Building Success From The Top Down

Running a successful firm requires many elements to be brought harmoniously into line. Your senior management team, your operational teams, your training and development, your professional standards, your delivery systems and processes, your client relationships, your marketing strategies, your financial management and your resources management to name just some of the areas demanding your attention. There’s a lot there to keep your focus on.

Each of the above can bring their frustrations and their headaches. There will most likely be aspects in each that you want to change. As you focus on trying to improve your firm, these are the areas where you will have identified issues and be looking to implement strategies for the better.

How’s that working out for you?

In general, accountants know what they should be doing to improve their firms. There may be one or two core issues lurking underneath to be discovered but most practitioners can run off a list of things that they would like to implement if only they had the time or support to do so. Valid actions that would, without doubt, result in improved performance but which the accountant has failed to successfully embed into the firm.

I believe that there are two fundamental points that anyone seeking to change their firm has to unconditionally accept if they are to be successful:

The great thing about this is that changing your own performance isn’t dependant on anyone else. If you want to be different tomorrow then that is entirely down to you.

Let’s be clear, I’m not advocating that you head off to Tibet to find yourself or invest in an expensive coach to cleanse the energy in your soul. However, when you took the decision to create your firm then you signed up to the responsibilities of leadership. The onus is on you to make sure your firm has a good day.

Look at your own performance before you start being critical of what you see in your firm. Are you playing by your own rules? Are you leading by example? Can you do better?

I’m a firm believer that if its your own firm then you can pretty much do what you like within legal, moral and ethical boundaries. However, its all about expectations.

For example, if you want a smart looking, tidy professional office then you are perfectly within your own rights as the boss to have your own room messy and chaotic. However, it is less likely that you will be happy with the take up of the strategy around the firm, and you will have to work harder to implement and sustain it if you don’t set the standard.

If you want a bright, positive, happy working environment then coming in negative and moaning is your prerogative but works against your own ideal.

If you want an efficient, organised firm that calmly delivers amazing client service and communicates in a clear and concise manner then you can rush out the door late for each appointment, shouting half-instructions as you go but it doesn’t help your plan.

I’ve ran my own firms for long enough to understand completely why partners and directors have untidy offices, are stressed and frustrated and run around like headless chickens chased by staff and clients but my point is this….You’re not helping yourself and only you can change that.

Here’s a question: Would you have a better firm if you were positive, calm, clear, organised, effective and efficient yourself? This is what your clients, your colleagues and your team need to see if you are going to influence them to be the same.

It’s not easy. We all have bad days, weeks and months. We all get stressed and are put under pressure. However, I think that you are more likely to address the issues effectively if you accept that you have a duty to yourself and your firm not to show it.

Here are some quick tips that may help you but no doubt you’ll find more of your own:

Yes its hard. You don’t have to do it. But, don’t expect change in others if you’re not prepared to address it in yourself.