Rita Keller, an award-winning and widely respected voice to CPA firm management, is uniquely positioned to help CPAs and their teams face rapid and significant change.
“The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain
Accounting firms have been faced with introducing a lot of new technologies recently. Some of it has been in almost an emergency mode.
But think back to how a new technology task was rolled-out BEFORE you were faced with COVID. I have observed that the technology team in accounting firms and the accountants speak two different languages.
Maybe the new technology task is something simple like how to log-in and work remotely. The IT team carefully put together a lengthy and elaborate email to explain how to do it. Simple.
Because the accountants didn’t quite understand all of the detailed instructions in the email, they emailed back with questions. The tech team answered, another email and another answer…. another email (of course “to all”) and another answer.
After about five or six back-and-forths, most people will just quit reading the emails.
Anytime you are implementing a new policy or procedure, whether it is about technology or tax processing, it takes more than an email. Communicate in person. Invite small groups of people to be trained face-to-face. You can do this using Zoom for your remote workers.
When you are all back in the office and can meet in larger groups, have the person responsible for the new tech, tax, or office procedure lead the session and answer all questions. Again, it takes more than an email.
I was training to be an electrician. I suppose I got wired the wrong way round somewhere along the line.
Sometimes we forget what is important. Thinking, planning, and discussing are important. But, none of that matters if you do not get busy and do things.
To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.
“Meetings are a symptom of bad organization. The fewer the meetings the better.” – Peter Drucker
I hate to admit it but I write about this topic very often. The trouble is, this problem never seems to go away or even improve.
Right now, rather than in-person meetings at the firm, people are becoming exhausted because of too many ZOOM meetings! I hear this from many people who are now working remotely.
This topic has been addressed, very humorously by Dilbert, on many occasions:
Boss: We’re having a meeting to discuss employee retention.
Dilbert: Tell them that employees quit because there are too many useless meetings.
Boss: We won’t be getting into reasons at the first meeting.
Seriously, does your firm have too many meetings? It is an on-going danger inside CPA firms because:
Partners want to be sure they are communicating with everyone.
Partners want to show their people that they care about their opinion.
Partners and managers think that what they discuss is of interest to everyone.
Partners have a strong “need to know” about way too many things!
Partners think they have to be in on every decision.
Some suggestions:
Don’t make most meetings mandatory.
Invite and involve fewer people.
Invite and involve the right people.
Be sure the technology works for everyone.
Always have an agenda.
Set an end time and stick to it.
Leave the meeting with Action Steps.
If you involve people in meetings that are important and they don’t talk or contribute. Don’t invite or involve them again.
The most recent story I heard is that one manager had so many ZOOM meetings that she had to actually conduct the meetings in a closet because it was so disturbing to the rest of her family because her spouse and even her children were also working online.
A meeting is an event where minutes are taken and hours wasted.
“I can no other answer make but thanks, and thanks, and ever thanks.” – William Shakespeare
This week for my Friday Flashback post, I hope you will take a few minutes to read about the importance of “Hello. Good Morning. Thank-you.”
It’s a post from April 2014 and it still applies today. You might even find the 3-minute video helpful that is referenced in the post.
You are probably beginning to welcome people back into the office. Keep in mind that your people need appreciation and recognition, in person, and also when they are working remotely.
Have a great weekend.
We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude.
“Let others perform. Ego creates silos.” – Dan Rockwell
An on-going complaint by CPA firm managers – “The staff person didn’t finish the job. They sent it back to me!”
What’s rather sad about this scenario is the fact that while the manager complains, they just go ahead and take the work back, finish it or fix it.
The team member almost always sends the job back to the manager, unfinished, because they don’t know what to do next. They came upon an issue that they were unfamiliar with and have learned that if they give it back to the manager, the manager will finish it!
Dan Sullivan (@LeadershipFreak) says, “It’s dangerous to do other people’s work for them. When you rescue competent people, you minimize talent and promote disengagement.”
Managers defend their actions with the excuse of having to get the job moving, out the door and not put too much more time in the job. Don’t rescue them, send the job back, and help them address the unfamiliar issue.
Here is a simple, 4-step training method that seems to make so much sense for interns and new hires working in accounting firms.
I do – You watch
I do – You help
You do – I help
You do – I watch
If you keep rescuing them, they will never gain the knowledge and experience for career success.
The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.
“The art of life lies in a constant readjustment to our surroundings.” – Kakuzo Okakura, The Book of Tea
Consultants and profession leaders have been continually prodding and pushing many CPAs toward significant change. Mostly, it has been by asking practitioners to take baby steps toward change. I have been talking about baby steps for years because most accountants have a great fear of quick, even if it is meaningful, change.
COVID-19 did what consultants and profession leaders couldn’t accomplish in decades. That is, forcing CPAs to suck it up and make immediate adjustment to their operation behaviors.
There is no going back now. The changes most firms made rather quickly will endure.
Gary Shamis, former managing partner of SSG, a large, progressive firm that got gobbled up by BDO has an interesting article via Accounting Today titled, Our Profession Has Changed Forever.
“As I grow older, I pay less attention to what men say. I just watch what they do.” ~ Andrew Carnegie
People are watching what you do.
Whether you are a firm leader or a first-year accountant. People are watching what you do.
Do you live what you say? Or, do you say one thing and do another?
During this unusual time, firm partners are doing things they have never done before. Everyone is serving clients in a way they have never done before. You get distracted. Sometimes you feel invisible because you don’t have much face-to-face contact. Does that change how and why you do things?
You are not invisible. People are watching you. It’s up to you to set a good example.
Look at people for an example, but then make sure to do things your way. Surround yourself with positive people.
“I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
If your are a CPA firm leader, you should always remember the Boy Scout motto:
Be Prepared – The Scout motto means that you are always ready to do what is necessary to help others. It also means you are ready, willing, and able to do what is necessary in any situation that comes along.
Peter Drucker told us – The manager will have to look at her task and ask, “What must I do to be prepared for danger, for opportunities, and above all for change?”
Recently, you have had to face danger and change yet not forget about opportunities. Some firms have done a commendable job of this because they were prepared. Some have struggled because they did not have strong enough technology and procedures.
Going forward it is a great time to make sure your firm is lean and can move fast as our new world of work evolves.
Employing the right talent is always an issue. As you have heard many times, you must have the right people on your bus and have them in the right seats. You must be able to trust your people.
Many of your people are skilled, experienced, and loyal. They can work remotely without someone looking over their shoulder. You can trust them. What are you going to do with the people you don’t trust?
For there to be betrayal, there would have to have been trust first.
