DELEGATE...............

............UP!

The head of IT at Accenture tells the following story (paraphrased).

One of his IT executives could not attend a scheduled conference. 'Attendance is mandatory'. The executive said he would 'delegate someone to take his place'.

'You can only delegate up...not down.'

He delegated his immediate superior.........the CIO.

It worked out well.....'better than it would have had he attended on his own.'

2 points:

• In an complex knowledge/information/IT environment down is inferior....the 'platform' is an inverted T with our equals, superiors and subordinates collaboratively adjacent. Up in competence is superior.
  
• He never missed another meeting

accenture

"THEY" SAY THAT A GREAT SENSE OF HUMOUR ................

...............MASKS A VERY INTELLIGENT MIND.

Humour is the juxtaposing of 2 very disparate thoughts. To recognize the humorous absurdity of the juxtaposition requires the intelligence to which "they" refer.

CHEMISTRY AND LEGAL AGREEMENTS

The best assurance of the long term implementation of any legal agreement is the presence of palpable chemistry between the signatories to the agreement.

Issues arise, muddy the water, become very disturbing frequently to the point of potentially 'hostile' reactions.

No legal agreement can build in a resolution mechanism to these emotionally inflammatory disputes.

It's best that you "really like" the signatory(ies) to the agreement....it's your best chance at mediating a resolution.

If one or both signatories die...the agreement trumps all alternatives.....the subject of chemistry is moot.

WITHIN THE PHRASE "VALUE ADDED"........

..............the key operative word is "ADDED" continuously....unconditionally.That is commitment.

GRATITUDE.......

........is the 'sine qua non' of effective marketing.

It builds and secures lifetime client loyalty.

It is the manifestation of the laser like satisfaction of a recipient's core need for 'value added'...........never forgotten.

My first mentor in business who was a renowned success in the structural steel and real estate industries..........having purchased half of the prime real estate in Ottawa said,

"Dan, when I charge a client a dollar I make sure he receives $1.10 in value."

He told me this 40 years ago. To this day I am grateful to him for sharing his own lifetime of experience and success with me freely and generously.

Above all that I valued was his trust.

PRODUCTIVITY > COMPLIANCE > EXPONENTIAL GROWTH

For our insight into the global IT real-time solutions we provide, please click on the link at:

www.firstfinancialconsultinggroup.com

and then call us at:

416-726-2427

or

email me directly at:

dzwicker@interlog.com

Our teamwill be pleased to help.

dan zwicker

TO QUALIFY AS A PLAYER

you must:

• show up
• show up on time
• show up dressed to play

MOST SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE NEVER GROW UP.......

.......their passion gets in the way!

OUR FUTURE DEMANDS.......

Transformational leadership........that includes pragmatic 'smarts'.

The Boomers demand it.

They want to know how they and their families will be better off for having put their trust in our advice.

THOUGHTWARE.......

We have moved through a transition from software to 'thoughtware'.

Our work is distinguished for its innovative, collaborative eBusiness based financial services Professional Practice real-time delivery 'platforms'.

In a globally IT interactive financial services environment we deliver with our partners complex/knowledge/information based client user friendly real-time training, solutions and continuing education.

Our suite of applications and continuing education provide exponentially productive and compliant financial services support solutions to a globally diverse client community whose unique needs demand sound financial judgment that assures professional reliablity, integrity and consummate interpersonal trust.

In the delivery of all complex information trust is the 'linchpin'.......trust is paramount.

We deliver.

Call us......and let us demonstrate how.

dan zwicker
first financial consulting group
and partners

THE EVOLUTION OF..........'TRUST'

INTEGRITY > PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE > MARKETING > GRATITUDE > TRUST.

EPIDEMICS ARE 'VIRALLY' EXPLOSIVE.

"Explosive ideas should be thought of as "viral' epidemics."

They reflect 'contagious behavior'.........little causes which have big effects.

In a real-time globally interconnected IT environment they represent the basis for explosive exponential market access.

Ideas, products, unusually complex services, messages and behaviors spread just like viruses do.............organically.

People become "infected".

Their organic nature is the source of their explosive impact.....

The changes happen at the margin; they are incremental changes........little changes that have big effects.........that happen in a hurry........with an exponential level of acceleration.......at one dramatic moment.

The name given to that one dramatic moment when everything can change all at once is "The Tipping Point".It is reflected in the "Aha!" behind every successful consumer discovery of a marketing message that resonates congruently with their deepest needs

malcolm gladwell
- The Tipping Point

PASSION ATTRACTS

It is the source of all exponential results.

There are 168 hours per week available to each of us.

To the extent that we fully engage others with our genuine passion we can begin to map out a plan of extraordinary achievement.

No successful leader is absent the capacity to fully engage his or her audience.

In an age of instant global real-time communication we each have the essentials necessary for explosive exponential personal achievement.

Genuine passion is not to be interpreted as a means of advocacy nor does it reflect 'volatility' in any form.

"SOCIAL EPIDEMICS" THROUGH THE TRANSLATION OF IDEAS INTO ACTION.

"Human beings are profoundly social beings influenced by and influencing other human beings, no matter how much technology we introduce into our lives."

