leadership

5 ways to roll with the changes you didn’t want

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man in suit with head leaned back on couch, hand on foreheadattitude is a big factor.

change, in business as in life, doesn’t always happen the way we want it.

especially in busy season.

it’s at those times when we may need some help. here, from “change expert” m.j. ryan, author of “adaptability: how to survive change you didn’t ask for,” are a few helpful thoughts…

1. focus on the solution, not the problem. because society rewards analytic thinking, we believe that identifying the cause of our troubles is the answer: why is this happening? that’s a starting point, but don’t spend too much time there. what are you going to do about where you are?

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consistency simplifies tax season

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man talking to woman with checklistapply it to service, processes and standards.

by ed mendlowitz
tax season opportunity guide

one way to guarantee extra work is to have everything always done differently each time it is done.

more on tax season: 11 clear client instructions to make your tax season easier | 3 ways to build a tax season team | have fun this tax season | how to get paid faster this tax season

not establishing uniform procedures is bad business and unnecessarily consumes part of your life. consistency in performance reduces work and review time and creates a greater reliance on the staff people. read more →

is sponsorship right for your firm?

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man in striped shirt holding spiral binder and talking to woman at laptop6 steps to help you get started.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

sponsorship is a personal undertaking. a man who sponsors a woman takes it upon himself to advance her career. he puts his reputation on the line for her and tells the world she is worth it.

she still has to earn that promotion, but his solid, public vote of confidence – and the power he puts behind it – at least gives her a fair chance to get it.

 more on sponsoring women for leadership: and now, a few words about sex (and 14 tips) | make flexible scheduling work for everyone | your protégée needs your feedback |  9 ways to promote your protégée to others | 8 ways to help your protégée focus on career opportunities | how to start an effective sponsorship … and follow through | 3 ways to initiate informal sponsorship | how to establish a sponsor-protégée relationship | 3 roadblocks to women and men working together well | fear of sex and rumors inhibits sponsorship | why women resist networking and powerful role models | women must see politics as leadership to get ahead | mommy bias persists | different standards, double binds challenge women | 5 ways gender bias plays out at cpa firms | 3 reasons why men don’t pick women protégées | men advance 2 to 1 over women without sponsors | 18 ways sponsors can help their protegees | the 6 market advantages of women-led firms | beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters

in return, sponsors receive personal satisfaction and capable and loyal leaders who help them achieve their business goals and build their legacy. read more →

can accounting firms lead with work-life vision?

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and 5 practical ideas to implement measures to create real work-life balance at your firm.

work life balanceby hitendra patil
pransform inc. 

do you want employees who have:

  • greater engagement in their jobs
  • higher levels of job satisfaction
  • stronger intentions to remain with their employers
  • less negative and stressful spillover from job to home
  • less negative spillover from home to job
  • better mental health

aren’t these the things most accounting firms would want their employees to experience?

in a 2014 national study of employers conducted under the “when work works” project, families and work institute and the society for human resource management noted that employees in more effective and flexible workplaces are more likely than other employees to have such desirable traits mentioned above.

do you and/or your employees work 12-14 hours a day or 50-60 hours a week, don’t exercise, always feel tired, sleep poorly, eat junk food more often (mostly at your desk) and find it difficult to meaningfully engage with your near and dear ones? read more →

is joint representation a conflict?

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ed mendlowitz cpa the practice doctor q and amake sure they both agree and you should be ok.

question: i have a long-term tax client who is going through a divorce and have been asked to meet with both spouses (soon to be ex-spouses) to perform tax and financial planning services. is representing both of them a conflict?

answer: it has the potential to be a conflict if not handled properly. here is an engagement letter that martin h. abo, cpa/abv/cva/cff uses in such circumstances. it is included here with his permission.

