How to Build Your Personal Brand
Putting some thought into your personal brand can help you show up as your best self in every business situation. Bill was a senior accountant for a multinational company in the hospitality industry.* Although he enjoyed his job, Bill was unsettled and longed for “more.” His attempts at earning promotions to manager ended in disappointment when
5 Ways to Engage Millennial and Gen Z Talent
Lessons learned from Deloitte’s 2019 Millennial Survey. Uneasy. Pessimistic. Dissatisfied. Skeptical. Disillusioned. These words from The Deloitte Global Millennial Survey should give every accounting and finance leader pause. The morale and engagement of millennials (those born between 1983 and 1994), who will soon make up over one-half of the global workforce, and Gen Z workers (those born
Lessons on Change from a Night at the Airport
It’s inevitable. It happens at virtually every airport, every day, across the world. Flights are delayed or canceled. Sometimes, it’s weather-related. At other times, maintenance issues, crew schedules, or other logistics are to blame. No matter the cause, the response from the flying public is fun to watch as I did on a recent business trip.
Want a Better Team? Work on the Team – Not Just as a Team
As a CPA, you’ve probably heard the saying, “you need to work on the business, not just in the business.” Perhaps you’ve given that challenge to a client or colleague at one time or another. I suggest a similar mantra when it comes to building better, stronger teams: You need to work on the team, not
3 Keys to Attracting and Retaining Accounting and Finance Talent
Winning top talent in a tight labor market is one of the CPA profession’s biggest challenges, but it doesn’t have to be. It comes as no surprise to me that “finding qualified staff” and “retaining qualified staff” were among the top five issues named across all size CPA firms in the most recent AICPA Private Companies
Employee Engagement and Successful Change
Employee engagement is a crucial driver of several positive business outcomes, such as productivity, employee retention, customer satisfaction, and profitability. What’s often overlooked is the importance of employee engagement in driving successful change. Research by Anna University management professors C. Swarnalatha and T. Prasanna discovered a vital link between the two. The Gallup organization has studied
Leader, Slow Down to Go Faster
“The pace of change will never again be as slow as it is today.” (Matthew Bishop, The Economist’s Innovation Forum, 2015) I paused as I saw these words on the big screen at an industry conference. “Shoot,” I thought, “I was hoping to catch a break sometime along the way.” No such luck. It’s true. The pace
10 Reasons Why I Love Business Development
When I launched my leadership coaching and consulting practice, I gave myself three years to build it to a financially viable and sustainable business. I had no clients at the time, so I knew I would spend most of my time on business development during the start-up phase. Fast forward three years and I’m pleased to
What Does Leadership Mean to You?
How you define leadership and what it means in your career could be a key factor in whether you ever get a seat at the table. I often open leadership training and facilitation experiences with the question, “What is leadership?” Some participants respond with skills or behaviors, like inspiring and motivating people. Others ascribe vision, strategic planning,
Need Help Navigating Work-Life Tensions? You’re Not Alone
Every month, Thriveal Community Group members discuss a topic relevant to the journey of entrepreneurial accounting firm owners. February’s focus was on work-life tensions, a timely discussion as many members headed into the most hectic time of the year. The term “work-life balance” first appeared in American news media in the 1980s. At the time, most
