Archive for the ‘Communication’ Category
Wednesday, October 31st, 2018
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” – Desmond Tutu
I rarely repost someone else’s blog post. I have only done it with Seth Godin’s posts. His recent blog post speaks to all of us at one time or another.
Perhaps, you are new to your firm, trying to learn how to become a successful CPA. Maybe you are a new partner assessing how you can make a difference within the group. With merger mania, maybe you and your firm have been acquired by another firm and things feel very different and troubling.
The Problem With People Is That They Outnumber You
It doesn’t make any sense to spend your life proving them wrong, it’s a losing battle.
Far more effective is the endless work of building connection, forming alliances and finding the very best you can in those you engage with.
You can’t possibly know what it’s like to be someone else, but it’s also true that no one knows what it’s like to be you.
One more reason to put in the effort to find the good.
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Life becomes easier and more beautiful when we can see the good in other people.
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Roy T. Bennett
Tuesday, October 23rd, 2018
“Most people work just hard enough not to get fired and get paid just enough money not to quit.” – George Carlin
Believe it or not, I have been asked by several CPA firm leaders over the years about what to do in this unsettling situation.
You have a poor performing employee. The employee is female and she needs to be fired. She is not performing well. You have even put her on a performance enhancement plan that she has failed. Then, before you decide to pull the trigger and fire her, you learn that she is pregnant.
Is it legal to fire her or do you have to wait until she returns to work after maternity leave? It’s a tricky situation and Suzanne Lucas (@RealEvilHRLady) gives us some great advice.
The bigger issue is that you procrastinated on letting her go in the first place. That is the exact issue I see most often with CPAs.
Use this informative article to help you going forward.
And, please deal with poor performance proactively. Document all performance feedback and be sure someone is not surprised when they are fired.
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If you aren't fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm.
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Vince Lombardi
Wednesday, October 17th, 2018
“The problem with communication is the illusion that it has occurred.” – Sigmund Freud
We have all thought it and probably said it out loud, “Oh no, not another meeting! I don’t have time for this.”
I recently read an interview by Skip Prichard of Paul Axtell about his new book – Meetings Matter: 8 Powerful Strategies for Remarkable Conversations. As Prichard notes, he thought it would be a snooze but he actually even re-read it. The book goes far beyond meetings, it is great advice on how to be more effective.
In the interview, Axtell explains:
- Our time in ineffective meetings far outweighs our time in powerful meetings. No wonder we moan and groan.
- Meetings are actually at the heart of an effective organization. They are a place and situation where clarity can be achieved, decisions made, alignment garnered and actions identified. (Don’t you wish your partner meetings and retreats could be described like that?)
- Conversations matter. Here are the 4 C’s of a Conversation: Clarity, Candor, Commitment, and Completion. (Read more about each one in the interview.)
I’m going to read the book. I hope you read both the interview and the book. Set a 2019 goal to have more productive and interesting meetings.
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If I'm not happy in this time and place, I'm not paying attention.
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Jodi Hills
Tuesday, October 16th, 2018
“In case of news, we should always wait for the sacrament of confirmation.” – Voltaire
My October newsletter went out last week. If you did not receive a copy you can sign-up here.
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Live news teaches you some incredibly strong lessons: that every day is a new day, and it's never too late to fix something.
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Nancy Dubuc
Thursday, October 11th, 2018
“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” —Benjamin Franklin
In my consulting work, I hear about it all too frequently. In the workplace, there is a troublesome employee. I have heard many stories involving both males and females being the culprit.
This troublesome employee (often it is a partner in the firm) is well known for being difficult. He/She has been with the firm a very long time and is set in his/her ways. He/She might provide good client service but he/she is not a team player. For the people working with them, it means continually giving in to their wishes or risk their wrath. Even leaders back away from the situation.
The common excuse said many, many times over the years to a multitude of people who complain about him/her is: “That’s just the way he/she is.” Letting this go on too long will take a toll on firm morale.
Strong leadership is needed to keep an accounting firm on the track to profitability and success in the future. Quit making excuses for these renegades and take appropriate action. A lot of people will thank you.
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Never make excuses. Your friends don’t need them and your foes won’t believe them.
