Archive for the ‘Firm Administrator’ Category
Wednesday, December 21st, 2011
Jennifer Wilson, Tamera Loerzel and the team at Convergence are launching a new program designed to prepare up-and-comers to lead and manage their firms. It’s called the Transformational Leadership Program and the first session begins in January, 2012.
One of my continual and strong recommendations to CPA firm leaders is to invest in the success of their people. This is one area where you cannot be miserly.
I’m not talking about the required technical tax and audit CPE that CPAs must have, I’m talking about an investment in the success of the firm, as a whole, because the people who are expected to manage, lead, motivate, inspire and set the example know exactly how to do it.
I’m talking about your Managing Partner – Does he/she have have a coach or mentor? Does he/she attend leadership and advanced management training. Read my post about “leading professional service firms” from 2010 and investigate the program offered at Harvard.
I’m talking about your Firm Administrator and your Human Resources professional – Does he/she have a coach or mentor? Does he/she attend MAP conferences (more than one per year)? Has he/she had the opportunity to develop a network of other firm administrators to use for advice and ideas. The Association for Accounting Administration is a MUST professional organization for professionals managing CPA firms. The AICPA also offers a Human Capital Forum annually, where HR professionals can build a network of advisors.
Your marketing professional should be a member of AAM and attend the national conference. Your technology professional inside the firm should be active in the Boomer Technology Circles.
And…. your future leaders should be building their own network of “professionals managing accounting firms” via leadership training specifically directed at the public accounting profession. State societies, the AICPA and proven, experienced advisors to the profession are offering such programs.
Take action! – Investigate them now.
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There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when it's convenient. When you are committed to something, you accept no excuses; only results.
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Ken Blanchard
Monday, December 5th, 2011
I like to believe I am a communicator and a connector for people working the the public accounting profession.
I realize that my clients, CPA firms and the people who lead them, are very busy taking care of their own clients and their own firms – so I try to take care of them.
One way I take care of clients and readers is, of course, via this blog and my monthly newsletter. Both are intended to trigger CPA firm leaders into action! Of course, clients get more personal contact and involvement from me – you should consider becoming one.
As for today’s topic – what other CPA firms are doing. I like to feature innovative, proactive firms on this blog and today is a great example.
I have known David King of Barfield, Murphy, Shank & Smith for many years and have admired his efforts in designing a workplace that is unique in public accounting.
Here’s an example – watch the career video on their website and listen to how two of their own team members describe the firm.
I’ve been nagging you for two years now on the importance of your website and this year it has become even more imperative that your site is cool.
Just FYI, here’s another example from my March 7, 2011 blog.
Are you the cool firm in your market?
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What fun is it being cool if you can't wear a sombrero?
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Calvin & Hobbes
Monday, November 28th, 2011
As you know, I do a lot of writing. I have typed since 7th grade. I taught myself with instructions via an LP instructional record album (if you are old, you remember those) and my Dad’s brand new electric typewriter. When I was older and took typing in high school, I got straight As, of course.
I am aware that in blogging and in the cloud world you are suppose to use one space following the end of a sentence. I was not aware that it now applies to all business writing.
So, if you are typing an email to a client, remember to use only one space after the period.
Here is a blog that your administrative team (and all those who type – which is EVERYONE) might find helpful. It is Lynn Gaertner-Johnson’s Business Writing Blog.
The most common writing error of 2011 per Lynn, as noted on her November 15th blog:
Although today is only November 15, I can already tell you the most common error in people’s business writing this year. It is the use of this word:
memo’s
When people sign up for my writing courses, I ask them, among other things, what kinds of business messages they write. Their responses reveal the error:
I write email, reports, memo’s, and presentations.
I write memo’s requesting funds for capital purchases.
The plural of memo is memos–not memo’s. We should all write memos.
The word memo’s can be a correct possessive form. Examples:
I could not understand the memo’s intent.
The memo’s format was unconventional.
Follow the link above to learn more about business writing. With so many accountants doing their own typing now, this is an important topic. Enlist your admin team to assist and advise the accountants. Punctuation and grammar are both issues.
I think an in-house CPE session on business writing taught by a high school teacher (during the summer) is a great idea.
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Spel chekers, hoo neeeds em?
