"Joe" represented a large financial advisory firm. They had proprietary products and strongly suggested that Joe recommend these products to his customers and clients.
He was told that these products were just as good as any others, and his commissions would be 15% higher. Joe wondered: was he doing the right thing?

"Martha" was a financial advisor for a bank. Martha recommended the bank select a list of mutual funds and annuity products. Martha's concern: did she have the
right mix of products for her customers?

"Richard" was a captive agent for a large multi-line insurance company. He was told that he had to place all of his business with his primary company. He began to feel uneasy about the company restrictions.

We asked Joe: "What issue is most important in building your practice?" It may be that Joe, and Joe's company were doing the right thing. But, how did Joe feel? One of the real dilemmas of going with the flow, as Bear Stearns and its thousand of employees sadly discovered, was that violating the sense of right and wrong can lead to unwanted outcomes.

We asked Martha to define her ideal product line. "Define what you want to sell and to whom you wish to sell it." The challenge for Martha was to honor her own sense of her customers' needs. Banks and large institutions have their reasons for the product recommendations. The challenge is to make sure that you feel comfortable when aligning your star with theirs.

We asked Richard to define his ideal product mix. The answer to this question will allow Richard to answer for himself whether he is in the right place.

I don't think for a minute that the employees of Bear Stearns were interested in harming any of their clients. Ultimately we are judged on our behavior, not our intentions.

The ultimate test is to do what's right, even if it's not easy. When our vision and mission are clear, it is easier to have the right objectives, strategies and action plans.