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John Wooden
Tuesday, October 2nd, 2018
“Punctuality is the politeness of kings.” – Louis XVIII
Life inside an accounting firm can be very hectic at times. When you arrive at the office, you have great plans for your day and expectations of what you will accomplish.
Then, you-know-what happens.
Suddenly, you realize you probably can’t make that meeting with a client, a team member or an employee. You will just have to reschedule that phone conference with the Chair of a committee you are on at a non-profit organization.
Rather than disappoint and cancel on someone at the last minute, make time toward the end of the week to look ahead at the following week’s schedule. Are you over-scheduled? Can you realistically squeeze in that client visit or meeting with the tax committee? Don’t over schedule yourself. If you must cancel or reschedule, give them plenty of notice.
People count on you. Their time is valuable, too. Don’t be a Last Minute Larry or a Procrastinating Polly.
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Tardiness often robs us opportunity, and the dispatch of our forces.
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Machiavelli
Friday, September 28th, 2018
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” – William Shakespeare
I read an article in the news this morning about Macedonia’s upcoming vote on whether to change the country’s name. If you are a Macedonian, it is a very big deal.
Of course, to me, it brought to mind the name issue within CPA firms especially in this time of merger after merger.
Two things to remember:
- If you are in merger discussions with another firm – talk about the name issue early on in those discussions.
- Keep it short and simple.
Some firms have adopted names that do not even reflect a partner’s name, such as Apiro and Fluence.
Here’s some explanation about the Apiro name and here’s some insight about Fluence.
Recently, I heard about a firm that actually used six partners names. If your firm name is something like – Smith, Jones, Adams, Brown & Black – I bet your clients call you Smith Jones. Why not brand it?
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Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.
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Oscar Wilde
Thursday, September 27th, 2018
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” – Charles Dickens
Many firms have done a great job of focusing on employee engagement. But, there is more to the story.
Employee engagement and employee experience are not the same.
Employee experience is how the firm provides the employee with an environment, culture, and systems that meet their needs and enables them to do their work efficiently. Employee engagement is an element of employee experience and involves two-way communication.
Research tells us that there are workplace practices that are critical to creating a positive employee experience. They are:
- Organizational Trust
- Co-Worker Relationships
- Meaningful Work
- Feedback and Growth
- Empowerment and Voice
- Work-Life Balance
Here’s a great article posted on CMSWire by David Roe that will give you some interesting details and help you create an effective employee experience for your people.
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It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed.
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Napolean Hill
Wednesday, September 19th, 2018
“Even if you’re on the right track – you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” – Arthur Godfrey
You continually face due dates. The major ones are painful.
You end up in a fire-drill mode to serve those last-minute clients. Sometimes the fire drills are even caused by you because of improper processes, procedures, and staffing.
Don’t let procrastination become a part of your firm culture and your daily life.
According to a post via Cornerstone University, procrastination can also affect us emotionally. For humans to maintain a fulfilling existence, we must have a sense of purpose and generate ongoing accomplishments. Failure here may lead to low self-esteem and a lack of ambition.
Read the entire post – Delay, Delay, Delay: How to Manage and Overcome Procrastination so it Doesn’t Manage You.
When it comes to those procrastinating clients, share this article with them. Explain how their tardiness has a negative effect on your entire team. Ask for their understanding and help. (It’s called training the client!). If they don’t co-operate, find them another accountant. Life is too short for all the stress these clients cause.
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Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.
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Jim Rohn
Tuesday, September 18th, 2018
“Do your little bit of good where you are. It’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” – Archbishop Desmond Tutu
If you are working in the CPA profession, should have a mentor. I don’t care if you are a 50-something partner (or 60-something), find someone who will tell you the trust and work on improving yourself.
Don’t rely on your mentor. You should seek out their help if you need it. I love this story from Stephen R. Covey:
“When I was just 20 years old, I served as an assistant to the president of an organization. One time I asked him, “Why don’t you ever give me any feedback? You never tell me if you like my speeches.” And he said, “Do you want to be dependent upon me? You know within yourself what’s happening. If you want some help, you just ask me. I’m here. “From then on, I was free of the president. I didn’t have to worry about his reaction. He never praised me or blamed me, but if I wanted help, he’d give it. So I would ask him, “What do you think of this.” He served me as a source of help.”
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The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.
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Gandhi