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Alan Bean
Tuesday, October 4th, 2011
Inside CPA firms, people with authority often avoid difficult conversations. You can call them crucial conversations, critical confrontations or even honest performance feedback. If there is something unflattering to say, people often choose to simply avoid it or ask someone else to do it.
An example might be that the firm has a very clearly defined dress appropriate policy, however, Julie constantly ignores it and everyone notices. Bill, a manager, stops the firm administrator in the hall and says, “Did you see what Julie has on today? Could you please talk to her about it?”
I usually find this happens to firm administrators in CPA firms and sometimes to managing partners. It happens to some managers but not all, because there are select people in a firm who seem to have a natural ability to actually talk about the tough issues with people.
What do you do when a “messenger” discusses a performance problem they are having with someone or uses you to complain about another person in the firm?
Delivering unflattering feedback and becoming a problem-addresser rather than a problem-bearer is a skill that can be learned.
Check-out this helpful blog post, How To Respond When Someone Brings You A Problem, on a site called Leadership Coaching, Inc.
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Boredom, after all, is a form of criticism.
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Wendell Phillips
Thursday, August 25th, 2011
Colorado AAA Chapter Members, is that you with Rita?
Yesterday, I had the honor to facilitate a full-day workshop for the members of the Colorado Chapter of the Association for Accounting Administration at the offices of the Colorado Society of CPAs.
We explored what it takes to be a great CPA firm from the inside out. We talked about all of the success skills that are needed to build a culture where people want to build their careers in public accounting and to build a brand that will attract and satisfy clients who are loyal, appreciative and fun.
A special thank-you to the wonderful folks at the Society who were not only wonderful hosts but also participated throughout the day: Mary Medley, CEO (who took the great pictures), Liz Julin, Deputy Director and Terry Cervi, Ex. Assistant and Liaison to Firm Administrators.
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All the world is a laboratory to the inquiring mind.
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Martin Fischer
Wednesday, August 17th, 2011
I was reading an article yesterday in the Aquila Global Advisors’ newsletter. It is titled, Ten Ways to Increase Profitability. While all ten are excellent (they are listed below and be sure to follow the link to read Aquila’s comments on each one) a couple really get me on my soap box.
- Align the firms objectives with those of the client
- Eliminate firm and individual incentives to simply bill more time
- Know your cost of service and eliminate back-room inefficiencies
- Find ways to communicate efficiently
- Reduce your costs of providing services
- Develop new staff quicker
- Focus on your core clients
- Implement internal engagement controls
- Use engagement letters
- Take advantage of new technology
#6 – Please challenge your younger, less experienced people by giving them tougher assignments. Ask them to stretch and to work outside their comfort zone. It is how they learn. DO NOT allow your long-term managers (and even partners) to cling to work that people at a lower billing rate can do and also learn from. Someone with lots of experience can review their work and give them lots of feedback to improve their technical skills – people learn from their mistakes.
#8 – How efficient is your internal administrative processes? Are you still processing work through your office the same way you did 10 years ago or even 5 years ago? Creating a one-firm culture, where everyone performs and processes the client engagements the same way is simply good business. Being able to train people on “the firm way” rather than each partners’ way will make you more profitable. Simple as that.
If you wonder about how efficiently work is really flowing through your office, ask your team – your younger team members and especially your administrative team members. The administrative team really sees the ugly under-belly of the firm. Just ask them – they want to help.
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While you can think in terms of efficiency in dealing with time, a principle-centered person thinks in terms of effectiveness in dealing with people.
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Stephen R. Covey
Friday, August 12th, 2011
If you are working in a CPA firm and you are a managing partner, firm administrator, HR Director, Marketing Director/Coordinator, Training & Development Manager, partner, administrative assistant, senior manager, manager, senior or associate you need information on best practices and how to propel your firm forward in 2011 and 2012. In other words, if you are working in a CPA firm and are breathing, you play a role in helping your firm Thrive in Challenging Times.
Join me and the Colorado Chapter of the Association for Accounting Administration for a day of lively discussion, learning and sharing on August 24th at the Colorado Society of Certified Public Accountants office in Denver.
We’ll talk about Marketing, Social Media, Managing, Mentoring and How to Develop and Keep Top Talent. Read more here.
You can register on the AAA website.
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Effective leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline carrying it out.
