here’s what you’re looking for: steven sacks

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how to create effective internal communications

woman yelling into bullhorn and newspapers flying outwho is responsible for them?

by steven e. sacks

cpa firms need to focus on internal communications. they have realized that to have a content and motivated staff, they must keep their people “in the loop.”

more: profit is not a mission | does your firm’s board know its role? | are executive performance reviews dangerous? | influence, don’t manipulate | getting and keeping the best: the struggle continues | how does your firm leverage its talent?
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how many times do employees hear about a firm’s initiative after it has been implemented or announced in the local (or national) media? what does this do to morale? what impact does it have on the trust factor?
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featured

profit is not a mission

businessman relaxing in clouds in skywhy mission statements matter and how firms fail.

by steven e. sacks
the new fundamentals: practical guidance for today’s accounting firms

do you think your staff knows what your firm’s mission statement is?

more: does your firm’s board know its role? | trust is a key organizational ingredient | real influence vs. immediate gratification | 4 ways to boost job satisfaction | retention starts with the hiring interview | the new way to handle exit interviews | who’ll quit next? | smart trust in the workplace
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wait. let me back up. does your staff even know that such a mission statement exists?

my guess is no and no.

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featured

does your firm’s board know its role?

six businesspeople in meeting around tablemission, vision, strategies, action plans … they all need to be aligned.

by steven e. sacks

the supposed purpose behind a cpa firm creating a board is not to micromanage, design a company logo or address human resource issues. neither is its role to sit around and smoke cohiba esplendido cigars and sip louis xiii de remy martin grande cognac. this glad-handing, back-slapping culture led to the financial breakdowns in the early 2000s and is possibly still happening today.

more: how to select your firm’s board | confronting leadership: not such a bad thing | new opportunities for a ‘new normal’ | is trust elusive? | working remotely shouldn’t mean feeling isolated | how engaged are your employees? | managing difficult personalities in the workplace | set your staff on the right course
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

why would a firm create a board? in theory, it is designed to build and preserve a firm’s prosperity and longevity, in the same vein as a company board. each board member should have a thorough handle on the profession and the industries that the firm serves. the board members should understand trends, the competitive challenges, and the effectiveness or lack thereof regarding the firm’s structure and operations.
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an effective board begins with an effective process

senior businessman with his team at office

decide what you need, then look for the right people.

by steven e. sacks

in discussing how to select your firm’s board, the issue was that you want to have the proper board composition with the people, right values, philosophies and a shared commitment to the success of the firm.

more: how to select your firm’s board | confronting leadership: not such a bad thing | new opportunities for a ‘new normal’ | is trust elusive? | working remotely shouldn’t mean feeling isolated | how engaged are your employees? | managing difficult personalities in the workplace
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

as a firm leader, a matter you think needs immediate attention could simply be a symptom of a larger problem. it’s common sense that you would not visit your doctor to treat your broken leg with a band-aid, so why look for a fast, ineffective and incorrect solution as a way to fix an operational or cultural problem? this is why those who are on the board are selected for their acumen and belief in the why the firm or company exists and how it can be improved.
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featured

how to select your firm’s board

overhead shot of eight businesspeople meeting around a table5 questions that go beyond the eeny meeny miny moe.

by steven e. sacks

the old saying that a camel was a horse created by committee has an element of truth to it. if you think that everyone on a board or executive committee shares the same opinions, philosophies and vision, then think again.

more: confronting leadership: not such a bad thing | new opportunities for a ‘new normal’ | working remotely shouldn’t mean feeling isolated | 4 ways to boost job satisfaction
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the eeny meeny miny moe may be a little tongue-in-cheek, but the question is how deliberate a cpa firm should be in choosing its board or executive committee members.
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confronting leadership: not such a bad thing

two businessmen arguinghow do people respond when a goal isn’t met?

by steven e. sacks

if you created a leadership team around you that exhibits the healthfulness of organizational conflict, constructive advice, scenario planning and the flexibility of employing plans b, c and d, you have created a strong foundation – a far different and more effective approach than the “my way or the highway” thinking. you need to think about what the challenges are to your leadership and the long-term viability of the firm.

more: are executive performance reviews dangerous? | trust is a key organizational ingredient | real influence vs. immediate gratification | fake it ‘til you make it: an ultimate goal? | 4 ways to boost job satisfaction
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the avoidance of conflict has morphed into a misguided sense of consensus building. standing up to philosophical differences with the purest of intentions is a positive; it is not destructive in nature.
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featured

are executive performance reviews dangerous?

people seated in board room in near silhouette… or would you rather maintain the status quo?

by steven e. sacks

just like the uncertainties surrounding a client loyalty assessment, so, too, do questions surround the performance of a managing partner. one of a firm’s board responsibilities concerns the development and implementation of an executive review process.