"Contrary to the prevailing wisdom of mass trends and focus-group marketing a few individuals or a single hapazard event can set off a social epidemic that profoundly alters the culture."

malcolm gladwell
The Tipping Point

COMPREHENSIVE FINANCIAL PLANNING.......A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE?

ethicSurvey finds a growing culture of planning among Consultants.

Financial planning: it's a term increasingly being used in the financial services industry. But what does it mean, exactly?

Last fall, Investors Group's Research department and Advanced Financial Planning Support worked with Advisor Impact, a company specializing in research and education for financial advisors, to ask a representative sample of Consultants about the role that financial planning plays in their individual practices.

"Financial planning, in the context of this study, refers broadly to creating a long-term path for clients to help them reach their goals, as opposed to focusing on products and services in a vacuum," says Julie Littlechild, President of Advisor Impact. "And the numbers suggest a definite financial planning culture at Investors Group," she says. "This is good news, because the industry is moving at an increasing pace towards a financial planning model."

The financial planning study found that Investors Group Consultants offer both existing and prospective clients a comprehensive solution to meet their financial needs. They do this because they believe this approach is valuable to clients, explains Littlechild. And, with little exception, Consultants plan to expand the scope of financial planning among their clients.

"We have a distinct advantage over many firms in that Investors Group Consultants recognize that offering financial planning translates to substantial benefits both to the client and their practices," says Debbie Ammeter, Vice-President of Advanced Financial Planning Support. "The majority of competitor firms now provide some tools to support the financial planning process, but their advisors do not work from a strong culture of planning.

"There is a clear window of opportunity in the marketplace with respect to offering a more comprehensive financial solution to clients. Based on this research, Investors Group appears to be well-positioned," says Ammeter.

The comprehensive financial planning concept is still a new one for many clients. As clients come to expect financial advisors to prepare plans for them, the ability to provide a financial plan is only a competitive advantage if clients can distinguish between a good plan and an inadequate one, says Littlechild. In order to ensure that this is a competitive advantage, advisors will need to look at financial planning in the context of the total "client experience," including every point of contact associated with the planning process. This will be the driving force in setting firms apart.

Investors Group Consultants said they differentiated their financial planning offering from that of competitors by providing more advanced and extensive financial planning, having access to experts and specialists, and by having a stronger focus on implementation. "Consultants can strengthen their relationships with clients by knowing and fulfilling their clients' financial planning needs. Putting the focus on a long-term written plan gives Consultants and clients something to focus on regularly, instead of looking at investment performance for the past quarter only," suggests Ammeter.

The Consultant experience across the country confirms the benefits of financial planning to clients. Surveys of consumers back this up. A November 2001 Decima survey found that people who have financial plans are more confident about their financial stability and their future: 42 per cent of those with a plan were very confident that they would reach their financial goal for retirement, compared with only 24 per cent of those without a plan.

"None of this surprises Advanced Financial Planning Support," says Ammeter.

"We know that financial planning serves as the best foundation for establishing and developing enduring client relationships. Put all of this together and it is clear that planning pays!"

Investors group.

INSIDE UPS united parcel service "brown'

The creation of a performance anatomy

—all high-performance businesses, including UPS—follow a specific pattern.

First, the company's leaders must have stable values that they can draw on to guide the company through good times and bad, and through periods of both rapid change and relative calm.

Second, those values must be brought to life via strategic messages—the rituals, lessons, images and stories that top management uses to show how the values translate into action.

Finally, the strategic messages become, over time, shared mindsets about critical aspects of the organization—mindsets about the balance between strategy and execution; the cultivation of talent; the strategic importance of information technology; the need to measure performance selectively; and the drive for continuous innovation and renewal.It is the combination of these three elements—leadership values, strategic history and shared mindsets—into a performance anatomy that makes it possible for the organization to build on past successes while adapting to future challenges.

The results:

Today, the elements of that anatomy inform every aspect of UPS, a company with more than 400,000 employees and revenue of some $42.6 billion in 2005. As a result, the world's largest package-delivery company also delivers superior financial performance: Its average pre-tax operating profit margin of more than 14 percent was higher than that of its major competitors over three-year and five-year spans (2002–2004 and 2000–2004)

accenture

EFFECTIVE MARKETING........

......takes place within an instant of 'discovery'.

When we discover that something we have sought has just appeared the gratitude we feel is one of 'ownership'. The ownership being referred to is of ourselves through our growth during that brief moment of discovery.

It cannot be taken away. It is ours.......for a lifetime.

WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW.....

......what you don't know the pros call this "unconscious incompetence".

MARKETING SUCCESS OCCURS.......

.......when your client's response is ....."Aha!".........It is the expression of gratitude we feel when we know that we have solved our need.

Maintaining client gratitude is essential to maintaining client goodwill.

KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW............AND THEN FIND OUT.

.......when your client's response is ....."Aha!".........It is the expression of gratitude we feel when we know that we have solved our need.

Maintaining client gratitude is essential to maintaining client goodwill.

HOW WELL ARE YOU PREPARED TO RETIRE AT YOUR CURRENT STANDARD OF LIVING FOR THE NEXT 30 YEARS?

Here is a starting point:

• Do you have a 'defined benefit' pension plan?

