Latest Articles
The why and how of managing client expectations
When I was a senior accountant in business services, one of my managers shared with me some tips which were some of the wisest words I have heard. He talked to me about managing expectations. It made a big difference to how I interacted with clients and colleagues...
Cause for optimism in 2022 and how you can add to that
At the end of 2020 many people would have thought, surely 2021 will be better. Sadly, for many that did not turn out to be the case. At the end of 2021 many people again will have been thinking surely 2022 will be better. My own view is that it will be, and I want to...
Nine Skills Accounting and Advisory Firm Managers Need
As an accounting firm coach, mentor and consultant I am in and out of firms pretty much every day. One of the things I have observed is the critical role of the manager in successful firms. Here are nine skills I reckon great managers inside accounting and advisory...
Is the Great Resignation a real thing or just hype?
Most accounting firm owners and managers will have spotted quite a bit of chatter in various media regarding something called “the great resignation”. So what is it, is it real and should accounting firms be worried? What is it and is it real? The term has its origins...
Things to do before the Christmas break
The end of the calendar year is rapidly approaching and for many it probably can’t come soon enough. COVID has made it a particularly testing year for many people. I’ve turned my mind to some things accounting firm owners and managers could benefit from thinking about...
How much information about the business do you share with your team?
Going back many years I reckon lots of firm owners had a fear of sharing information, somehow thinking it could be used against them. Over time I’ve seen this diminish and yet I still occasionally come across a firm owner who is reluctant to share information about...
Three models to help you set goals
In a recent article Is goal setting useful? I shared some of my research on the pros and cons of goals. In that I promised to share three models for thinking about goals. If you read the earlier article you may recall the conclusion that there is enormous value in...
Where do you do your best work? (And why is that so?)
Have you ever stopped to ponder this question? Two things have prompted me to do so: The obvious impact of COVID which has found people working in different physical spaces to where they might normally work; and Renovations at home mean I am temporarily out of my much...
Lessons in leadership from Australia’s performance at the Olympic Games
I love the Olympic Games. Not just because I was one of two people responsible for the set up of Olympic Headquarters for the Sydney 2000 Olympics, but because at their core they are about individuals (and teams) striving to be the best they can be. Comparisons...
Is it time to have “special projects leave”?
As an accounting firm coach, consultant and mentor I am privy to many shareholder agreements. Some incorporate a form of long service or sabbatical leave for owners on some sort of a cycle. Good idea. I’ve recently had a client try the idea of what they ended up...
Book a complimentary 30 minute chat
To arrange a no-obligation, confidental exploratory discussion with Rob, choose a day and time that's convenient for you below.