# Trust through Caring

Saying we care is not enough we want you to feel it. At all times we must demonstrate through our behaviours and actions that we genuinely care about the success of our clients and their personal goals. In the same vein, our team needs to feel supported to contribute and invest in caring for AOR and how it grows. We want to provide you with genuine peace of mind and a real sense of, “it’s okay, we’ve got you”…

Genuinely caring looks and feels like:

• Build real trust by never missing a deadline and sticking to commitments
• Be proactive and seek to be part of the solution not the problem. Model proactive behaviour by offering advice based on “walking the talk” and witnessing best practice through our own experiences and those of our clients
• Continuously look for ways to improve processes, pre-empt issues and help clients grow predictably
• Attend to the little things…this is so important. An example of this is checking in with clients before your annual leave to reassure them that all reports and submissions are organised and asking if there is anything, they need help with before you go

# Clarity of purpose

To thrive in your business and achieve your business and personal goals – you need a business plan. Think of us as the scaffolding that supports your business through each stage of its development and supports you as you scale and grow. Providing the right combination of support at every stage through valuable business insights and great advice.

Real clarity of purpose is achieved through…

• Really understanding your personal and business goals and the roadmap of how you will achieve them
• Designing and tailoring robust financial systems that deliver quality information confident and effective decision making
• Delivering the service benefits of timely, quality, management information, so our clients can focus on running their business and reaping the rewards

# Relationships [ethos, pathos, logos]

By really seeking to understand our clients and team members, we can advise them according to that understanding. Remember…no two people, businesses or set of personal goals are the same. When we have a deep understanding of a situation, we can truly determine the best solutions, strategies, and approach.

For example…

• Projecting the same rigid set accounting solution to every business owner, is to not understand their personal goals and would prevent us applying the best solution.

Instead we…

• Listen with empathy – this is powerful and will be the bedrock of shared understanding. Through truly understanding, you are best placed to advise and prescribe the best solutions.
• When we start a new client relationship we first listen, check our understanding by asking, “Can I check I understand clearly what your objectives are?” Only after this, should you present a tailored solution

# Accountability

Stick to your commitments and deliver what is expected by clients and team members. Easy right? Not always…99.9% of commitments are the baseline of what we expect, to the extent we often do not notice when things are done – they just should be…right? However, if a ball is dropped, it is noted and felt by the person let down. The adverse impact on the relationship can be significant. Sticking to commitments builds bridges of trust. When trust is cultivated, both clients and team members will listen to your advice and act on your counsel.

How can we do this…

• Clarify expectations both in terms of timings and responsibilities. This facilitates great communication and a platform for building trust
• Always do what you say you are going to do
• Apologise with sincerity if you make a mistake.
• Use the rule, “Respond-Reflect-Reply”
• Take responsibility, apologise, and commit to solving the issue within a specific timeframe
• Communicate problem is solved.
• Confirm how the error occurred and what steps are being taken to prevent it happening again