Communication
Yes, You Too Can Network Successfully
Some people love meeting new people, rushing gleefully to each networking event with bells on. For most of us, it can be a painful proposition. Here are some ways to make it more fun and productive at the same time. The point of networking, after all, is simply to meet more people and have them…
Read MoreConsistency in Creating a Growth Culture
Accounting firm leadership continues to struggle with effective succession planning execution. There are many reasons for this, but the top two may be: (1) the number of retiring partners is far greater than the number of managers who are ready to assume a partnership role, and (2) many firms have not incorporated a growth culture…
Read MoreHow to Respond if Your Firm is Hacked
“Oh no, we’ve been hacked.” Words no one wants to hear, but a potential reality for accounting firms and their clients. Because of the significant amount of personally identifiable information stored within CPA firms, every single one, regardless of size, is a potential target. Take into account the broad range of security capabilities amongst firm…
Read MorePromulgate a Learning Culture
All of us are aware that we are living in an environment of accelerating technological change and that if we can’t adapt our accounting practices to take advantage of these business and technological opportunities we will certainly find our firms at a competitive disadvantage in the future. So, what is your firm doing about this…
Read MoreUnderstanding Emotional Intelligence and its Impact on Firm Culture
Emotional Intelligence. It’s sort of the buzzword in the industry right now, isn’t it? Everyone is talking about it, but do we really know what it means? I know that I didn’t! I recently had the great pleasure of becoming certified in the Emotional and Social Competency Index and was blown away with all that…
Read MoreThe Hard Truth about Soft Skills
“We’re in a relationship business.” I’ve heard this more times than I can count during the 20+ years I’ve worked with CPAs firms. It’s the one constant in the CPA profession. But, I wonder…have we devalued relationship building? We have access to limitless technology tools as a means of communicating and finding the information and…
Read MoreA Simple Way to Dissolve the Gap
There is a fundamentally false assumption that’s responsible for the gap between current and emerging firm leaders. This gap limits what we can accomplish, makes things harder than necessary, and undermines the very quality of our lives. What is this false assumption? That the reality we experience is “the reality” when in fact it, is…
Read MoreCollaboration Technology to Improve Your Firm
Communications is critical component within every business and can either enhance or detract from overall productivity within a firm. Core communication skills are developed as people grow and most are comfortable with the communication tools they were introduced to and utilize during their career, especially those they use most often on a day to day…
Read MoreImprove Communication in Your Firm
As we survey firm team members and ask them what leaders could do to improve culture and engagement in their firm, the overwhelming #1 response we hear is “we need better communication”. The response I get from leaders is “we have been working on that every year, will it ever be good enough?” My answer…
Read MoreDo You Know What Your Clients’ Silence Means?
When I teach topics like deepening client relationships and delivering exceptional client service, I discuss the importance of proactively meeting with clients outside of your regular engagement to further your relationship, identify any potential service issues and uncover new opportunities to add value. Participants nod their heads in agreement and some even approach this discussion…
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