it starts with setting the right priorities.
“your business does not have to control your life. when you choose control and proactivity and the way you serve your clients, you start to support your life.”
–john mitchell, creative director, rootworks
by seth fineberg
at large
in a q&a about what being a ‘modern’ firm means during adp’s recent digital accountant summit, john mitchell let loose this quote about control in your firm’s life. so what does that really mean?
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certainly, accountants who work at or run small firms (which, as we know, encompass the vast majority of the public accounting profession) would like to feel like they have more of a say in what goes on in their professional lives versus it happening “to” them. but few are involved in any initiatives to do just that.
with a full understanding that there are factors in every accountant’s life that are truly out of their control (i.e., the irs, the tax code in general, how clients react, etc.), the aforementioned is largely why tax season (which so many firms still rely on for base income) remains such a bear. it’s also why future revenue streams can’t be seen and why client relationships – even long-term ones – feel less secure. so, why not take more control of situations that feel lacking it?
this isn’t just about “growth” or other seemingly lofty ideas or goals firms set for themselves or are told they must do. but with the amplification of what the last three years have done to most of the profession, it would seem obvious that some change must occur. moreover, what is it that is keeping firms and their leaders from making changes that will ultimately benefit the culture and the bottom line?
jason staats, cpa, says, “if you find yourself working with a change-averse team, it may be because you’ve created a system optimized for comfort rather than results.”
but what’s more important than firing clients or having systems that make your firm more productive? it’s your decision to make your life and that of your staff a priority, more so than any of the aforementioned. when you have instilled a culture that shows daily that your health and well-being and your staff matter above all, that is taking control.
now i ask you all, dear readers, what will you do to take that control? not after tax season, not after some date in the future or until some magical deadline hits. before you and your staff are taken away by the perennial maelstrom of calls, emails, forms, and hours at the office or online. before you can’t even think about when you ate last or when that client will get back to you with the forms you asked them for (likely a few times already). before pages in your organizers are ignored or overlooked.
what control will you take in your professional life today?