The hallmark mistake at this time is to say, “mission accomplished!” and move on. But, there is important work to be done during new normal.

Working With Clients In New Normal

Because clients in new normal are so much like clients who aren’t in transition and are in flow, they can be a lot of fun to work with. There is an ease to them and an openness to inquiry that is exciting for advisors well-trained in the human side of financial advisory.

What kind of inquiry?

Regularly engaging them in questions about the why around their work with you and the why around the decisions they are making is always fruitful. In addition, exploring alternatives to what they believe they would like to do can yield fascinating options for them to investigate. This type of deep self-discovery is immensely satisfying to watch, as clients who feel safe and unencumbered allow thoughts and desires that were dormant to come alive. Their comfort level sometimes even reveals entirely new worlds they want to explore.

Although this kind of inquiry is easily done in meetings, its outcomes tend to be most fruitful when the client takes the necessary time for quiet introspection. Narrative exercises are a wonderful way to aid clients in imagining the life they want to live. Chances are they have come a long way in the right direction but they still have a way to go. Narratives can validate all that has been accomplished and gently, organically move the story forward.

Another avenue of inquiry during new normal is the retrospective. Once a client is inhabiting their new self and circumstance, it is always advantageous to review their transition process. We’re not just looking for a debrief of what happened; we are looking for the meaning of what happened and how it is being integrated into the client’s personal narrative. We ask questions like:

  • What went well?

  • What didn’t go so well?

  • What have I learned?