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Stephen R. Covey
Tuesday, August 9th, 2011
Periodically, I give you an update on where I will be speaking, making presentations and facilitating workshops. I really like to look you in the eye and talk to you face-to-face. My name for this update comes from the John Denver song, Come and Let Me Look In Your Eyes. Click, watch and listen…. it’s very soothing.
I would love to look into your eyes this year. It really does energize me and I try very hard to make my personal connection energize my audience as well.
August 24 – AAA Colorado Chapter in Denver at the Colorado Society Office.
September 21 – AAA Washington State Chapter & the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants in Bellevue.
September 28 – AAA New Jersey Chapter
October 6 – AICPA PCPS Human Capital Forum – New Orleans
October 7 – AAA Central Gulf Coast Chapter – New Orleans
October 19 – North Carolina Association of CPAs Professional Women’s Conference – Greensboro
October 27 – Accounting Today Growth & Profitability Summit – Las Vegas
November 14 – Minnesota Society of CPAs Tax Conference – Minneapolis
November 17-18 – New England MAP Conference – Mashantucket, CT
I’ll see several of you when I visit your firms this fall for planning sessions. And, in December, I’ll be visiting a client in…… guess where?…… Alaska! I think it’s pretty dark there in December. Wish me warmth and light.
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There is a road from the eye to the heart that does not go through the intellect.
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G. K. Chesterton
Monday, June 20th, 2011
There are few national conferences solely devoted to MAP – Managing an Accounting Practice.
That’s why AAA’s National MAP Conference is not only awesome, but also unique. The AAA national conference and the Indiana and Ohio Chapter meetings is where I learned so much about CPA firm practice management….. marketing, administration, technology, human resources, training, financial performance AND more.
This year’s conference begins tomorrow (in Louisville) with pre-conference sessions. Arlis Esnough and I will be conducting the annual First Timers’ Session. If this is your first AAA conference, you don’t want to miss the fun and practical tips at this annual session – Tuesday, at 4:45.
In case you are not attending, after you read the following list of CPA firm experts who will be speaking, I just know you will be in attendance next year.
No where else will you see a line-up of MAP experts like this:
- Sam Allred, Upstream Academy
- Tom Hood, Maryland Society
- Charles Hylan, The Growth Partnership
- Rita Keller, Keller Advisors, LLC
- Roman Kepczyk, Xcentric
- Bill Leach, Katz Sapper Miller
- Bill Reeb, Succession Institute, LLC
- Sandra Wiley, Boomer Consulting
- Jennifer Wilson, Convergence Coaching
- and more – see full schedule.
There will be keynotes by Don Yeager, Sports Writer and Author and by Andy Andrews, New York Times Best Selling Author.
My session is on Thursday at 10:30 – if you are in attendance, I hope you’ll join me and your peers to talk about, The Firm Administrator and Succession – What Really Happens and Why You Should Care.
- Last week it was cowboys, cowgirls and Elvis at the fantastic AICPA PractitionersTech Symposium.
- This week it is horses and finishing in the Winners’ Circle – a visit to Louisville and the legendary Churchill Downs. I can wear a cowgirl outfit but not real sure about jockey garb!
See you there (or see you there next year for sure). Not there? Follow me on Twitter.
I bet all of you hardworking firm administrators can relate to today’s quote.
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The wagon rests in winter, the sleigh in summer, the horse never.
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Yiddish Proverb
Friday, May 6th, 2011
Those of you who have heard me speak within the last year or so know that I stress “two words.”
What two words describe your firm? I receive a wide variety of answers from seminar participants. Here are a few examples. See if they match any of the words you would use to describe your firm.
- Organized – Chaos
- Caring – Challenged
- Need – Help
- Growing – Pains
- Fun – growing
- Continually – Frustrated
- Plateaued – Trying
- Fiefdoms – Abound
- For – Sale
Check out this video of me explaining how you can use Two Words to aid in your role as a mentor – mentoring isn’t difficult, it’s as easy as “two words.”
Now, here’s my two words for you today: What’s next?
What plan do you have in place for 2011? What does your Action Plan look like for the remainder of the year? What’s the plan for improving client service? What does your pipeline look like? What programs are you offering to KEEP GOOD PEOPLE?
What’s your plan, what’s next?
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Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now
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Alan Lakein
