software that can do that? Or now we can ask AI to do these things. Okay. Repetition creates culture. Process reps. Culture isn't what's on the wall or in your vision statement. Culture is what you repeat over and over and over again. So build process reps. When you roll out a new workflow, walk through it together, roleplay the scenarios, run a couple of fake cases, do five dry runs before you need to do a real one. Just like anything else in life, you're a beginner until you're an expert and you've got to do reps. You've got to put the reps in. So by the sixth or seventh time, it starts to feel kind of normal. So in your weekly team meeting, asking the one simple question, did we follow this new process this week? Where did we drift? If you ask that question every week, eventually you won't have to. It just becomes the how we do things here. We also need to create a minimum standard under pressure. So one last concept that I love to share with teams especially, is minimum standard under pressure when everything is on fire. What are the three? Three. What are the three things we never skip? Right? So we can have that with a process. I mean, ideally, we're never skipping anything, but you can have, like the. Hey, no. Like, literally when things go bananas, when things hit the wall, when everything is on fire, what are the bare minimum things in this process that we are never, ever, ever going to skip? Maybe it's using this checklist. Maybe it's the communication component with the clients to make sure that they're included. So, like in our first 100 days, we talk about the pizza tracker, right? Like how Domino's sends you through this pizza tracker. Once you order the pizza, then, you know they're putting the toppings on. Now it's in the oven, now it's being set out for delivery. There's a quality control in there. And now it's been deliver. We want our clients to have that same experience, and that's really important. So you might say, hey, in our first 100 days we are never going to skip the communication with the client piece. We might skip something on our back end that's helpful but not necessary. But these are the bare minimum standards. Like these are the core things that we're going to do every single time. So like I said, designing the systems is 80% of the battle. The other part of the battle, the other 20% is getting in enough reps that under pressure the new way beats the old way. So let me kind of review all of those things again. So we need to, number one, we need to expect the dip. We need to know that your process will not get tested on the calm Tuesday. It's going to get prep tested under a lot of pressure. We need to slow down in order to speed up. We know that if we take a little bit longer to follow our process, it's going to save us time on the back end. And we have to set that rule. No special snowflakes. We have to use the process every single time. There is no unique special client. Right. If you are doing everything customized, that is impossible to achieve scale and you will be the bottleneck and you will be required to be in on every single decision. Nobody wants that. We have to make the process stupid, simple to access. We have to build in those pause points. We have to celebrate compliance, not luck. We need to audit the process, not the person.
[19:48]
C
And repetition creates culture.
[19:52]
A
And then finally minimum standard under pressures, those 10 things together. Designing great systems is part of it, but we've got to make sure they're like they're not going to do any service for you if they're not being utilize again. That's why like our systems at scale group coaching program is not a 30 day sprint. It's not a 30 day boot camp. It is a 10 month container where we design all of the workflows, we work to install them and then support you and your team for the next year while you build the habit of following them. That's the whole reason that we created the alumni community was that you would have support after the 10 months because that's when, that's when stuff gets real. Like that's when things actually get really hard stuff. So we want to make sure that you have Support beyond that 10 months as you're running them in your practice, as you're using them with clients. So let's say for example, if we're talking about the first 100 days, right, you might only onboard a couple of clients during that window that you're practicing and it's going to get really hard. So it might not be until the fourth or fifth time that you're like, hey, I noticed a problem and that's why I want to be there to support you beyond that. So the alumni community is included in the group coaching program for a full year and then you can opt to stay in it if you want to. Forever, never. You get all of the updates that we make to the program. So for alumni listening to this, y' all are gonna get all the new recordings rolled out here. It's super exciting and I'm gonna do it nice and slow for you. So I'm not like gonna inundate you with all of the things, but we install the workflows or we design the workflows, we install them and then support you while you're building the habit of following, of following them. So if you listen to this and thought we've built processes before, but we never stick with them, that's exactly what this episode is designed to fix. So go back, listen to the 20 minute audit episode and that's your killer combo, right? Find out where your biggest ops problem is. Then make sure you actually create a solution and stick to the solution enough for it to work. Thank you so much. I hope this was helpful for you guys and I hope you have an amazing rest of your week. And again, I would love to invite you to join us inside of the Systems to Scale group coaching program. Registration ends August 13th, so we are wrapping up and we're getting close to being full, but I would love for you to join us. I'm super excited about this round and all of the new stuff that we are releasing and launching with it. And I would love to work with you personally to help you build out and stick to all of these systems inside of your financial planning practice. Thanks so much and I hope you have an amazing rest of your week.
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D
My name is Carrie Alberto and I own Core Wealth Management, a financial planning firm just outside Denver, Colorado. I completed the Systems to Scale coaching program in 2024. Even though the program ended about 18 months ago, it still feels fresh because of two things Libby implemented. First, there's a great alumni community and Libby continues to share content that reinforces what we learned during the program. Second, during our time together, she painstakingly organized advisors in into small accountability groups or pods. She did such an excellent job matching people that our POD chose to continue meeting after the program and still meets to this day. The accountability from both the alumni community and our POD has helped me continue implementing the massive amount of material that we covered throughout the 10 month program. I've been listening to Libby's podcast for years, and if you're a listener who loves the ideas that you hear on the podcast but struggles to find out time to actually implement them, I highly encourage you to join the next round of the System to Scale program.