leadership

the big battles ahead for corporate finance

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advisory board members say it’s happening “whether a cfo chooses to do it or not.”

by the center for accounting transformation
improvetheworld.net

according to a group of corporate finance professionals, one of the most significant issues facing corporate finance teams is refocusing team members toward higher-value work such as interpreting data and advising on issues and solutions rather than allowing them to continue performing rote, manual tasks.

related:  top issues for 2022: talent, time, and transformation

learn more about the center’s audit advisory board or view the center’s transformation courses.

“the biggest risk that is clear to me is to continue the antiquated and outdated people strategies, performance, process, understanding, lagging platform adoption, and not understanding the deep relationships that we need to build instead of keeping the status quo,” offered chris ortega, ceo of fresh fp&a. “to me, that is 100% the biggest risk that we now face in the accounting and finance  space.”

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when an employee’s growth has gaps

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older man and younger man in meetingwhere did all that experience go?

by ed mendlowitz
call me before you do anything: the art of accounting

we hired sam out of school and he worked for us for two and a half years and then we split up our firm. this was ages ago and sy and i left our third partner to form our new firm on jan. 1.

more: my first trainee | the growing pains of a small firm | giving clients the best you’ve got | why map programs are essential | how to become a specialist | secrets in specialties | making sure the son got proper credit | yes, shirt logos can matter | 10 more reasons cpas quit public accounting | family trees of clients | preparing for the worst (thanks to my wife)
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

however, there is a valuable lesson here and i think it is worth sharing. it changed the way we hired staff.
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the art of leadership: empowerment

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but there has to be accountability.

by anthony zecca
leading from the edge

editor’s note: zecca’s new book, “leading from the edge – creating a standout, high-performing organization,” focuses on the leadership needed for accounting firms to succeed in a future of seismic disruptors. in this special series, he addresses key aspects of “edge leadership” and the challenges most accounting firm leaders (all leaders for that matter) are facing today. the first article in this series focused on strategy because leading a firm without a strategic roadmap is like walking on a treadmill – no matter how fast you move or how long you tread, you end up just looking at the same wall.

a characteristic of a great “edge” leader is the ability to empower everyone, understanding that your responsibility is to lead and not manage as a leader. if a leader does not have the confidence in their leadership and/or their leadership team to empower those who they lead, the result is managing everything versus leading everyone.

more: the art of leadership, lesson one: strategy
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

why is empowerment the second leadership concept in this series? a characteristic of a great “edge” leader is the ability to empower everyone, understanding that, as a leader, your responsibility is to lead and not manage. if leaders do not have the confidence in their leadership and/or their leadership team to empower those who they lead, the result is managing everything versus leading everyone.
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don’t overlook office relationships

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two businesspeople meeting over coffeethey’re simple, but not easy.

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.

more: how to deliver authentic value | making the jump from small to mid-sized firm | what sets your firm apart … if anything? | why deadlines get missed | too busy? you may need to reprioritize | is it time to outsource?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

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.
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my first trainee

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leads to new opportunities.confident businessman analyzing chart and explaining it to co-worker

by ed mendlowitz
call me before you do anything: the art of accounting

i was fortunate early on in my career that i had a boss who gave me responsibility to supervise. on some level i was not really instructed how to supervise, but was told i could use the new person to help me get my work done.

more: the growing pains of a small firm | giving clients the best you’ve got | secrets in specialties | 10 more reasons cpas quit public accounting | when cpas leave to work for a client | when parents, children hit an impasse
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

this was precipitated by an email i received from the first person ever i supervised. i had not spoken to him since working with him in 1968. he emailed me because he read one of my columns and just wanted to say hello. i remembered him and then i recalled how i got started training him – he was the first person i trained.
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brannon poe: the status quo must go

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follow 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 podcasts on apple podcasts here or grab the rss feed here.

the disruptors: brannon poe
with liz farr for 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

brannon poe is the founder of poe group advisors and the creator of accounting practice academy. he began facilitating successful accounting practice transitions in 2003. today he is pioneering a consulting-based approach to transitioning accounting firms, culminating in poe group advisors’ proprietary process for a “seamless “succession.”

in this episode, poe tells 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间:

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how to deliver authentic value

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female executive greeting coupleconsider it from the client’s perspective.

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: what sets your firm apart … if anything? | why deadlines get missed | five reasons you’re not swot-ready | are you productive or just busy? | accounting is a profession, not an industry
goprocpa.comexclusively 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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the art of leadership, lesson one: strategy

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the “best” isn’t enough. “unique” is the secret ingredient.

in his new book, “leading from the edge – creating a standout, high-performing organization,” anthony zecca focuses on the type of leadership that accounting firms need to succeed in a future driven by seismic disruptors.  this is the first in a series of articles that will focus on key aspects of “edge leadership” and the challenges most accounting firm leaders (all leaders for that matter) are facing today. the next article will focus on “the art of leadership – empowerment”.  empowerment without accountability is like making ice without water – can’t be done.

