An unexpected way to acquire a new client

It never ceases to amaze me how much value accountants can add to their clients (and themselves) if only they are willing to take the time to have a conversation with their clients to better understand their aspirations and the vision they have for their business. This is a classic case in point. I recently recorded an interview with Rachel Ray who, at one time, Continue reading “An unexpected way to acquire a new client”

Success, goals and perserverence

There’s a dog race that starts in early March at Anchorage and ends in Nome.  It’s called the Iditarod and is described as the last great race in the world.  Typically 70-90 mushers enter with a team of 14-16 dogs.  The race is run over 1,100 miles (1,830 kms), takes between 9 to 29 days to complete and was first held in 1973 to celebrate the heroic performance of a group of mushers who delivered serum to Nome in 1925 to combat a diphtheria epidemic that was killing kids. Continue reading “Success, goals and perserverence”

An old Cherokee story

The Cherokee Indians, as is the case with all native people, use insightful stories to convey meaning and seek understanding of people and their behavior.  One such story that the elders tell their children is about fighting wolves.  They say that inside every person are two wolves constantly fighting.  One of these wolves is an evil character who is angry, jealous, lazy, impatient, self-centered, egotistical, negative, irresponsible and unforgiving.  The other wolf is loving, kind, generous, humble, caring, enterprising, positive and responsible.   Typically, a child when told about this will ask “which wolf wins?”  To which question the elder will answer “which ever one you feed.” Continue reading “An old Cherokee story”

New hires get OnBoard Southwest Airlines

The number one issue facing business today is finding, hiring and retaining productive team members.  According to Terri Kabachnick in I Quit, But Forgot to Tell You 75% of the demand for new employees is to replace departed ones rather than accommodate growth in the business.  She also mentions that disengagement amongst employees is rampant with nearly two thirds saying they are disengaged and a staggering 84% of executives, managers and associates stated that they like what they do but not where they do it.

Research done by Fred Reichheld and his team at Bain & Company indicates that high profit performing companies have two characteristics in common: Continue reading “New hires get OnBoard Southwest Airlines”