leadership

a simple way to dissolve the generational gap

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older and younger businessmen talkingcurrent leaders have to set the tone.

by rick solomon
bridging the gap

like most conflicts, the generational gap between current and emerging leaders can be minimized or eliminated by honest communication that involves a degree of vulnerability.

more: growing, developing future leaders is a two-way street | they don’t want to be owners! | the culture of continuous improvement | a winning culture is an intentional culture | a call for change: an open letter to each generation
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when open sharing of goals and perspectives takes place, all parties are better able to understand and respect the individual needs of “the opposition.” in such an environment it becomes far easier to find ways to meet the desires of all participants and create a shared path toward mutual satisfaction.
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eliminate mystery through communication and inclusion

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focused businessman and businesswoman writing and discussing business graphor flipped, why are you keeping secrets?

by rita keller

improved communication can be achieved with many different approaches. some tactics may primarily affect intra-firm understanding and teamwork, while others focus more on increasing clarity and frequency of communications with clients. no matter where they are directed, when these efforts are successful they benefit the firm and its clients alike.

more: growing, developing future leaders is a two-way street | they don’t want to be owners! | the culture of continuous improvement | a winning culture is an intentional culture | a call for change: an open letter to each generation
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when i begin to work with a new cpa firm client, one of the most common issues i encounter is the lack of open, honest, ongoing communication between firm leadership and team members.
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growing and developing future leaders is a two-way street

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businessman with briefcase riding on rocket5 leadership skills to hone and 4 questions to ask about your firm.

by carrie steffen
bridging the gap

bemoaning a lack of future leaders within the firm is not a solution to the perceived problem. instead, it behooves current leaders to identify and nurture potential leaders, helping them develop the relevant skills and clearly communicate a defined path to leadership as well as expectations for applying targeted competencies. young professionals with aspirations of leadership, in turn, must embrace opportunities and demonstrate willingness to meet current leaders partway.

more: they don’t want to be owners! | the culture of continuous improvement | a winning culture is an intentional culture | a call for change: an open letter to each generation
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firms are at a crossroad when it comes to transitioning to the next generation of leaders. according to the cpaca study on succession readiness, 48.3 percent of firms of all sizes cite “lack of future leadership talent” as a primary obstacle in their succession.
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auditors: the world needs you in the fight against terrorism

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what the profession needs to know about money laundering. 

by wm. dennis huber and larry crumbley

there are difficulties in measuring funds channeled into financing terrorist organizations and activities worldwide. various sources estimate this funding to be between $590 billion and $1.5 trillion through money laundering. pwc suggests that “money laundering transactions are estimated at 2% to 5% global gdp, or roughly $1-2 trillion annually.”

however, financing terrorist organizations and activities is not necessarily the result of money laundering. financing terrorist organizations and activities may be accomplished by reverse money laundering, or “money dirtying” which may make financing terrorist organizations and activities even more difficult to estimate.

just as evidence of fraud cannot be ignored, so too evidence of financing terrorist organizations can no longer be ignored.

the goal of money-launderers is, like that of a corporate enterprise, to maximize profits and reduce risk while the goal of terrorists, on the other hand, is to further a political agenda or ideology, or to destroy or kill with no regard to profits and with little regard for risk. read more →

they don’t want to be owners!

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dennis sherrin: "it is my mission to empower our employees to do great things and reach for more than they think they can while making sure they get the credit and this firm prospers."it may be just a matter of perception. but numbers to draw from are lower.

by sandra wiley
bridging the gap

there’s a general assumption these days that younger professionals don’t have as much inclination toward, or ability for, firm ownership compared to previous generations.

more: the culture of continuous improvement | a winning culture is an intentional culture | a call for change: an open letter to each generation
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data is scarce to support that idea, however. it may be a misperception stemming from factors other than simply desire and potential. when asked, firm leaders young and old express enthusiasm about the opportunities for emerging leaders.

in our discussion of bridging the gap between management and emerging leaders, we would be remiss in not addressing the topic of moving from emerging leader to owner. the perception among many in our profession is that there are fewer individuals at the senior and manager levels who aspire to be an owner, and even when they show a desire, they simply do not seem technically capable. i can find no statistical data that proves this perception but when i ask current partners how many of their own peers actually became owners, the number is low. that indicates to me that there have always been relatively few people entering our profession who ultimately aspire to climb to the partner level.
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the culture of continuous improvement