(a plan provided by your employer on the basis of a actuarially legislated lifetime pension amount paid to you by your employer at at given retirement age).

If you have one more than 80% of your estimated retirement needs will likely be covered.....based on the old 70% rules which these plans considered as well as mortality and investment factors. The key change is in mortality........we are living longer.......which can trigger shortfalls.

If you don't have one you might have ask for help. With no defined benefit plan you face three types of risk that you will have to manage:

• longevity risk
• inflation risk, and
• market risk
  

Longevity is self-explanatory and is becoming a bigger problem as people live longer.

Inflation can add up surprisingly fast. An annual inflation rate of just 3% can cut the value of your savings in half in just 20 - 24 years. Considering that at age 60 we are currently living 30 years to age 90......the remaining 6 -10 years can be painful....and are under these circumstances.

Market risk is a matter of whether or not you are lucky enough to retire in a bull market.

Other factors to think about include:

• lifestyle
• debt load, and
• inheritance
  

All of these factors vary widely from person to person.

What it means is that you can't sit down and simply find 'the number' in one sitting.

There is no quick fix. It takes 40 years to reach this stage.

One essential is that you search for and locate a trusted financial advisor.......with the professional practice credentials, experience, commitment and references you need to undrstand the choices available.

The financial planning profession offers state of the art solutions that are comparable to a thorough medical examination which includes an MRI.

A DEMOGRAPHIC SNAPSHOT OF OPINIONS ON RETIREMENT AMONG 30 - 65 YEAR OLDS.

How much thought have you given to retirement?

• a lot of thought......31 %
• some thought - a little thought - no thought at all......69%

Are you ahead or behind schedule in your retirement planning and saving?

• very much ahead......4%
• a little ahead......7%
• on track......35%
• a little behind......31%
• very much behind......23%

ARE BOOMERS IN A STATE OF DENIAL ABOUT THEIR RETIREMENT?

BMO Financial found that only 28% of Baby Boomers have savings and investments worth $100,000 or more!

In fact, about one in five have no savings at all, and 73% are still carrying debt!

With statistics like that, you can't blame people for trying not to think about retirement, and what it's going to cost them.

Author Lee Eisenberg says it's the last taboo!"

People would sooner offer personal guided tours through their medicine cabinets, provide detailed dossiers on their sessions with their psychotherapists and cosmetic surgeons, or describe in graphic detail which particular sex acts they long to perform with this, or that man, woman, or farm animal, and with what boot, whip, kitchen appliance or hand tool.

"When told that "I am insured......I have a $100,000 of life insurance!" a colleague of mine replied "I guess you aren't planning on being dead very long!" We can add to that "With $100,000 in savings I guess you aren't planning on being retired very long!"

The foregoing summarizes the current retirement status of 72% of the Baby Boomer generation. No wonder it is causing a state of fear and denial.

At age 60 next to good health the most critical resource necessary to ensure a life in retirement has been consumed..........time.

BMO suggest that the old rule of thumb that you need 70% of your ore-retirement income to have full life "is useless". Because Canadians are healthier, more active and are trying to take advantage of this next phase of their lives their lifestyle costs go up.

The word "retirement" should be retired because it's more of a "transition" today than a complete departure from a traditional working life.

CULTURAL COMPETENCE IS AN ESSENTIAL IN ACHIEVING A GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE IN A SERVICE ECONOMY.

"Companies needs new cultural competencies to meet the needs of future customers" (Carlos F. Orta (President and CEO of Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR U.S.A.)."

In a service economy where each employee's contribution is critical to business success, a company's ability to inspire a process of continuous learning and improvement in every employee will define its competitive advantage. This is what BellSouth calls "a better return on your investment in human capital". (This has been my core belief put into professional practice for over 40 years personally....Dan Zwicker).

Companies that create cultures of development - where all employees, encouraged to reach their maximum potential, contribute their best efforts to the company's shared business objectives - will continuously recruit and retain top talent, and, therefore, outperform companies that do not. (My core belief is that collaborative practice drives exponential performance through strategically competitive advantage within complex knowledge/information based/professional practice advisory service organizations...Dan Zwicker).

The sine qua non of a culture of development is committed leadership, beginning with the chief executive officer. "If people see the chief executive engaged, explains Orta, "then it filters down throught the company.

Leaders who view inclusion and development as strategic business imperatives, commit to achieving them, incorporate them into every aspect of business strategy and demand accountability at every level of the organization will realize the promise of exponential growth through diversity and inclusion.

'Best practices' point to a CEO who builds a strategic network of policies, practices and programs that work together to increase individual performance and organizational productivity.

These practices are essential for exponential market growth, strategic competitive advantage and relevance within a globally interactive marketplace........Forbes

MUTI-TASKING.............REALLY?

Here are several dictionary definitions:

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1)

mul·ti·task·ing

–noun Computers.

the concurrent or interleaved execution of two or more jobs by a single CPU.

Also,

multi-tasking.

American Heritage Dictionary

The concurrent operation by one central processing unit of two or more processes.

There is no such thing among human beings. We must prioritize our tasks......and then focus on getting them done.....one at a time.

THE BOOMERS ARE DRIVING FINANCIAL SERVICES THAT DON'T EXIST..........YET! KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE BANKS.

