I am one of five partners at an advisory firm and the only female. I get paraded out whenever there are important prospects or firm-wide client events.

In the past few weeks, I have received numerous inquiries on how to improve empathy and listening skills for busy advisors.

How do we keep our teams motivated to keep looking and growing?

Is there a way to change an advisor’s mind who is pushing back so they can understand my view and see that it isn’t a negative but rather a positive?

We have found a number of candidates with great credentials on paper, but when we speak with them they don’t seem to be a good fit for what we’re building.

My advisors are pushing back on our fees. They are hearing from clients they believe they are paying too much for our services.

A woman to whom I was referred because she is facing a nasty divorce turns out to be a close acquaintance of mine.

How do we help our clients who are working parents (especially the working mothers) de-stress and manage their time better?

I lost one of my long-term clients over a political disagreement. He criticized the delayed openings in our state, yelled about the inflation that will be coming and then told me I didn’t even like Dr. Seuss!

What activities should we consider this year to replace the normal in-person dinners and client events we have always done?

How do you tell someone you work with they need to have better on-camera etiquette?

We are process crazy. Everything has a process – from small things like asking for vacation time to larger things like client onboarding.

I have had it with people putting their cute kids to their laps on Zoom and introducing their dogs and cats on camera so we can all ooh and aah about them.

How do you give difficult feedback to a junior advisor who is your son?

One of my senior advisors came yesterday unshaven and with his t-shirt that looked like he rolled out of bed on for the camera..

Everyone agrees that selling virtually is a whole different thing and most of us feel ill-equipped to do it well.

We have never had a situation where someone didn’t work out from a capability perspective or a cultural fit.

How do I make sure everyone is engaged and involved?

To organize your team and prepare for the year ahead, take your team through the steps.

The issue is that one of our advisors came to the event clearly drunk out of his mind, and another one became very rude, actually using slang terms that were insulting to people on the team and was a bit belligerent.

We have a lingering frustration that our senior partner was unwilling to take a stand and fire this consultant.

I want to formally plan and create enthusiasm for 2021. How can I manage this in a virtual setting?

What is the best way to redesign marketing materials to convey our message to a specific audience?

I get that we are all tired, but our clients don’t care.

I celebrated my birthday on November 3. Every year, I step back and take stock of what I have learned over the previous year. What insights or ideas can I bring to advisors for them to think about for the upcoming year?

It isn’t right for my firm’s partners to avoid dealing with each other and then make us the problem.

The advisor for whom I have worked is retiring, but nothing has been communicated about what’s going to happen to me.

Communication in our firm has come to a complete standstill.

How do I get my staff to realize they have the power to effect change and they don’t have to come to me with every single problem?

What do I do to raise my profile during this time of isolation?

People misconstrue things in public forums and I value my reputation. Do I simply ignore the social-media invites or respond to clients saying I don’t mix personal and business?

Stress has crept in to every corner of our profession and every job someone is trying to do.

How do we get our partners to see their behavior is hurtful to all of us? It achieves nothing and causes divisions.

There are many clients who might resist the fee increase but most of the ones I believe will do so would be fine if they left the firm.

How do I keep my team working together effectively in this remote environment?

We’re having virtual meetings. I insist everyone is on camera so we are seeing one another, but the ideas don’t flow.

How do I support the people working for me who are dealing with difficulty at home?

Should I be abandoning the idea of allowing everyone to work virtually if it is so disruptive to two of my best advisors?

Is there a right way to deliver bad news to an employee?

I have a client who is struggling with whether or not to retire. He is wondering if he is making a difference in his work or if he should just quit and, “do something good.” But it would be a bad financial decision.

When it comes time to return, I believe I should have more options around what I can do.

I have no interest in taking my vacation this year but my boss is putting unbelievable pressure on all of us to “take a break.”

We have heard from five prospects that our site looks “dated.”

This is your chance to ask three well-known practice management experts -- who also are among Advisor Perspectives' best-read columnists -- how they can help you with clients and other business issues brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic. They'll also share what they've been hearing from your peers about how the Covid-19 crisis has dramatically changed financial advisory practices. Don't miss this chance to get advice from these accomplished individuals.

Is there a way to help someone understand they are a poor communicator?

What else should I be doing to ensure inclusion and openness among my team members?

With everything going on in Minneapolis and the rest of the world, what should our messaging be?

Our senior advisor wants us to add in prospecting and developing new business along with our other “virtual” activities.

Is it too soon to think about downsizing our space?

My client’s adult son has never made much of himself, and as a result never made much money. How should I approach this with my client?