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industrial metal number 5implement lean in 5 steps.

by dustin hostetler
bridging the gap

change is never easy, and the accounting profession has often shown a particular resistance to relinquishing traditional patterns. but for those firms that embrace change at all levels through process improvement initiatives such as lean six sigma, the results have been both visible and rewarding.

more: a winning culture is an intentional culture | a call for change: an open letter to each generation
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when this kind of initiative succeeds, generational conflicts melt away as the shared vision and firmwide efforts unite older and younger team members in their quest for the common goal.
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a winning culture is an intentional culture

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tamera loerzel: "are you defining your culture or letting it define you?"4 steps you can take today.

by tamera loerzel
bridging the gap

firm culture is a term that is frequently used and often taken for granted. assuming that your culture matches the firm’s stated goals isn’t wise, nor is considering the culture to be static and unchanging.

more: a call for change: an open letter to each generation
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to create and maintain a firm culture that delivers positive results and brings team members together to work toward a common cause, you must take action to ensure that the many elements contributing to an engaging, positive firm culture are all working to create concrete manifestations of the culture you desire to see.
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a call for change: an open letter to each generation

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three businesspeople of different agesdrop the preconceptions and start working as a team.

by jennifer wilson
bridging the gap

much like siblings, multiple generations working at the same firm often bring entrenched points of view and strong biases that have at least some basis in truth. dropping these notions may be uncomfortable and require a conscious effort, but will benefit the firm as well as individual relationships within it.

with three distinct generations in the workplace today, the impacts of generational differences are phenomenal. firm leaders are challenged to balance and blend each generation’s unique historical context, motivators and somewhat differing values systems to create a unified team and a sustainable firm.
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how enthusiastic is your staff?

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steven sacks: "creating a workplace that allows open and honest communications will go a long way toward employee retention – one of the biggest challenges facing firms and companies today."more enthusiasm = more productivity and profitability.

by steven e. sacks

did you ever take a survey of your firm’s staff to gauge its level of job satisfaction or how enthusiastic it is about working in your firm or company?

more: negotiate for success, not a ‘win’  | does your board know its role? | can you recite your mission statement? | does busyness really mean productivity? | five powerpoint rules to live by | your firm’s biggest assets walk out the door every day | so much to do and so little time: achieving success in the c-suite | can we please refer to accounting as a profession?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

every so often you should conduct a survey that asks anything ranging from clarity of purpose and level of commitment to flexibility and advancement. it costs nothing to do but will yield important anecdotal data to be addressed by senior leadership. you may find that staff wants more input on developing business or increased exposure to clients and customers.
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does your board know its role?

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business meeting with people around table facing forward4 questions for review.

by steven e. sacks

the purpose behind an organization 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.

more: can you recite your mission statement? | does busyness really mean productivity? | five powerpoint rules to live by | your firm’s biggest assets walk out the door every day | so much to do and so little time: achieving success in the c-suite | can we please refer to accounting as a profession?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

this glad-handing, back-slapping culture led to the financial breakdowns in the early 2000s and probably still is happening at this writing.
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successful tax seasons require teamwork

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high angle view of business people stacking hands in a teamwork gesturefive questions to ask.

by rex gatto
gatto associates llc.

here are a few inconsequential misstatements to begin:

  • keywords that partners use like pride, commitment and quality of work for the client are words to get staff to work harder for no more money. ouch!
  • true teamwork (staff working effectively in a niche/department) means the partner can blame some of the problems on them. double ouch!

more on leadership: 7 habits of lousy cpa firm leaders
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now having capitalized on some bad humor, let’s look at some simple definitions to begin. these definitions can change according to your firm’s structure.
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tax season productivity hacks

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five good habits for getting things done.

the best time management tips:
join the survey, get the answers

by salim omar

tax time is widely considered the “busy season” for practitioners, but it doesn’t have to mean chaos and misery. a well-managed firm allows its owner to conduct business and live life at a reasonable pace no matter what the season.

more on productivity: does busyness really mean productivity?  | how many hours should accounting staff work?  |  when everything takes too long  | new lessons in time management
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by employing a few clever and surprisingly simple productivity hacks, you, too, can have a better tax time experience beginning this very season. put these new habits to work for you now: read more →