mission, vision, strategies, action plans … they all need to be aligned.
by steven e. sacks
the supposed purpose behind a cpa firm creating a board is not to micromanage, design a company logo or address human resource issues. neither is its role to sit around and smoke cohiba esplendido cigars and sip louis xiii de remy martin grande cognac. this glad-handing, back-slapping culture led to the financial breakdowns in the early 2000s and is possibly still happening today.
why would a firm create a board? in theory, it is designed to build and preserve a firm’s prosperity and longevity, in the same vein as a company board. each board member should have a thorough handle on the profession and the industries that the firm serves. the board members should understand trends, the competitive challenges, and the effectiveness or lack thereof regarding the firm’s structure and operations. read more →
knowing what direction you want to head will drive the creation of a plan. and the greatest benefit of planning is that it provides you with a sanity check to know when you are drifting off course.
regardless of whether we are talking about your personal life, career, or business, i believe it is nearly impossible to get to your desired destination or to accomplish your goals in a straight line.
we end up straying from our original course because of the mistakes we make along the way. opportunities become detours. and chaos ensues read more →
decide what you need, then look for the right people.
by steven e. sacks
in discussing how to select your firm’s board, the issue was that you want to have the proper board composition with the people, right values, philosophies and a shared commitment to the success of the firm.
as a firm leader, a matter you think needs immediate attention could simply be a symptom of a larger problem. it’s common sense that you would not visit your doctor to treat your broken leg with a band-aid, so why look for a fast, ineffective and incorrect solution as a way to fix an operational or cultural problem? this is why those who are on the board are selected for their acumen and belief in the why the firm or company exists and how it can be improved. read more →
to survive, tax and accounting practices are going to need to take precautionary and proactive measures to ensure their financial continuity. those measures must necessarily include guidance for clients to help them survive. because failing clients mean failing firms.
crisis management is a lot easier if it starts before the crisis hits. here are some steps that accountants can take for themselves and their clients, gleaned from the thousands of accountants and advisors we’ve been hearing from over the past several weeks. read more →
5 questions that go beyond the eeny meeny miny moe.
by steven e. sacks
the old saying that a camel was a horse created by committee has an element of truth to it. if you think that everyone on a board or executive committee shares the same opinions, philosophies and vision, then think again.
the eeny meeny miny moe may be a little tongue-in-cheek, but the question is how deliberate a cpa firm should be in choosing its board or executive committee members. read more →
there are some products that are so iconic and popular that it doesn’t seem possible that their success could ever be in jeopardy. oreos. the new england patriots. microsoft office. it must be wonderful to own and manage businesses like these that seem to run themselves.
cpa firms enjoy no such advantaged status. but with the covid-19 crisis, firms need to short-circuit the natural processes of maturity and stagnation and think about how to get re-set right now. read more →
if maintaining the status quo and “serving clients,” whatever that really means, are the only responses your partner and leadership teams can muster, then perhaps it’s time to evolve from being a lifestyle firm to being one with a vision and the guts to achieve it.
eight new trends you can’t ignore in the new normal.
by august aquila
every day we get a clearer picture of what the future holds for the accounting profession, business in general and the overall population. while the future may look daunting, we will do our best to make the most of it and come out stronger. it’s what we have always done.
nevertheless, don’t plan on the old ways coming back. i just read that more than 60,000 accountants have already lost their jobs. perhaps, the war for talent will be over. there will be further reductions in the professional service workforce and firms will be able to pick and choose from the talent pool. read more →
if you created a leadership team around you that exhibits the healthfulness of organizational conflict, constructive advice, scenario planning and the flexibility of employing plans b, c and d, you have created a strong foundation – a far different and more effective approach than the “my way or the highway” thinking. you need to think about what the challenges are to your leadership and the long-term viability of the firm.
the avoidance of conflict has morphed into a misguided sense of consensus building. standing up to philosophical differences with the purest of intentions is a positive; it is not destructive in nature. read more →