The Canadian banks have a competitive advantage on the creation of the future services being sought by the 'Boomers' who are starting to retire this year as they reach age 60. Professional Practice advisory services distribution must align itself with the needs of the emerging Boomer market. It includes the intergenerational wealth about to be transferred from the post 2nd. WW II generation to its children..the Boomer generation.

BMO Harris Private Banking has engaged Dr. Howard Bergman, a leadiing professor of geriatric medicine at McGill University in Montreal and a director of its Division of Geriatric Medicine in participating in enCircle, a council of geriatric health-care professionals that would advise a new wealth-management service for well-to-do-seniors. BMO Harris' initiative represents the first time a non-health care organization has shown an interest in leveraging his expertise.

Launched in the spring of 2005 , enCircle is a banking and investment program for seniors with investment assets that exceed $500,000. In addition to investment management, enCircle clients are offered a variety of services such as bill payment, and tax-return filing for snowbirds , estate and trust services and travel planning. Members also have access to information about home care and health care via a 24-hour helpline run by FGI World, a company that supplies employee assistance programs to businesses. Clients are charged an annual fee ranging from 1% to 1.7% of their investment portfolio, depending on whether the client is looking for passive or active management of their portfolio.

The enCircle advisory council, which consists of five members including Bergman, was created to provide guidance and advice to BMO Harris. It's not involved in creating financial products themselces, but it does commenton a range of issues, from the simple, such as creating easy-to-read documents, to the complex such as the psychologicaland kegal issues that arise among family members who care for aging relatives.

For Jean Blacklock, vice-president and managing director of personal trust services at BMO Harris, the council has more than lived up to expectations. In particular she gives it credit for focussing enCircle services so that they target not just seniors but the needs of their families as well. (We refer to this as "The Broad Concept". It is an approach developed by an icon in the Canadian life insurance industry, Hal Zlotnik, CLU over 40 years ago). "After we launched, we realized that a number of seniors are coming to us via their adult children," Blacklock says. "The council gave us a clearer perspective on families and the needs of that adult caregiving generation."

The idea of creating a service catering to seniors first took seed at BMO in early 2004. Blacklock remebers coming across a StatsCan report at the time that showed demographic growth rates across different age groups over a 10 year period. "It was negative in every category except 60 and up, and I thought, 'This is our growth area and a wonderful opportunity. Let's go after it."

Starting virtually from scratch, Blacklock and her colleagues began creating various products and services catering to older people such as the bill payment program which remains part of the enCircle program. A few months later, Blacklock attended a conference in Washington and learened of at least two U.S. banks that, in addition to providing financial services for their seniors, had also set up health information helplines for o;der clients for Blacklock it was a revelation. Banks tend to think only about their financial products. (This is a move from commodity based marketing to complex information/advice based 'professional practice' marketing). But with seniors she realized, health issues can affect every part of their lives - including their banking and investment needs (not to mention their life, retirement, estate and longterm care needs. Why is it that the banks always see the unfolding of the financial services markets long before the life insurance industry?). We needed to be more attuned to that. Only we're a bank. We didn't have the expertise." So Blacklock and her group began approaching members of the geriatric medical community, such as Bergman asking if they'd help the bank. (collaborative practice at its professional best!).

The response was positive and the advisory council was born.

The succes of enCircle - sales are exceeding 150% of forecasts, Blacklock says - has been felt across BMO Financial Group. And the advisory council modelis now being adapted for other departments. In september, for example, BMO Financial Group launched its "New Retiement Initiative." It's being afvised by acouncil of medical, legal, and public policy experts, who are helping the bank anticipate emerging retirement trends, such as the growing phenomenon of Boomers leaving work at earlier ages to start part-time businesses.

Bergman who turned 60 this year, believes enCircle is a step toward changing society's perception of seniors. "The current image is often negative," he says. "The image it brings to mind is that in 20 years, we'll be overrun with older people, incontinent and demented, pushing walkers through the streets." The reality couldn't be further from the truth, he says.

The seniors of tomorrow will be healthier and more active than ever before. And that's exactly what society has always wanted to see - people living longer and living better. There will be challenges Bergman says , but there are also opportunities. "The more industry gets involved, the better off older people are going to be and the more we are going to develop a positive view on aging."

From: Financial Post Business.

INTEGRITY VS..................................

.................COMFORT.

Integrity trumps comfort....always!

"GRACE UNDER PRESSURE"

A characteristic attributed to President John F. Kennedy.

Needed today more than ever.

WE CAN ONLY CONTROL.......

.......OUR PRIORITIES, OUR ACTIVITY AND OUR COMMUNICATION.

RESULTS ARE NOT ALWAYS WITHIN OUR CONTROL PARTICULARLY WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF INTERDEPENDENT COLLABORATIVE OPERATING RELATIONSHIPS.

NASA "COLLABORATES" WITH NATIONS IN SPACE.....CNN

A wise practice for the achievement of extraordinary and essential complex results on earth.

MDRT 'TOP OF THE TABLE'

The Olympic Gold standard of the life insurance industry.

INTENSE CURIOSITY.......

.......A LIFETIME ASSET.

BRAIN POWER........

......."in financial services, it's the brain power, it's the customer service skill, it's the innovation and creativity, it's the relationship building, we're not selling widgets, we're selling talent".

