For advisors and their clients, 2008 was a year of remarkable headlines and events. Market volatility reached new levels, while our industry underwent dramatic changes. Bear Stearns was purchased by JPMorgan in a fire sale last spring and, more recently, in the space of a few days, Lehman Brothers went bankrupt and Merrill Lynch was forced to sell itself to Bank of America. Investors became concerned about the stability of long-standing advisory relationships, while many advisors became anxious about their career paths.

For advisors dealing with a change in the ownership structure of their firm—as well as the prospects of a bear market—the events of 2008 were enough to rattle even seasoned industry pros. Stephen Weiner, a ClientWise coach with more than 20 years of experience working with wirehouse advisors, offers these tips for thinking clearly and positively about your 2009 business plan.

Assess Where You Are Now

Ask yourself this basic question: "How has the financial crisis and/or a change in my firm's ownership structure affected my vision of who I am and who I want to be?"

During times of crisis, it's easy to shut down and avoid asking yourself the important questions. But, it's crucial to take a deep breath, take a step back and assess where you are now. The crisis will pass and you'll still be faced with planning for your future. Are you still passionate about your business? Are you committed for the long haul or looking to make a career change? Do you need to revamp your personal financial plan for you and your family? If you have a new employer as the result of a merger, how will this affect your personal and professional goals?

Acknowledge Your Emotions

The next important question to ask yourself, is this: "How am I doing today?" Are you feeling confident or anxious? Have recent events brought up strong emotions, such as anger or resentment? Are you maintaining good relationships with your family? Do you feel like your company has let you down? If so, is this something you can work through or do you feel like you need to take a different course in your life?

The classic responses to stress are often described as "fight or flight." Fight mode means that you may be displacing your negativity onto others, such as snapping at your spouse or yelling at team members and junior associates. If you feel that's happening, take a break, walk around the block and cut the negative circuit.

Flight mode means that you may be trying to escape from the crisis by locking yourself in your office with the door closed or avoiding client calls. If you're going into flight mode, take the initiative. Schedule client appointments and make sure that you're staying connected to your clients, your team and your family.

Stay Positive

Top-producing financial advisors tend to display great emotional intelligence during moments of crisis. They're forward-looking, optimistic, hopeful and have tons of proactive energy. Crises like this one take everyone by surprise but the difference between a top producer and an ordinary one is that those in the former group tend to be more adept at problem solving. They seek to quickly identify a dilemma, solve it and move on, while keeping a positive attitude.

To help yourself stay positive, look for role models among your colleagues and other people in your professional network. When the going gets tough, ask yourself: "Who do I most want to emulate? Who do I admire? Who seems to be keeping a cool head?" Conversely, if someone in your office is setting a bad example, make a conscious decision to avoid his or her negative energy and stay above the fray. If you're leading a financial advisory team, you have the additional opportunity of being a role model yourself. Display the type of behavior you want your team to adopt. Put a smile on your face and stay upbeat, positive and hopeful.

Be Aware of Your Impact on Others

When communicating with clients, team members, your employer and even your family, be aware of not only what you are saying, but also how you're saying it. How do you sound? What are you communicating through your body language and tone of voice? If you need to communicate something difficult, think things through and practice saying what you need to say out loud by yourself before your meeting.