Latest Articles
Should I rehire an ex-employee?
This is a question I have been asked a few times in my role as a coach, consultant and mentor for accounting firm owners and managers. It’s also a question I’ve had to answer when working inside firms on a few occasions. I think the answer to this question is “it...
Four ways to build resilience
Recently I participated in an interactive webinar with Marcus Buckingham who is a well known author and speaker on management and leadership topics. The topic was resilience. If there was one thing the COVID pandemic has shown us it is that not everyone has the same...
High performance culture and the ideal team player
Recently I participated in an interactive webinar with Patrick Lencioni who is a well known author and speaker on management and leadership topics. His view is that the goals of a leader are to make the organisation smart and to make it healthy. Lencioni also holds...
Actions to take before 15 May and 30 June for your clients and your firm
As we approach the end of another financial year in Australia, I trust you are on top of what you wanted to get done before 15 May and 30 June tick over. The Coronavirus crisis has added to the workload and I know many firms have found this challenging. For accounting...
Why do accountants struggle with delegation?
As an accounting firm coach, consultant and mentor I get to see inside many accounting firms. One thing I observe is a high proportion of senior people, partner/director and manager level in particular, doing work that could and should be done by someone at a lower...
Managing “knowledge” in an accounting firm
If you asked an accountant 30 years ago what they sell many would have said time. Even in 2021 I occasionally hear an accountant talk this way. I think most today would say knowledge is what they sell. The need for this knowledge is a natural consequence of the...
Four areas of focus for a better accounting firm
Putting my accounting firm consultant hat on for a moment, here are four ideas to build a better firm. The right people I’ve put this first for a very good reason. You can have all the latest technology but in my view the success of your business still comes back to...
The importance of sleep for professionals
There is a TED talk by neuroscientist Russell Foster on sleep which I found most enlightening. (See the TED talk here.) I also read some articles from the Sleep Medicine Division of the Harvard Medical School. Here is a summary of what I learned. Russell Foster...
What’s your policy on work from home?
As an accounting firm coach, consultant and mentor one of the questions I am getting from firm owners and managers is what are other firms doing about work from home options post COVID? Unlike some businesses that cannot exist without face to face contact the reality...
What accountants can learn from air traffic controllers
In my role as an accounting firm coach, consultant and mentor I like to find examples in other industries to help accountants run better accounting firms. It might surprise you that air traffic controllers provide some great examples! I occasionally sit near the...
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.