{"id":54397,"date":"2018-04-22t12:53:44","date_gmt":"2018-04-22t16:53:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/48e130086c.nxcli.net\/?p=54397"},"modified":"2018-04-23t10:21:24","modified_gmt":"2018-04-23t14:21:24","slug":"3-challenges-shifting-product-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.g005e.com\/2018\/04\/22\/3-challenges-shifting-product-management\/","title":{"rendered":"3 challenges in shifting to product management"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a>and 4 skills the product manager must have.<\/strong><\/p>\n by jody padar<\/i> are you ready to take the plunge? as a radical cpa, you\u2019re already used to dealing with change.<\/p>\n more on radicalism:<\/b> product management meets strategy<\/a> | father, son team up to capitalize on capacity<\/a> | going deeper into product management<\/a> | dean quiambao: \u2018if you\u2019re not disrupting, you\u2019re not doing it right\u2019<\/a> | josh zweig\u2019s liveca offers new thinking from the ground up<\/a> | how \u2018agile\u2019 applies to cpa firms<\/a> but i\u2019m here to tell you, your customers (and the market) are demanding that you not only deal with change, but master it. so how do you start? first you must make the conscious decision that you are going to start running your firm from a product management perspective.<\/p>\n once you make that decision you are going to confront many challenges.<\/p>\n you\u2019re going to be overwhelmed.<\/p>\n you\u2019re going to doubt yourself.<\/p>\n you\u2019re going to be frustrated.<\/p>\n it\u2019s all normal.<\/p>\n in fact, let\u2019s get the three main challenges you\u2019ll face right out of the way:<\/p>\n okay, so now that we\u2019ve articulated those obstacles, don\u2019t you feel better?<\/p>\n are you going to let it stop you? no!<\/p>\n now you\u2019ve made the decision. you\u2019re changing your firm to work from a practice management perspective to a product management perspective. so, what do you do first?<\/p>\n first thing first, get your bearings.<\/strong> i believe (and i\u2019ve been told) the hardest thing about being a radical cpa is that there has been no road map! everyone wants a checklist because that\u2019s how we were raised in the old-school model. or they want the perfect firm in a box that they can copy. i\u2019m here to tell you there is no turnkey solution. yes, we have processes. yes, we have best practices. but the world is changing too fast for a checklist. in fact, to be frank, there isn\u2019t a checklist that exists. however, there are some essentials to help you get there. we have ideas, we have tried and true methodologies, and we have each other\u2019s support to create a structure around navigating this complex business environment. the art of product management has been around for years. there are even online courses you can take to master this skill.<\/p>\n it starts with your vision, which i think most people already get. you know you must articulate your vision, your mission, your weaknesses, your strengths, your opportunities. most of you could do this within your own firms. every consultant reading this will hate me, but i strongly believe you can do this on your own if you set aside time and find someone on your team willing to spearhead it. you need someone to say, \u201cok, i\u2019m going to work through this all the time, and this is going to be the way we manage innovation and change in our firm.\u201d<\/p>\n i\u2019m going to share with you what i\u2019ve learned and what i\u2019ve seen work for others like me. it\u2019s not perfect, and it\u2019s changing, but i truly believe if you start here you\u2019ll end up closer to your desired outcome.<\/p>\n assess your organization.<\/strong> go ahead, take a good, long, hard look. before you can start developing anything, you must figure out how your organization is defined. is it defined by a chart, or are there unwritten rules as to who is in charge? for instance, there may be a managing partner in a firm, but there may be an unspoken understanding that it\u2019s the managing partner\u2019s office manager who makes all the decisions. who in your firm has strong interpersonal skills? what are your team\u2019s strengths and weaknesses? have you done a swot analysis? we know that being a leader in a firm today is more than just technical knowledge.<\/p>\n the skill set below is for the person who is going to lead this endeavor. in small firms, this will likely be the partner in charge; in large firms it will be multiple people. i also recommend bringing on an outside person who is not a technical accounting professional, such as someone with general business background who understands the marketplace. it must be someone with a strong understanding of business, not just accounting or tax.<\/p>\n refer to the skill and qualifications list provided by monster.com, and consider the following skill sets and questions when you are conducting your internal assessment. who in your firm has the following skills?<\/p>\n next step: mapping and documentation!<\/strong><\/p>\n now that the assessment is complete, we are going to take all that research and those findings and document them. we\u2019re then going to decide who our first potential product manager could be and see if they are up for the job.<\/p>\n is it by chance you?<\/p>\n if so, congratulations on your new role!<\/p>\n but before you pop that champagne bottle, you have work to do.<\/p>\n you must change your brain!<\/p>\n you\u2019re a product manager now. you need to understand the characteristics of your new role. you need to see the landscape of the industries you serve and the technologies that will best suit them. this can be the hardest part; however, access to information has never been easier. do research. get on twitter (my favorite way to stay updated on news and trends). make sure you start to define and sift through all the information coming your way. welcome to your new job.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\nfrom success to significance: the radical cpa guide<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n
\nexclusively for pro members. <\/span><\/strong>log in here<\/a> or 2022世界杯足球排名 today<\/a>.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\n
\nmake a leap of faith. and then deal with the consequences.<\/p>\n\n
the game plan<\/h3>\n
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