Practical ideas, lessons learned and shared experiences for those in the world of CPA firm management, human resources, administration, marketing and technology.
Have you ever sat through a strategic planning session where the group decides to revisit their mission (or now called “purpose”) statement? It really can get quite humorous (not to the participants but to me when I am the facilitator). Way too much word-smithing goes on and, being accountants, the participants examine each individual word from every possible angle.
Well, I have a remedy for all of you growing CPA firms who are re-branding and re-examining your purpose statement or your firm slogan. Follow this link to visit the Corporate Slogan Generator. It generates random nonsensical corporate slogans and mission statements.
I found it quite entertaining. Lighten-up this week-end and give it a try. There is also a Financial Advice Generator on the site that might amuse you. AND, since it is Superbowl week-end, you might want to see the NFL Jargon generator.
Our major obligation is not to mistake slogans for solutions.
CPAs and others working in CPA firms and accounting departments are very busy, dedicated people.
I am so fortunate to know many of you in the CPA world and although I expect you to work hard, don’t forget to play some, too. Don’t forget your dreams and the things on your bucket list.
Take a few minutes this week-end to “lighten-up” and to think, dream, relax and ponder this quotation:
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – - Mark Twain
Here’s a link to a set of pictureson my personal Flickr page of our recent adventure in Costa Rica. We certainly explored, dreamed and discovered. What a beautiful country filled with friendly people. My dreams of exploring a jungle, seeing poisonous things, taking a jungle canopy walk and hearing howler monkeys at night came true. Plus we rafted in to a remote, no electricity jungle lodge and rafted out the next day.
I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.
Often in my sessions or workshops, in talking about mentors, I ask the participants to think back on their lives and identify someone who truly influenced them. When the answers are shared, almost all of the examples are of a very special teacher – usually in high school.
I know some very special teachers and I love to hear their side of the story. Of course, they have some students who really “inspire” them, too. But, they also have some very amusing comments they hear directly from their students.
Here’s real-life comments made by a high school science teacher I know:
You know you teach in a country school when the kids have a question about water towers and half of them don’t know what function they serve.
I completely underestimated the size of a mess 8th graders can make with some flour and colored sand.
I want a new name that makes me sound important, too. Our janitors are now Custodial Maintenance Techs.
I will never understand why students deface my furniture by writing their own name on it. Makes my job easier, though.
Love to start the day with a laugh. Student discussing the 1969 moon landing: “I liked when Lance Armstrong said…… “
Smile and enjoy your weekend. Take a moment to think about a teacher, somewhere in your past, who shaped your future. Also, I’m on the look-out for Neil Armstrong on a bicycle.
Modern cynics and skeptics see no harm in paying those to whom they entrust the minds of their children a smaller wage than is paid to those to whom they entrust the care of their plumbing.
Are you familiar with the word Paraskevidekatriaphobics?
Thank goodness for “cut & paste” because I don’t think I could even type it correctly while looking directly at it!
I don’t have it and I hope you don’t either. It’s the fear of Friday the 13th – not the movie – the day. I’m afraid of the movie.
Like many human beliefs, the fear of Friday the 13th isn’t exactly grounded in scientific logic. If you want to know more about its origins click here.
As for today, inside your CPA firm or accounting department, why not lighten things up and do something fun for your team. How about a spur of the moment contest during lunch break. Have a spelling bee – use accounting words and then spring Paraskevidekatriaphobics on them if you can pronounce it! Of course, have a nice prize for the winner. Doesn’t have to be anything huge – perhaps a $20 bill.
As you go through the day, don’t give into the morbid and depressing. Keep with my motto, one that I have shared with you often: Life Is Good.
There is something terribly morbid in the modern sympathy with pain. One should sympathise with the colour, the beauty, the joy of life. The less said about life's sores the better.
Steve Martin & Dan Aykroyd, SNL Two Wild & Crazy Guys
I usually find that New Year’s Eve turns out to be a very reflective time for me rather than a wild and crazy event.