by anthony zecca
leading from the edge

strategy: so much has been written about it and how to create it. harvard’s michael porter famously said strategy is best based on being unique, and not being the best.

more on the edge leader: is your team climbing the right wall? | how to build a standout team | competing for talent in a private-equity world | five keys to becoming a high-performing firm | assessing your firm | the 4 traits of great cpa leaders | why leaders must ensure clarity | incremental vs. exceptional success | do you lead or just manage? | managing vs. leading | is your leadership team at the edge? | 6 leadership challenges through covid and beyond | edge leaders share 7 strengths | leadership must drive culture | leading from the edge
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

sounds crazy but the following quote (slightly modified) is what i think aligns with how an edge leader will think about strategy:

“strategy starts with thinking the right way about competition. many managers (leaders) compete to be “the best”—but this is a dangerous mindset that leads to a destructive, zero-sum competition that no one can win. competing to be unique, on the other hand, is the basis of a sound business strategy…”

how many firms go through the annual ritual of budgeting and partner retreats that in the end, at best, create some tactics that might improve the firm’s results incrementally?  how many leaders at these firm retreats focus on tactics versus strategy?  how many leaders think that developing long-term strategies (3 to 5 years) is unproductive given the challenge of thinking about the future so far down the road?  finally, how many leaders, when strategy is discussed, focus on being the best versus being unique?

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making the jump from small to mid-sized firm

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businessman reading and reclining on part of red arrow trending upwardbigger firms require bigger thinking.

by steven e. sacks
the new fundamentals

there has been talk about consolidation within the accounting profession for the last several years. will the big 4 become the big 2, or will there be the big one?

more: what sets your firm apart … if anything? | why deadlines get missed | too busy? you may need to reprioritize | is it time to outsource? | five reasons you’re not swot-ready | who needs another meeting? | 4 questions for cpa firm boards
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

or, on the other hand, will there be a combination of regional firms whose size will be in the neighborhood of the top 10 or top 15 firms that are considered super-regional firms – and who may consider themselves direct competitors to the big 4?
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the secret to remote work: checklists

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woman leading meeting, flipchart in backgroundperfecting processes assures that clients benefit, and so does your team.

by jody grunden
building the virtual cfo firm in the cloud

with the right people in place, empowered to work independently, and proper access to the tools that are necessary to get the work done, process comes next.

more: turn process into profit | three keys to client file security | cybersecurity poses challenges for virtual firms | check the roi of new tools | is that shiny new software your best choice?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

creating process is important in any business if you want to scale, but it is imperative when it comes to remote work. process helps streamline things, reduces confusion and makes your team more efficient and productive.
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the fintech flood: accounting will never be the same

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venture capital and private equity are pouring billions into financial technology start-ups. and this business will never be the same.

watch the video or listen to the podcast: follow 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 podcasts on apple podcasts ,  or grab the rss feed here.

with rick telberg
for 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间

a tsunami of venture capital and private equity is flooding into new tech startups, enough to swamp the entire tax, accounting, bookkeeping, and payroll sector, according to a new study by 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间.

more: how private equity changes everything | the fintech flood: accounting will never be the same | the disruptors: re-inventing accounting with tyler anderson |  the disruptors: how to scale with new padgett coo amanda aguillard | eat that frog: asking for a prospect meeting | growing revenue through client service | lease accounting is about to get very real | google ads for new tax season clients | exclusive: eisner ceo charly weinstein explains the private equity deal  | flash briefing: a “call to arms” after private equity deal | four ways to beat the staffing shortage, with pasha malik

goprocpa.com exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

download the slide deck here.

here, 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 founder, publisher, and editor rick telberg delivers the keynote at the new york finance & accounting show, explaining what it means for the future of the profession, including:

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the disruptors: when financial statements go extinct with corey schmidt

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watch the video or listen to the podcast.

 


follow 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 podcasts on apple podcasts here or grab the rss feed here.

the disruptors with liz farr

corey schmidt’s take-aways

  • offer your staff different paths to being successful.
  • pinpoint the talents you have on your staff, and nurture those special skills.
  • carve out time for people to work on those skills, not just the backlog.
  • challenge your people earlier in their careers so they have three years of experience rather than one year repeated three times.
  • create roles for the kinds of skills your people have.

more: the disruptors: re-inventing accounting with tyler anderson |  the disruptors: how to scale with new padgett coo amanda aguillard | eat that frog: asking for a prospect meeting | growing revenue through client service | lease accounting is about to get very real | google ads for new tax season clients | exclusive: eisner ceo charly weinstein explains the private equity deal  | flash briefing: a “call to arms” after private equity deal | four ways to beat the staffing shortage, with pasha malik

goprocpa.com exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

  • a forgotten metric is client happiness. if we provide a service that makes them feel good about what they’re getting, they’re going to be willing to pay more and will stick around much longer.
  • firms should own who they are. a firm with a hard-driving culture that values working long hours should seek out team members who like that kind of work culture.
  • think about where you want to be in five years, and start hiring people who fit that kind of work culture. build in the people, processes and systems around that end goal.

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