more: trust is a key organizational ingredient | new opportunities for a ‘new normal’ | is trust elusive? | working remotely shouldn’t mean feeling isolated | how engaged are your employees? | managing difficult personalities in the workplace | set your staff on the right course | the lost art of the interview
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

if one is lacking, this indicates that there is no mechanism to collect timely and relevant performance metrics, which leads to the lack of hard and accurate data. this prevents honest feedback between the managing partner and the board.
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trust is a key organizational ingredient

two businesswomen talking by office windowrelationships have become more important.

by steven e. sacks

it is important for the next generation to believe in the concept of trust. to trust and be trusted, leaders must

  • self-assess and be sure they can trust themselves,
  • announce to the firm what the goals and their intentions are,
  • practice what is being preached and
  • create a culture where trust leads to inspiration and enthusiasm.

more: new opportunities for a ‘new normal’ | there is no leadership without integrity | real influence vs. immediate gratification | is trust elusive? | influence, don’t manipulate | working remotely shouldn’t mean feeling isolated | managing difficult personalities in the workplace
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

cpa firms that look to the next generation of leaders have created their own templates: a composite profile of the traits that are necessary to thrive as a partner. what is/was considered leadership potential differs in firms. and because priorities differ, some emphasize authenticity, some a high eq, some rainmaking abilities and some strategic thinking.
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client service opportunities

new opportunities for the ‘new normal’

extracting a positive from a negative.

by steven e. sacks
the new fundamentals: practical guidance for today’s accounting firms

there are two quotes that are apropos for the coronavirus pandemic. the first was coined by president kennedy. he said, “the time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.”

more: there is no leadership without integrity | real influence vs. immediate gratification | fake it ’til you make it: an ultimate goal? | 4 ways to boost job satisfaction | have you gauged your staff’s enthusiasm? | why knowledge maintenance is key | retention starts with the hiring interview
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

it was meant to think ahead to potential unforeseen crises and consider the precautionary measures to implement; to either avoid, or at least, mitigate a major problem before it happens. for the coronavirus pandemic, the ship has already sailed on this philosophy because the government defunded the efforts to deal with a major health crisis (among other missteps).
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leadership

there is no leadership without integrity

young businesswoman sitting at workplace and looking at camera in office

competence alone is not enough.

by steven e. sacks

those thrust into leadership positions need only one arrow in their quiver: integrity. whether in business or politics, if you can speak truth to power while understanding and accepting the risks, then you have integrity. how many bad situations remain unresolved or allowed to fester because no one steps up to recognize a wrong or untruth?

often, would be a fair guess.

more: real influence vs. immediate gratification | is trust elusive? | working remotely shouldn’t mean feeling isolated | how engaged are your employees? | managing difficult personalities in the workplace | set your staff on the right course | be a talent magnet
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

think about it: if someone speaks out on those issues important to him or her, it uncovers the nature or character of that person. a basic element to have is authenticity. it comes with a risk of having our words manipulated or “spun” for someone’s or some group’s own benefit. we can feel belittled because of criticism, and also feel that our inner core is being destroyed.
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featured

real influence vs. immediate gratification

young man facing image of himselfpeople are like mirrors.

by steven e. sacks

how often are we disappointed when people don’t buy into our ideas or suggestions? whether it is to develop a new product, enter a new market, hire a particular individual or implement an initiative that could help a firm’s culture, can we still rely on the tried-and-true approaches of behavior modification, carrot-and-stick approach or even bribery?

more: is trust elusive? | influence, don’t manipulate | getting and keeping the best: the struggle continues | the 5 keys to success in accounting careers | the power of ‘real influence’ | is your firm’s culture a magnet? | confronting leadership: not such a bad thing
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

today, there are many avenues by which to be manipulated. it is no surprise when people grow another layer of cynicism.
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featured

is trust elusive?

businessman with fingers crossed behind backthe behavior of the partner group affects every staff level.

by steven e. sacks

government, the media and business. three of the many sectors where there is a dearth of trust. we continue to slide down that slippery slope each day.

more: influence, don’t manipulate | fake it ‘til you make it: an ultimate goal? | 4 ways to boost job satisfaction | have you gauged your staff’s enthusiasm? | why knowledge maintenance is key | retention starts with the hiring interview
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

pick up your iphone, tablet, laptop and yes, a newspaper to realize the compass on morality has a broken spring. north is south. east is west. up is down. light is dark. if it’s legal, it’s moral. nothing is described as it really is.
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client service opportunities

influence, don’t manipulate

two businesswomen meeting in an officeput yourself in the client’s shoes.

by steven e. sacks

we are often faced with trying to influence others through our beliefs and personal experiences. the wrong approach is to browbeat others until they “surrender.”

more: fake it ‘til you make it: an ultimate goal? | working remotely shouldn’t mean feeling isolated | how engaged are your employees? | managing difficult personalities in the workplace | set your staff on the right course | how motivation is like bathing
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

influence is really a straightforward approach to convincing people that your positions are well thought out, persuasive, justified and completely devoid of underhandedness, manipulation or trickery.

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