leadership

14 better uses for timesheet data

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woman reading paper document at office desk in front of computerif you just pay people and move on, you’re missing critical information.

by ed mendlowitz

question: i keep timesheets for billing purposes but am not clear how i can use them to better manage my practice. how can i do this?

more: tossing timesheets is just the start | how’s your overhead? | 9 must-haves for firm growth | collect more by clearing up billing | envision your future, then plan for it | 5 ways to build teamwork
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answer: analyzing time records is a very effective practice management tool and is an essential part of most professional services organizations. some people contend that timesheets should not be used because they should not be the basis of any pricing, with fees solely based on the value to the client.

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tossing timesheets is just the start

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pen ready to fill in blank timesheetrecommended: two books to read.

by ed mendlowitz

question: i’ve read that many firms are no longer using timesheets. how do you feel about that?

more: how’s your overhead? | 9 must-haves for firm growth | collect more by clearing up billing | envision your future, then plan for it | 5 ways to build teamwork
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answer: there is a growing group of firms that no longer use timesheets.

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make news, not noise

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how to convince journalists to share your message.

“either write something worth reading or do something worth writing about.” – benjamin franklin

by steven e. sacks
the new fundamentals

we are constantly frustrated by how much email enters our inbox daily.

more: have a real-life conversation | exchanging knowledge has no downside | political correctness or just common courtesy? | syncing up for the covid era | profit is not a mission | confronting leadership: not such a bad thing | new opportunities for a ‘new normal’ | is trust elusive?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

but think about reporters and editors; they will receive hundreds of news releases every day.

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the fool in the room

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which employee is most valuable? you might be surprised.

by frank stitely
the relentless cpa

we have been heavily in the numbers so far. let’s take a break from that to discuss a factor that, while not heavily numeric, plays a big factor in managing wip – employee productivity. because capacity is the denominator in the lean six sigma equation, and employee productivity is a big factor in capacity, employee productivity becomes a big factor in determining turnaround time.

more: calculating and cutting turnaround time | there are no easy answers | how to thrive as a 21st-century firm | farm-aid for accountants? | whittle down wip | the tax practice traffic cop | how to coach your staff | how to create good managers
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first, let’s dismiss from the room all the consultants, who tell us that time tracking and productivity metrics don’t matter. for the most part, these consultants have never managed or owned cpa firms. rarely have they worked in firms for any length of time.
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exchanging knowledge has no downside

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portrait of investment advisor businesswoman sitting at office in front of computer and consulting with young professional man.welcome to the business version of “sharing is caring.”

by steven e. sacks
the new fundamentals

some people believe that knowledge is power, and the more of it they hoard the more power accrues to them. regardless of what level you are in your organization, the more open communication you encourage, the better you and your company will perform.

more: take that extra breath with email | is your message open to interpretation? | why proper communication is critical | how to create effective internal communications | how to select your firm’s board | trust is a key organizational ingredient | real influence vs. immediate gratification | 4 ways to boost job satisfaction | retention starts with the hiring interview
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

i have found in many work environments that what results from the perceived “power trip” someone derives from keeping things “close to the vest” is more backbiting and a greater misalignment of strategies.
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calculating and cutting turnaround time

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time is money : clock hands on $100 billsalso known as the laziness equation.

by frank stitely
the relentless cpa

one of the funniest parts of launching clarity practice management has been watching my business partner, peter daniel, learn about the business acumen of cpas and accountants. peter and i founded clarity as a collaboration between a cpa firm client (peter) and a cpa firm (me.). he knew what he wanted from a client perspective, and i knew what we wanted as a cpa firm.

more: there are no easy answers | the 3 biggest tech failures of accounting firms | 7 steps to effective project management | wip-ing clients into shape | maximize your role as visionary | the land mines in tax returns | give your people the resources they need
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

peter owns a software development company and believes in the rational decision-making model for businesses. the rational decision-making model is totally irrelevant to the way most cpas and accountants run their practices. for instance, consider this interchange between peter and a practitioner at our clarity booth during a trade show.
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5 ways to build teamwork

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set the tone for your staff.

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

question: my staff seems to have “wandered” away from feeling this is a firm – that we are all in this together – to becoming a bunch of people who happen to work at the same address. do you have any suggestions to get them to pull together?

more practice doctor q&a: how many hours should staff work? | is this a rut?  | taking over poorly done work | when to offer profit sharing | what’s in a title? | managing partners should drop their book of business | what’s lousy, the client or your approach? | not the mp, still a ‘managing’ partner | checklist for running a practice
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

answer: yes – it’s called leadership.
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is your message open to interpretation?

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young concentrated businessman writing notes down and looking at laptop in officewhat you say may be turning people away.

by steven e. sacks
the new fundamentals

whether you are a professional services firm, business, or trade or professional member association, it does not serve your constituents well if you allow complacency to settle in your efforts to meet their needs. messaging is important; empty messaging is lethal. when your priorities, programs and services are geared toward what you want your practice or association to do rather than what clients or members need, you create an irreparable disconnect.

more: political correctness or just common courtesy? | effective communications in the age of covid | the new covid-19 workplace: are you prepared? | does your firm’s board know its role? | are executive performance reviews dangerous? | there is no leadership without integrity
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the result? there is a vast divide between management’s message and the clients’ or members’ interpretation.
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re-thinking today’s firm with five global leaders

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are you building a cathedral or merely breaking stones?

//m.g005e.com/2020/08/05/5-firm-leaders-on-how-covid-19-is-changing-their-thinking/
new imperatives, from the u.s. to spain, australia, and back: mcconnell, fay, tomasi, and majchrzak.

by bill penczak

the combination of the summer doldrums and the covid shutdown has provided some firm leaders pause to get in touch with their right-brainedness.

more marketing in the covid era: 5 things your firm should do differently this summer | do you have the guts to beat the covid crisis? | how to inoculate your firm against covid competition | ‘found money’ delights clients | don’t buy a rolodex, buy a process | the three r’s for beating the corona crisis | 6 reasons why your marketing sucks |

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

these are difficult times for the economy and the industry, and while some firms hope to return to the good old days, covid and other societal changes may cause a long-overdue sea change in the accounting industry, which has been doing the same thing the same way for more than 100 years.

sometimes it takes a catastrophe to spur fundamental change, and that’s what we’re seeing today.

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effective communications in the age of covid

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misunderstandings and shortcuts in the workplace can create a hostile and stressful environment.

by steven e. sacks
the new fundamentals

with more people using mobile devices for communication shortcuts, are we facing troublesome challenges in speaking in a recognizable language in the u.s.?

more: why proper communication is critical | syncing up for the covid era | the new covid-19 workplace: are you prepared? | how to create effective internal communications | profit is not a mission | confronting leadership: not such a bad thing | new opportunities for a ‘new normal’ | is trust elusive?
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

while it may be convenient for some, for others it leaves them scratching their heads. i am not seeking to be a public scold. however, if you want your communication to be effective, then understand your audience, situation, and topic.

this is especially relevant with teams working virtually, and at a distance, in the age of covid.
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