Overcoming isolation by increasing communication

In last week's interview with Dr Amantha Imber of Inventium, she stressed that successful remote work arrangements depend greatly on communication.

Now, more than ever, advisers may feel alone on an island. There are pressures from clients who want to know what's happening to their money and an inability to give clear answers because everything is in constant flux. At the same time, advisers are literally isolated from being able to personally those people the reassurance they're accustomed to.

The new way of working may last quite a while, and dealer groups and licensees that succeed in this period will be the ones who adapt quickly to support their people.

Synchron, who have more than 400 authorised representatives nationwide, have launched a series to both engage their people while helping them adapt to the new way of conducting business during the coronavirus emergency.

The goal, according to Synchron director Don Trapnell, is to help advisers overcome feelings of isolation and stay connected. "[We] understand that when things feel chaotic and out of control, sometimes the best thing we can do is take the time to focus on the positive," he said. "It's easy to fall into the trap of focusing on how we wish things were, instead of looking at the reality and asking, how can we adapt?"

To address this, Sychron has launched a series of virtual meetings on Zoom on Tuesday from 10:00 am Melbourne time. The first was this week, featuring futurist Gihan Perera, who discussed ways to work from home more effectively and efficiently. Next week will feature a business performance and culture expert, Keith Abraham.

The idea is to encourage advisers to ask questions and share ideas. Operating like a community, despite physical distance. "When we take a few minutes out of our day to think about our business and write down ways we can adapt and keep growing, it raises our energy levels and puts us in a more productive and confident frame of mind," said Trapnell.

The sessions are for Synchron advisers and selected business partners.