Janet EckerTFSA Executive Director

FEAR.......

.......of success or failure are identical.Both are a fear of exposure.

THE BEST LEADERS

"combine intense professional will with personal humility."

Jim Collins, author

"THE SITUATION IS THE BOSS"

'Olympians' do whatever it takes to accomplish their goal.

Jack and Gary Kinder

THE VALUE OF KNOWLEDGE.......

is realized only once it is applied competently.

Then there is no price

.........simply value.

FROM COMMODITY SALES TO PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

The contemporary consumer market for financial services needs, wants and is demanding that complex knowledge and information be simplified and delivered for consumer action through competent, trusted and compliant professional advisors.......formally educated, professionally designated and trained by competent mentors and 'coaches' as financial services 'professional practitioners'.

The platform for the delivery of this service is being integrated into the entire current financial services product creation and delivery infrastructure. It is client engagement focussed - not product promotion driven. Comprehensive 'MRI' analysis first - solutions second. It requires an act of leadership - one on one. It is the antithesis of salesmanship.

The process is transformational in its impact upon the way the entire industry delivers its service to the consumer.

It is IT real time based and global in its reach.

We are delivering it through every financial services venue.

Toronto 06 10 2006

THE NET WORTH OF A 'KNOWLEDGE' EMPLOYEE

The seven largest global pharmceutical firms pay their employees relatvely similar salaries, but their workers' true net worth varies widely, based upon the value of each company's knowledge capital.

The most valuable employee net worth is shown as varying between a high of $538,431 (U.S.$ 2004) per employee and the least valuable at $2,656.

The extraordinary differences are found in the quality of the investments made by the firms in knowledge, research and development........resulting in research breakthroughs, rapid responses to health emergencies and improved diagnostics.

Here is the net worth equation:

KNOWLEDGE CAPITAL WORTH/EMPLOYEE -

ANNUAL EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION =

NET WORTH/EMPLOYEE

DUE DILIGENCE > OPTIMUM SOLUTIONS > EXPONENTIAL RESULTS

.......through the coaching of 'Olympic' class self-confidence.

In all our initiatives to engage with clients and collaborative professional 'partners' we are uncompromising in our search for integrity and character of purpose. We accomplish this through our disciplined exercise of continous due diligence. Congruency of purpose is our key objective.

COMPETENT EXECUTION IS .......

.......the bottom line.

WHY IS IT.......

.......that when we undergo a surgical procedure we assume the surgeon is competent.....enough to get us through it alive?

.......why is it in our daily experience with inadequate.....sometimes incompetent service we shrug it off?

.......the dismissal begins with "well.......

"Our position in the capital risk field is that we provide a solution to the irrecoverable loss of time. Capital is time........compressed into currency.

Is our obligation to be competent any less than that of a surgeon whose sole purpose is to prolong the optimum quality of life possible given the time a patient is expected to have?

We take the view that there is no difference in our professional obligation to our client.

Time is a constant to be enjoyed whether it be granted through good personal health or sound financial health or both.

A LIFE INSURANCE ICON AND MENTOR

17 years before I entered the life insurance industry I met my life insurance agent on campus in my third year at university. As sometimes happens my roommate asked me if I would like to sit in on an initial meeting with an agent from Mutual Life. He knew I had a deep interest in the subject and thoughtfully extended an invitation.

I sat in.........met my agent Steve......purchased my first life insurance policy that evening......and was served by my agent until his retirement 5 years ago. Two years after I met my agent in Kingston I finished my schooling and moved to Montreal to begin a new career.

For 17 years I frequently asked my agent questions that were of interest to me and invariably received comprehensive typewritten detailed replies often 10 - 15 pages in length.......complete with ledgers, graphs and source notes.

Steve was an icon at Mutual Life and in the Canadian life insurance industry......a member of the elite Mutual Life Hall of Fame, a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Round Table, a prominent leader in The Life Underwriters Association of Canada (LUAC) now known as Advocis........and most importantly a consummate professional, gentleman, devoted husband and father. I was honoured to have him as my life insurance agent.....and lifetime friend.

Why this story? Steve Roughton was my model of professionalism and excellence.......the person to whom I looked as a basis for my own professional practice when I entered the field 17 years after we met.

Our models are the basis of our practice. If we are fortunate enough to have professionals who model excellence their legacy is continued through those who follow.When I entered the field I knew no other standard........and I have practiced what I observed throughout my professional life........with extraordinary gratitude to my friend and agent.Incidently, Steve's father and grandfather preceded him at Mutual Life and set the stage and their lifetime standards and expectations for his career.Sometimes we are simply lucky in our choice of relationships and friendships.

REAL TIME COMMUNICATION

The options:

• voice mail
• mail
• fax
• email
• text

In a wired real time world our preferred real time choice is in bold.

LIFE INSURED FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS.......

.......are not sold.

They are made available through, empathy, understanding, compassion and an unselfish act of leadership one-on-one.

.......for those who qualify.

WE DON'T CREATE SELF-CONFIDENCE.......

........we discover it

........we nurture it

....... and we empower it to its highest performance levels through our commitment to 'olympic' calibre coaching

........among and for our closest, colleagues, associates and clients.