This week-end I want to send you back to last week-end for my New Year’s Pictureand here’s my New Year’s message:
I can talk but I sure can’t cook any more! I lost my skills over the years because my husband is SO good at it.However, my mind is always cookin’ up some actions for all of you.Be sure to gather recipes and get cookin’ on your firm’s success for 2012 and beyond.Happy New Year and much success in 2012. – -Rita
I also want you to be reflective as you enter the new year and keep The Four Agreementsin mind:
The Four Agreements
1. Be Impeccable with your Word:Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the Word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your Word in the direction of truth and love.
2. Don’t Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
3. Don’t Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.
Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.
Season’s Greetings to all of my clients, associates, friends, potential clients, followers of this blog, followers of my tweets, accounting students and everyone affiliated with the CPA profession. Here’s my end of year message. I can talk but I sure can’t cook any more! I lost my skills over the years because my husband is SO good at it. However, my mind is always cookin’ up some actions for all of you. Be sure to gather receipes and get cookin’ on your firm’s success for 2012 and beyond. Happy New Year and much success in 2012 Rita
I can talk but I sure can’t cook any more! I lost my skills over the years because my husband is SO good at it.
However, my mind is always cookin’ up some actions for all of you.
Be sure to gather recipes and get cookin’ on your firm’s success for 2012 and beyond.
Have you ever seen the movie The In Laws with Peter Falk and Alan Arkin? It’s one that always makes me smile. Peter Falk is so funny in this movie and I always loved him in Colombo.
Below is my favorite clip from the movie. The clip is titled – Serpentine! Serpentine! It has become a phrase used often in my family at various times for various reasons even if it is only to make one another smile.
If you are Christmas shopping this busy week-end, maybe you’ll need to Serpentine!
People certainly have different tastes when it comes to homes. This picture has been hitting a lot of Facebook pages this week. Sure makes me smile.
Also, if you like modern and contemporary, like me, check out this Michigan home featured in the WSJ this week. The architect walked through the waist-high grass and thought it shouldn’t be disturbed. The couple was looking for something very contemporary and they got it. Click here to see a more expansive picture and a slide show.
A doctor can bury his mistakes but an architect can only advise his clients to plant vines.
How do you feel when you unexpectedly receive a gift? Don’t know about you but I love it. Makes me feel special, makes me smile and I love telling other people about the unexpected act of kindness.
I flew into Providence, RI a couple of weeks ago for the New England MAP Conference and used a driver to take me from the airport to the conference site in Connecticut. The driver was a recommendation from Alan Litwin of KLR, a successful firm in Providence. The driver’s name was Sam and he was extremely professional and a very interesting guy.
I mentioned that I followed a consultant from Rhode Island who wrote the book, Million Dollar Consulting, via Twitter and his newsletters. His name is Alan Weiss. I hope most of you who are CPA firm leaders have read his books, etc. Anyway, Sam responded – I’m his driver! I will be picking him up at the Boston airport on Friday. Small world. Sam asked for my card, he wanted to give it to Dr. Weiss.
So….. about a week later I received a copy of Weiss’ book, Million Dollar Consulting Proposals with a short note and the book was signed. Unexpected, kind and it made me smile.
Now, the saga continues. While at the NE MAP Conference, I met Ron Orleans, CPA who is the founder of Gifts On Time,a gift management software that takes the hassles and forgetfulness out of sending gifts to your CPA firm clients.
I always urge practitioners to do the little things because they make the biggest difference. What if your “A” clients all received a gift on their anniversary date of joining your firm? What if special clients received a gift on their birthday? Part of the challenge with doing this is remembering and the on-going arrangements. Gifts On Time solves that problem. You might want to check it out.
I also urge CPAs to send handwritten notes and shortly after I returned I received one from a CPA telling me how much he appreciated my advice via the sessions I conducted. He listened!
What are you doing for the upcoming holidays – anything that will make you stand out from the crowd?
Have you ever sat through a strategic planning session where the group decides to revisit their mission (or now called “purpose”) statement? It really can get quite humorous (not to the participants but to me when I am the facilitator). Way too much word-smithing goes on and, being accountants, the participants examine each individual word from every possible angle.
