fifteen common ways that firms do it.
by marc rosenberg
cpa firm staff: managing your #1 asset
“i could live two months on one compliment alone.” – mark twain
suppose you ask staff (or partners, for that matter), “how important is it for the firm or your boss to recognize your accomplishments and efforts?” a knee-jerk response may be this: “it’s nice but not that important. i’m self-motivated and don’t need others to tell me when i do something good.”
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we usually regard these responses as somewhat defensive because everyone wants recognition. it’s a fundamental human need.
here is an excerpt from a 2013 forbes online article by meghan biro:
“people crave positive feedback and recognition when they put in extra effort. they love to be acknowledged by their leaders and peers and experience the glow that comes with knowing an achievement has been seen, appreciated and celebrated.
“financial reward is a great thing, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not the equivalent of recognition. let’s not kid ourselves. it’s a short-term solution. neither is constant praise for average work. recognition is a key tool in employee retention programs for a reason: people need more than constructive feedback and positive affirmation. they need recognition of extra effort. they need to ‘feel’ it. this will always be a basic human need.”
biro continues: “an effective approach to employee recognition encompasses these key points:
- in the moment. be timely. catch people doing exemplary work and acknowledge their efforts. but don’t just knee-jerk – showing up for work on time does not usually count.
- appropriate in volume and scale. randomness is not your ally. recognition should match effort and results or it loses meaning.
- authentic, not automatic. you have to mean it when you give staff recognition. the human touch is so important to effective recognition.
- tied to the employee’s perception of value. monetary rewards can skew this notion of value, linking it to cash when it should be linked to appreciation of extra effort and smarts. money is appropriate much of the time, but it’s not the only – or even the most effective – motivator. treat employees as valued team members, not as numbers. most of the time it’s the best way to really recognize a valued player.”
the one minute manager
we all want to be cool. it’s uncool to cite old books. but sorry, “the one minute manager” is so inspiring and timeless that it must be cited whenever the discussion focuses on recognition.
“the one-minute manager” was written by ken blanchard and spencer johnson in 1982. it’s one of the top two or three best books ever written on management. it’s short, with large type, and told in a narrative fashion. it will take you an hour, two at the most, to read.
the book tells us that to manage people effectively, there are only three things you need to do. and the cool thing is that each takes just one minute. (hence the title.)
here’s the cliffsnotes version:
- one-minute goal setting. make your staff aware of what is expected from the beginning. it takes only one minute.
- one-minute praisings. catch people doing something right. this is perhaps the single best line we’ve ever heard about how to manage people. this is when the one-minute praisings are given. it takes only a minute for you to tell people that they did a good job and you noticed it. one-minute praisings include praising the people immediately, telling them what they did right and how you feel about it and encouraging them to do more of the same.
- one-minute reprimands. give these as soon as a staff person does something wrong. one-minute reprimands have two parts. first, tell the person what they did wrong and how you feel about it. second, tell them how much you think they are capable of and how much you value them. it’s important that one-minute reprimands criticize the work, not the people. the staff people are not blamed; rather, they are told that their work is not up to the desired level. and once again, it’s over in one minute.
common ways cpa firms recognize their staff
- face-to-face praise. always has been and always will be the best way to recognize people.
- public recognition at staff meetings and other firm events
- managing partner hands out gift certificates or other awards
- notes to individuals, with copies to managing partner, personnel file, etc.
- “you’ve been working really hard. take the rest of the day off.”
- firmwide messages via emails or social media postings
- promotions
- merit-based raises and bonuses
- communication of above-average promotion potential in counseling and mentoring sessions
- anniversary-of-service recognition
- food and firm events such as lunch with their boss or partners
- internal newsletter mention
- periodic awards for outstanding service to a client, marketing idea, etc.
- company swag awards
- points-based recognition system. often firms use third-party platforms such as kazoo or bonusly to help administer these programs.
let’s face it. cpas are trained to identify things that are wrong. unfortunately, many firms’ cultures take on this characteristic. their attitude is “you get feedback only if you do something wrong” or “if you don’t hear anything from me, you’re doing well.”
don’t let this happen.