Finding Common Ground
Before we can advise you effectively, we need to establish a shared understanding. What are we working on together? How much do you want us to do versus how much do you want to drive? And how do we ensure you genuinely understand what you're agreeing to? This infographic explores the three elements that create alignment between you and your adviser: scope, capacity, and consent.
1. Defining the Scope
Financial advice doesn't have to be "everything at once." Sometimes you want help with one specific area. Sometimes you need a comprehensive review. The key is being clear about what's in scope and what's out of scope — and documenting that agreement.
✓ In Scope
- Areas we've agreed to examine together
- Foundation stones being reviewed at agreed depth
- Questions we're actively trying to answer
- Recommendations we're authorised to make
- Documents and data we've collected
— Out of Scope
- Areas you've asked us not to examine
- Topics outside our agreed engagement
- Information you've chosen not to provide
- Advice types not covered by this engagement
- Matters requiring specialist referral
2. The Capacity to Care Spectrum
The Service Cube™ recognises that your need for advice isn't fixed — it depends on your capacity to care about financial matters at any given time. This isn't about intelligence or competence. It's about where your attention and energy can realistically go right now.
Guided Relationship
We recommend, you approve
"I need you to take the lead. Tell me what you recommend and why."
In a Guided relationship, you're relying on us to do most of the heavy lifting. This might be because you're new to financial planning, because life is demanding your attention elsewhere, or simply because you prefer to delegate these decisions to professionals.
This is a perfectly valid starting point. Many clients begin here — and some stay here for years. There's no shame in wanting structured guidance. The goal is to match the service to your actual needs, not to push you toward self-direction before you're ready.
What you bring
Your goals, your documents, your questions. You approve recommendations and make final decisions.
What we bring
Research, analysis, recommendations, and implementation support. We drive the process and keep things moving.
Verification depth
We typically need more documentation upfront, since we're taking greater responsibility for the advice.
Communication style
More structured. Regular check-ins. Clear explanations of what we're doing and why.
Collaborative Relationship
We work together
"Let's figure this out together. I have some ideas, but I want your input."
In a Collaborative relationship, we're genuine partners. You bring knowledge and opinions to the table; we bring professional expertise. Neither of us has all the answers, but together we can work through complex decisions.
This is often where relationships evolve to after working together for a while. You've learned enough to have informed views, but you still value professional guidance and a second opinion on major decisions.
What you bring
Active engagement, your own research, questions that probe our recommendations, willingness to challenge assumptions.
What we bring
Technical expertise, alternative perspectives, stress-testing of your ideas, access to tools and resources you may not have.
Verification depth
Shared responsibility for gathering and verifying information. You may handle some; we handle others.
Communication style
Two-way dialogue. We discuss options rather than present conclusions. More iteration, more questions both ways.
Coaching Relationship
You lead, we guide
"I know what I want to do. I just need a sounding board and someone to challenge my thinking."
In a Coaching relationship, you have a pretty good idea of what you want to do and where you want to go. You're not looking for someone to tell you what to do — you want a trusted adviser who can test your assumptions, point out blind spots, and confirm you haven't missed anything important.
This is often the "ideal" endpoint for long-term clients who have built financial knowledge and confidence over time. But it's not superior to other modes — it's simply appropriate for certain circumstances and certain people.
What you bring
A clear direction, your own analysis, specific questions you want answered, decisions you've already tentatively made.
What we bring
Critical review, alternative scenarios you may not have considered, validation of your approach, implementation support when needed.
Verification depth
You're often managing your own data and documents. We verify what's relevant to the specific questions you're asking.
Communication style
On-demand rather than scheduled. You reach out when you need us. We're available, not intrusive.
Your Position May Change Over Time
Many clients start in the Guided zone — and that's entirely appropriate. Over time, as knowledge and experience grow, the relationship often evolves toward Collaborative or even Coaching. But life isn't linear. A major life event, a complex decision, or simply a period of high stress might shift you back toward wanting more guidance. The spectrum isn't a ladder to climb — it's a dial that adjusts to your circumstances.
3. Informed Consent
Consent in financial advice is more than just signing a document. It means you genuinely understand what you're agreeing to — the scope, the approach, the limitations, and the costs. We're held to a higher standard here because we typically know more about these matters than you do.
The shared view is where our perspectives converge. You bring your goals, your circumstances, your capacity. We bring our expertise, our frameworks, our professional obligations. When we're aligned on scope, when we've calibrated to your capacity, and when you genuinely understand what you're agreeing to — that's when the real work can begin. Everything before this is preparation. Everything after depends on getting this right.
— The Foundations Philosophy
The Foundations Series
How This Fits Into Our Planning Framework
The Wealth Pyramid™ provides the structural framework — the ten foundation stones that need to be examined. But how deeply we examine each stone, and who drives that examination, depends on the shared view we establish here. Scope determines what's in play; capacity determines how we work together.
The Service Cube™ visualises your financial journey across three dimensions: Knowledge, Experience & Training, and Professional Advice. Where you sit in this cube — and where you want to move — shapes the relationship we build together. The Guided, Collaborative, and Coaching modes reflect different positions along the advice dimension.
The Wealth Pyramid™ and The Service Cube™ are registered trademarks of WSP Pty Ltd (June 2002, renewed through 2032).