In the previous two posts, I explored some of the challenges that advisor branches can face, including lack of communication and conflicting priorities. In this final post of the series, I will propose a plan for how to ensure that all team members are sticking to the agreed-upon strategy. Whether it’s for a particular project, or simply the day-to-day operations of the branch, the team needs to be able to trust their colleagues to stay the course, and hold one another accountable in the event that someone strays off track.

Veering off course can happen for several reasons, whether they are positive, such as finding a more efficient process, or negative, like a team member going rogue when they no longer agree with the established plan.

Regardless of the reason, having a standard process, beginning with the decision-making stage and continuing through plan implementation, can help preemptively avoid any issues that could occur. There’s no guarantee that everyone will always support every initiative, but following the below guidelines is a step in the right direction to keeping everyone aligned.

1. Set a team meeting to determine the best way to tackle the project, process, or task at hand. Ask for input from all team members about their ideas for how the goal can be accomplished.

2. Collaborate until a “best” course of action is agreed upon.

3. Identify what each team member will be responsible for handling.

4. Schedule regular meetings so the team can update one another on what is working, what issues have come up, and other general progress reports. (Refer to the communication guide lines you recently implemented).

5. Stay open minded to what other team members are saying. If a plan isn’t working, go back to the drawing board. There’s no reason to force something that isn’t successful.

Having everyone work in harmony to achieve a goal is crucial for a branch team to operate effectively. Once these simple suggestions have been executed on and engrained as habits, you may find your branch running more successfully.