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and now, a few words about sex (and 14 tips)

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businesswoman and businessmanyour protégée may have concerns. you should anticipate them.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

if you are concerned about the possibility of sex-related problems, consider the degree of risk involved and whether you are willing to assume it.

before you decide, consider

  • first that you might be exaggerating the risk, and
  • second that this is a risk that can be prevented and managed.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: your protégée needs your feedback |  9 ways to promote your protégée to others | 8 ways to help your protégée focus on career opportunities | how to start an effective sponsorship … and follow through | 3 roadblocks to women and men working together well | fear of sex and rumors inhibits sponsorship | why women resist networking and powerful role models | different standards, double binds challenge women | 3 reasons why men don’t pick women protégées | beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters

some men use these concerns as rationalizations to avoid sponsoring women for other reasons. don’t be one of them.

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3 ways to build a tax season team

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happy multi-ethnic business team with thumbs up in the officeit’s a long season. make it a happy one.

by ed mendlowitz
tax season opportunity guide

if you have staff, have happy cheerful helpful people. don’t surround yourself with downers and naysayers.

also have team players. part of this is your firm’s culture. it takes work to get people to work together and to focus on doing what it takes to service the client fully, properly and timely.  everyone working together gets it done.

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make flexible scheduling work for everyone

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businesswoman holding a clockyour protégée needs you to have her back.

by ida o. abbott
sponsoring women: what men need to know

a talented, ambitious woman who works less than full time or takes extended family leave is extremely vulnerable to being derailed professionally.

whether because she is “out of sight/out of mind,” or because people doubt her commitment, she may be disregarded for promotions or high-profile projects.

more on sponsoring women for leadership: your protégée needs your feedback |  9 ways to promote your protégée to others | 8 ways to help your protégée focus on career opportunities | how to establish a sponsor-protégée relationship | women must see politics as leadership to get ahead | mommy bias persists | different standards, double binds challenge women | 5 ways gender bias plays out at cpa firms | men advance 2 to 1 over women without sponsors | 18 ways sponsors can help their protegees | beyond mentoring: why sponsoring women for leadership matters

a sponsor can ensure that she has access to those opportunities and support when she accepts them. he can make the difference between this woman staying on track and ascending to top leadership posts or leaving the company for another job.

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when fees don’t keep up with cost increases

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ed mendlowitz cpa the practice doctor q and ait’s not too late in the year to make changes.

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

question: my expenses have crept up greater than my fees. what should i do?

more practice doctor q&a: lowballing and why it (usually) doesn’t work | when is it time to merge? | what goes in a client’s permanent file? | why the average fee doesn’t matter | no more printouts at cpe programs? | how to apply value pricing to bundled services | 6 ways to take a client beyond tax prep | 18 ways to blow a partnership opportunity | when experience doesn’t add up | 8 times when hourly billing trumps value pricing | 6 ways to know what you don’t know | 10 do’s and don’ts for making small business clients happy | client’s difficult daughter balks at bill | 6 simple steps to impress a prospect

answer: very important to increase fees at least enough to keep up with your increasing costs. here is a story i have told dozens of times at speeches. this is one of the things i wrote that i really like. in case you wonder, i have given a copy to freddie.

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have fun this tax season!

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four young happy office employeesno kidding! here are 12 ways.

by ed mendlowitz
tax season opportunity guide

tax season presents exciting opportunities for accounting firms and their staffs. every moment should be enjoyed and appreciated.

following are 12 reasons:

1. tax season is profitable and accounting is a business where we try to maximize our earnings. sure, there is a great concentration of work in a short period with occasional pressure, but if handled properly, the work can be managed sensibly with tensions at reasonable levels. i also believe much of the pressure is self-induced by poor scheduling, inadequate quality control and the lack of uniform systems that are followed by everyone in the firm, particularly the partners.

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when large (or any) clients need backup assurances

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ed mendlowitz cpa the practice doctor q and ahere are 8 concrete suggestions.

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

question: my largest client does over $100 million in annual sales and accounts for 40 percent of my total revenue. its bank has expressed their concern to me and the client about the existence of a contingency plan for accounting and tax backup in the event of my untimely death or long-term medical issues. this is a very important issue for me and i would appreciate any advice you can provide.

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