{"id":4821,"date":"2009-11-02t18:42:46","date_gmt":"2009-11-02t22:42:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/48e130086c.nxcli.net\/?p=4821"},"modified":"2016-04-19t11:19:54","modified_gmt":"2016-04-19t15:19:54","slug":"practice-management-looking-ahead-preparing-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.g005e.com\/2009\/11\/02\/practice-management-looking-ahead-preparing-now\/","title":{"rendered":"practice management: looking ahead, preparing now"},"content":{"rendered":"

leaders vs. laggards and the seven keys to successful cpa firm management
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melissa hoffman lajara at the new york state society of cpas reports in the latest e-zine<\/a> on my part in last week’s practice management conference:<\/em><\/p>\n

there are just two types of managers in the world: leaders and laggards, said rick telberg, the conference\u2019s luncheon speaker, consultant and former editor-in-chief of accounting today.<\/p>\n

leaders \u201care people who consistently achieve their self-given goals,\u201d telberg said. \u201cleadership is an ever-changing thing \u2026 [with] adherence to a clear set of values.\u201d<\/p>\n

what else do leaders do? leaders are twice as likely to have management that leads by example, conduct performance reviews that are useful, and hold top management accountable, which telberg said was exceedingly important. another sign of good leadership, he said, is continuous and thorough training, with leaders six times more likely to work with the best equipment and software available.<\/p>\n

leaders are also more likely to empower every staff member to \u201cdo what it takes to satisfy a client,\u201d monitor client satisfaction, have concrete plans and strategic goals, have a lower turnover rate and have clients who don\u2019t resist fee increases.<\/p>\n

in the realm of technology, telberg said leaders are five times more likely to be \u201cearly adopters\u201d of new technologies. \u201ci\u2019m not talking about the \u2018bleeding edge\u2019 but the leading edge,\u201d he said. \u201cyou have to have the technology in your firm that your kids have, at least.\u201d<\/p>\n

by and large, any firm that expects to succeed in spite of changes and obstacles needs to take a leadership approach and \u201ctrust that the right activities will yield the right outcomes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

thanks again to phil whitman and robert fligel for the invitation to be part of such a distinguished roster of presenters, and to the great staff at the society for all the hospitality.<\/em><\/p>\n