management

you’re after success, not a “win.”

by steven e. sacks
the new fundamentals

we enter into negotiations every day without realizing it, whether it is on a professional or personal basis. irrespective of whether it is a contractual transaction between a company and vendor or if a husband and wife are deciding on which couch to buy, each side is seeking to gain something. neither side may get everything it wants because an all-or-nothing-at-all approach will be a barrier to making any progress.

more: courtesy still matters | business is about relationships | can a cpa firm be different in a changing market? | a rapidly changing business environment requires flexibility | another meeting?!?! … sigh | organizational trust: top-down and bottom-up | how can change management really produce change? | trust: one building block of success
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

negotiating involves getting and keeping agreements that work for all parties. you can reach an agreement but the issue is whether you can maintain the agreement and the relationship built around it. both sides need to have a sense of “victory” or at the very least, feel they have not lost, because if this should occur then further conflict will result.
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how to decide when to let people walk.

by ed mendlowitz
the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practice doctor

question: i have a longtime employee who asked me for a 33 percent salary increase, or she said she would have to explore options. how do you suggest i handle this?

more: but i am managing! | make more money starting now | the wrong way to look for staff | strategic planning for the small firm | before you sell your practice | work the client needs … but won’t pay for | tossing timesheets is just the start
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additional information: she works five-hour days every day and is paid by the hour. she gives me no added time during tax season. she also gets paid for an extra six days – which is for half of the firm’s allowed holidays – and for eight days for combined sick, vacation and personal days, and i pay her for half of her required cpe time (payment for 20 hours) and all the registration costs.
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why aren’t you more successful? make sure this isn’t the reason.

by steven e. sacks
the new fundamentals

technology has overtaken the traditional forms of communication that include face-to-face interaction, telephone conversations and of course, the handwritten or typed note slipped into an envelope, affixed with a stamp and dropped in the mailbox.

more: business is about relationships | reaching for authenticity in client service | deadlines? ha! don’t make me laugh | organizational change starts and ends with people | busyness isn’t the same as productivity | staff orientation: a little investment goes a long way
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

but wait. how can professionals succeed if the situation calls for in-person interaction if they have not been given the necessary training in the art of a conversation? whether you are involved in a job interview or entertaining a potential client over a meal, how you exercise the appropriate behavior will determine whether a relationship is forged or tossed on the pile of failed results.
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there’s no secret sauce.

by steven e. sacks
the new fundamentals

business can usually be conducted by phone, videoconference or in person. it really doesn’t matter the approach; what is important is how you comport yourself – irrespective of whether the individual(s) with whom you are dealing are superiors, peers or subordinates. i can’t tell you how many times i have witnessed conversations that were best conducted behind closed doors. the old adage of praise in public, criticize in private is underused or completely ignored.

more: reaching for authenticity in client service | bigger firm, bigger thinking | 5 steps to better time management | swot’s the purpose? | is your firm’s culture a magnet or a repellent? | building teamwork under covid pressure
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

when did we fall down on practicing the basics of common courtesy: returning phone calls, knocking before entering an office or saying “excuse me” when certain situations call for it?
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technology is a tool, not an end result.

by steven e. sacks
the new fundamentals

do you ever wonder if events you attend have an air of authenticity around them or are they simply staged? what about the options offered on new cars or the latest and greatest upgrades to a tech gadget? is the hype greater than the actual product? is what is considered innovation really just an incremental change that competitors can duplicate, albeit with minor modifications?

more: bigger firm, bigger thinking | can a cpa firm be different in a changing market? | a rapidly changing business environment requires flexibility | another meeting?!?! … sigh
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

as for professional services firms, are they providing a unique service in a unique fashion? today, clients are looking at the cost of traditional audit and tax work. because they are commoditized services, the decision is price-driven, so lowballing becomes routine for firms.
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what sets you apart … if anything?

by steven e. sacks
the new fundamentals

your firm conducts audits, prepares tax returns and offers some consulting services. yours is one of 42,000 non-big 4 firms in this country, a large majority of which offer the same three packages. firms in the same geographic market may not serve the same slate of industries, but through hiring niche expertise or merging in a firm can make inroads into the same markets.

more: deadlines? ha! don’t make me laugh | 5 steps to better time management | swot’s the purpose? | is your firm’s culture a magnet or a repellent? | building teamwork under covid pressure | make your writing count | etiquette never goes out of style | make news, not noise | take that extra breath with email
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

this happens frequently, making a competitive market even more crowded. the challenge that your firm faces is how do you show a real value-added distinction from the firms you compete against? differentiation does not mean a relaxed dress-code policy.
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