OUR CARDINAL PRINCIPLE.......THE ENGAGEMENT OF 'NET GIVERS'.

In our process of discovery in selecting associates and clients we seek out 'Net Givers'.

In all relationships we give and we take. At one end of the spectrum we find takers.......and at the other end givers.

In a collaborative professional practice environment we consider it essential that each participant in the relationship be capable of 'net giving'.

Our view is simply that if all participants were 'net takers' there can never be a surplus to dispense to others.

Our experience has shown consistently that the 'net giver' (who gives more than he or she takes) has a 'cup' that is overflowing......a stronger collaborative relationship position than either half full or half empty.

We are uncompromisingly disciplined in this view.

LEFT-BRAIN.......RIGHT-BRAIN.......

your bias makes a difference.......in every decision.

"HIGH PERFORMERS WELCOME UNCERTAINTY.......

and recognize that risk drives value."

accenture

MONEY AND PERSONALITY.......

.......their relationship and the predictive science that ties them together.......governs our personal and financial results.

"HIGH PERFORMERS STEP OUTSIDE.......

.......well-worn organizational pathways."

accenture

"INSIDE EVERY HIGH PERFORMER.......

.......there is an even higher performer trying to get out."

accenture

"WE MAKE PROMISES.......

.......that have no expiration date."

New York Life.

That life insurance statement of a unique lifetime commitment has no comparable.......including the mythical phrase "buy term and invest the difference"

.......for how long?

"Don't send your ducks to eagle school."

Why? Because it won't work.

A magazine not long ago had a full-page ad in it for a hotel chain.

The first line of the ad read:"We do not teach our people to be nice."

The second line said,"We hire nice people."

Jim Rohn

INFORMATION UNDERLOAD

"we're flooded with information, but that doesn't mean we have tools that let us use the information effectively."

Bill Gates

THE TEACHABLE MOMENT

occurs at the precise moment at which a powerful lesson if presented will imbue lifelong learning through momentous discovery.

NEWS.......GOOD!.......BAD!.......NONE!

we can accept good news.......we can accept bad news.......what most individuals have difficulty with is no news.

"RAISE THE BAR!"

When we are asked to "raise the bar" we look for, identify and empower our Best and our Brightest 'Olympic' caliber high performance client centric coaches.

They don't quit until their 'Olympian clients' achieve Gold!

RESPECT

for the needs of others. Rodney D was not well liked for nothing.

WE HAVE A COMPULSION.......

.......to complete what we begin.

ALTHOUGH ASSETS ARE OUR CURRENCY.......

.......our only resource is time.

A LEADER'S VIEW IN ONLINE MARKETING

"CULTIVATING YOUR BUSINESS STEMS FROM A UNIQUE BALANCE OF TECHNOLOGY, CREATIVITY AND HUMAN INTERACTION."

"AT AVENUE A RAZORFISH WE LISTEN AND LEARN. WE TRANSLATE REAL LIFE BEHAVIOR INTO ONLINE SOLUTIONS.

WE DON'T BELIEVE IN A VIRTUAL REALITY."

WE BELIEVE IN REALITY."

Avenue A l Razorfish

WE ARE IMPATIENT FOR RESULTS - IN REAL TIME

......complacency borne of apathy.........is not our winning solution.......Our impatience is driven by a clear understanding of the finite amount of time we are each granted to achieve our goals.......sometimes in as little as an instant......seismic events including mortality take over.

TRUTH TO POWER

the alternative is deadly.......as we witnessed with our neighbour to the south......."it's a slam dunk" he (Tenant) said......some slam dunk!.......his own.

STRATEGY VS. TACTICS

How to win a 'peace' is significantly more complex than how to win a military battle.

The first requires social, economic, political and cultural historical intelligence, knowledge and collaborative skill.

The second requires military power superiority.

Two totally different resources.

Two totally different mindsets.

COMPETENCE

insist on it!

The cost of the alternative is measureable in both currency and time.......time being the exponential stealth cost.

ADVERSITY AND HIGH ACHIEVEMENT

"In an economic era driven by information, technology and creative solutions requiring a need for abstract reasoning we require both inner strength and independence which fuel our resourcefulness and creative - thinking.

We call this 'fire in the belly'.

Almost all high achievers credit strong and unconditionally supportive parents who were nurturing both during and following all periods of adversity."

(Financial Post May 10, 2006).

BUY TERM AND INVEST THE DIFFERENCE.......REALLY?

.......for how long?

.......and if you die the day your policy contract is issued how long will 'the difference' be invested?

.......it's a MYTH!

.......speak to your Chartered Life Underwriter and he or she will clarify it for you.

COACHING 'OLYMPIC' CLASS SELF CONFIDENCE.......JOB ONE

.......self confidence develops like an exponential compound interest curve.

The role of the high performance agency manager is to empower his or her team members through coaching self confidence up to the highest level possible along the upper segment of the exponential curve........

when an Olympic athlete is faced with a traumatic setback......he or she compresses emotionally.........like a shock absorber.......and then decompresses back to his or her original high level of self confidence at the highest point previously achieved along their exponential self confidence curve

........the will to win originates with supreme self confidence founded on healthy, grounded self esteem

........the development of ever increasing Olympic levels of self confidence in professional financial advisors is the agency leader's #1 job.......it must be modelled.

