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the monday message
We Aren’t Cyborgs
It’s Human To Connect In last week’s message, I suggested that you take some moments to connect with your team, especially with those new to your firm. Everyone is trying their best to understand and fit in, and to answer the Critical Question. Did you do anything...
Answer The Critical Question
The Critical Question There are probably a number of new hires who have joined your firm in the last few months. For them, this spring is the first time they are experiencing busy season with you. With the busy season halfway through, they are likely asking themselves...
Crappy Habits Accelerate Stress
Bad Habits Aren’t Big You can’t be around professionals for very long until you begin to see some of their bad habits. Often, their tendencies are small and seemingly innocuous. But collectively, those practices add up to a personal negative impact. When asked about...
When Plans Go Awry
Plans Go Awry It's hard to believe we are two and a half months into the new year. By now, all those resolutions you made from good intentions should be pretty much gone by the wayside. But they were good for your health and wellbeing. Why let them go? Rather than...
Lead Under Pressure
Pressure Turns You Inward Whenever we are under pressure, our natural response is to fold inward as a self-protective measure. In essence, we become focused on our own wellbeing and survival. Consequently, we develop coping strategies that center around our own needs...
Define Underperformance Correctly
From A Partner I had a great coaching call with a partner this week about one of his staff who is not performing to her optimal capabilities. He shared his theory about what was going on and what he was doing to address them. He said he gave her direct feedback so...
Positive Client Relationships From The Start
Clients New To You Last week’s Monday Message was about you assuming some of the responsibility for your clients behaving badly, like delaying getting their information to you on time or providing incomplete or inaccurate information. It resonated with many of the...
Reduce Client Delays A Better Way
Client Delays Are Everywhere In my earlier days while working in a CPA firm, I observed a repeated occurrence that seems to be common in firms across the nation. It has to do with feeling frustrated by client delays in submitting their information. When clients have...
A Stress Reducer That Creates More Stress
A Coaching Call Trend We all want to reduce our stress. As we enter the new year, stress abounds like never before. In fact, the last few weeks of coaching calls, I’ve heard of managers and partners planning to reduce their stress by delegating. This is really...
Anxious Anticipation or Thoughtful Planning?
Busy Season This is the season that, for many professionals, begins at a slower pace and quickly escalates to major compression. It’s the reason it’s called busy season. In my coaching calls this January, I heard a lot of anticipating the onslaught of busy season but...