We identify and build on strength through high performance 'Olympian' calibre coaching.

IT'S 7 TIMES HARDER TO GET THERE STARTING AT 45

.......in a 40 year working lifetime beginning at age 25, 85% of our total final accumulation of invested funds is generated in the second 20 year period of our working life.

.......15% is generated in the first 20 years

.......when we begin the accumulation process at the halfway point at age 45 we must contribute almost 7 times more each year than we would have had to had we begun on day 1

.......somewhat like pushing an elephant up to the sky.......very hard to do.

CAPITAL RISK...ITS LIFETIME MANAGEMENT, PRESERVATION AND GROWTH

.......income......throughout our lifetime......ranks second only to our health.

We cannot live with independence and personal dignity without income in a market economy........

we are focussed on the lifetime professional management of capital risk through the preservation and growth of capital.

"THERE IS NO FREEDOM WITHOUT SECURITY"....w. von humbolt

"....financial security ranks immediately next to good personal health.

....our financial and personal security are essential to our personal freedom of choice and independence of action.

....both financial and personal security are essentials in the achievement of personal dignity."

w. von humbolt

Our professional commitment to the management of capital risk began 30 years ago. Our motivation has never changed.

STEVE NASH MVP NBA 2005 - 2006..THE BEST AND COUNTING TORONTO STAR MAY 9, 2006

HIS VIEWS:

"It's about being the first to show up at practice and the last one to leave."

"It's not about going the extra mile. It's about going the miles you didn't even know were on the map."

"It's about practicing the day after the best game of your life."

"It's not just about the shot. It's about the follow-through."

"It's not about the talk or the walk. It's about the results."

"You can't be the best unless you get the best. Quality in. Quality out."

We are proud of Steve, his accomplishments and his insightful understanding of the meaning of what it takes to be THE BEST.

CAPITAL RISK MANAGEMENT........ A PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

• Who we are:
  www.firstfinancialconsultinggroup.com
  
• What we do:
  www.dhzwicker.com
  
• Our Views.......Open and Direct:
  http://dan-zwicker.blogspot.com

OUR CUP IS NEITHER HALF FULL NOR HALF EMPTY.......

There is a third option - "overflowing".

EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT FINANCIAL PLANNING...........

.......and were afraid to ask..........via the 'unvarnished' truth.

CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENTS

be certain that you have a very strong affinity for the person or persons with whom you sign an agreement.

At the end of the day that may be the most important single ingredient required in resolving both differences of opinion and more formally a legitimate dispute.

BEYOND INTEGRITY

going the extra mile through client sensitive timely communication.

INSTINCT...'SCRAMBLED LOGIC'

'scrambled logic'....

you know it's right...

you just don't know why.....trust it.....you will understand why later.

MODELS OF EXCELLENCE

......we acquire intellectual learning from teachers, books and other media as young students.

We learn best from excellent teachers whose example remains firmly in our mind........

adults acquire skills from models of excellence. .......

through our acquisition of skills we acquire self-confidence.......enough to serve as models of excellence for others........

the achievement of self-confidence is the purpose of all high performance coaching........that is the job!

JOB ONE

FAMILY

• our own
• our community
• our colleagues
• those in need
  

WAYNE SALES FORMER CEO CANADIAN TIRE TORONTO STAR MAY 3, 2006

On the subject of motivation Sales claims that his motivation is simply "forced Darwinism".

His relentless drive is "to adapt, evolve and execute".

Gilt edged strategic plans are a dime a dozen.

Following through - executing is another story.

Despite a 40 - year career in moving merchandise Sales grasped that "people are more important than the goods."

DR. MARTHA PIPER PRESIDENT UBC ROB APRIL 28, 2006

......."Excellence breeds excellence.

There is no second best in this.

There really are no silver or bronze medals."

......."There's no limit to ideas.

There's a limit to oil and gas.

There's a limit to fish.

But there's no limit to ideas. and that's the key."

FINANCIAL WELL BEING

is not a birthright.

It is a socially, culturally and intellectually acquired survival skill.

BEING AHEAD OF THE CURVE........

requires steadfast conviction, courage and marketing brilliance. Above all it requires exhibiting instantly perceived value by its target market upon its discovery.....not unlike the company Discovery Toys employs for very discriminating children and their Mom's and Dads.

TIME VS. PRIORITIES

the ability to set effective priorities trumps a perceived lack of time.

TIMELINESS

in communication is essential to its effectiveness.

It is respectful and hence effective.

A GENUINE HUMAN BEING

A young child's life ended prematurely a few years ago at age 14 due to an incurable disease with which he was born. His name was Mattie Stepanek. To know his story is to touch genuine humanity. His story may be found at www.mattieonline.com To witness his remarkably engaging spirit, intellect, humour and unconditional love of mankind is to experience one of life's rare gifts.

WHEN THE TAIL WAGS THE DOG.......

In the early 80's interest rates were forced up to 21%.....while the BoC 'wrestled inflation to the ground'.

Universal life (UL) entered the Canadian marketplace via the USA. The industry 'unbundled' the protection and investment elements for greater product transparency. Buy term and invest the difference was the mantra.

In the 90's interest rates dropped to very low levels.
UL fell out of investment favour with investment focussed individuals.

Term to 100 (T 100) emerged as a solution.

The investment tail wagged the life insurance dog.

Life insurance in any form is not an investment within the context that securities are investments.

It has one purpose: to preserve capital.....either accumulated or expected throughout a lifetime.

The accumulation of capital requires time.

Life insurance underwrites the time we may NOT have left to protect the capital we may have or may not yet have accumulated.

To make decisions about a complex life and health related financial instrument based on its comparison to financial instruments designed to accumulate capital for future use is to have allowed the investment objective tail wag the life insurance protection objective dog.

OPEN AND DIRECT COMMUNICATION

is essential in sharing complex knowledge, information, skill and intellect through genuinely collaborative 'partnerships'. It requires the capacity for transparency and the integrity of pupose. Those organizations which have the capacity for open and direct collaborative communication among its members 'win' in the challenge for competitive advantage in client engagement . Those which do not, 'lose'. We choose transparency.

EFFECTIVE EXECUTION

is the ultimate test.

VISION

and the focussed action it demands requires conviction and courage for it's successful execution.

MARKETING IMAGINATION

you know it is right when there is an 'aha'!

REAL TIME EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION - AN EXECUTION ESSENTIAL

Our operating respect for the priorities of our collaborative partners includes our focussed attention to, prioritized interest in and real time response to all enquiries. Timely communication is not an option. It is the business we are in.

Our sports analogy which best describes this cardinal operating essential is:

Show up!

Show up on time!

Show up dressed to play!

THE WORD 'NO'

Understanding when and how to use this direct instruction.......to yourself as well as to others is an essential life planning discipline.

GRATITUDE

.......is the ultimate result of genuine client centred marketing.

TRAUMA INSTRUCTS

..........forcefully.

A LIFETIME FINANCIAL QUESTION

will I be O.K.?

CAPITAL RISK MANAGEMENT

In the management of capital risk.......

......due diligence > optimum solutions > exponential results.

NEEDS......SOLUTIONS......EXECUTION.......A MATTER OF DUE DILIGENCE

In the choice of a solution to any financial need two options are available:

Retail.............transactional.........immediate.


Professional practice.............trust relationship and complex knowledge driven.........time consuming.

In the matter of financial advice the resource that has consistent value is the quality and integrity of the advice available and professionally executable........both short and long term.

In all professional practice choices.....trust is the linchpin.

OUR 'RULES OF ENGAGEMENT'

In all our dealings with our colleagues, associates and strategic partners the following represents our professional practice expectations:

We expect all decision making to be reality / evidence based - factual – unbiased - thoroughly researched with astute vision.

We expect reciprocity in the fundamentals of genuinely collaborative professional behavior - specifically - integrity - character - a relentless pursuit of excellence through flawless execution with the bar positioned for 'Olympic Gold'.

We look for associations among individuals who we perceive as 'net givers'. There are insufficient resources to distribute among 'net takers'.

We expect an uncompromising client centric view of service.

The consequence of the above is the delivery of our very best results.

Our highest valued non financial reward is genuine client gratitude - an outcome which we are pleased to carry away with us.

Our real time communication baseline which we use in our practice does not satisfy every individual with whom we come in contact. It does satisfy every person with whom we become successfully engaged.

OP ED INSIGHTS BORNE OF 'DIRECT FIRE' EXPERIENCE IN GETTING "IT DONE"

Dan Zwicker

This weblog includes insights into the professional pursuit and achievement of excellence in achieving results in both life needs planning and effective lifetime financial planning.

........it includes, as well, the generally 'unvarnished' principles of professional practice engagement upon which each planning sphere depends.

........this is about people and their views on money....borne of over 30 years of front line experience and engagement in the arena of financial practice under 'fire' in a lifetime passion......the assuring of the financial value of our time.....to allow for the completion of our personal and business financial objectives

........it is about character, integrity, people and their often complex and conflicting attitudes towards money.....its accumulation.....its preservation and its utility.

........it is about the high performance professionals who are committed to managing the capital risk and the lifetime financial well being of their families, business associates and clients.

........it is about coaching 'Olympian' class high performance empowerment.

........above all it is about ethical choice in every facet of decision making.

........it is remarkable that of all the basic life related subjects that we include in our children's early curriculum money is not one of them.......given that we live in a money economy. It is said that we each have a "Money Personality".

Nothing could be more accurate and more life defining.

LIFE PLANNING VS FINANCIAL PLANNING

Life planning is for clients.....financial planning is for advisors.

The first is a dynamic, variable, realtime, lifestyle and lifetime needs based process.

The second is a static financial 'snaphot' in time....that calculates financial shortfalls or surpluses.

The first is client lifetime needs centred.

The second is industry marketing driven.

We employ the first.

NET GIVERS

In our search for collaborative partners, colleagues and associates we seek out net givers.

Net givers have an abundance of self confidence matched by a very high level of self esteem.

With these 'overflowing' resources they have an abundant capacity to give.

'OLYMPIANS' PREPARE TO WIN

The collaborative Olympian views the cup as neither half full nor half empty...............
but rather - "overflowing"!