We stare at our challenges but the answer lies in challenging more

As accountants we don’t have to look hard to encounter the headaches in running an accounting firm today. Whether it be meeting deadlines, resolving tech issues,  managing the team, improving margins or staying on top of client needs, finding the time and resources to get on top of the daily challenges dominates the thoughts of partners, directors and managers.

The nature of the challenges is such that short term thinking dictates our days. When time and resources are tight then we have to deal with the challenges that are immediately in front of us. This may be a reactive approach but tomorrow’s challenges are just going to have to wait their turn, and, as for longer term solutions….well, what can you do!

There is a lot of frustration amongst accountants who want to achieve something more and who recognise that they are stuck in a vicious circle but don’t know how to step away from it without everything very quickly going belly up.

Let’s not kid ourselves, there certainly isn’t an easy solution.  Changing the status quo is difficult in most aspects of life, which is one reason why so many accept it. However, change is possible for those prepared to face up to it and break through.

We focus on our challenges but, if we are to change our world then we need to focus more not on the challenges that others present us but on the challenges that we set ourselves.

Ask yourself:

1.   Do you challenge yourself enough?

This isn’t about challenging yourself to work harder but do you challenge yourself to be better, be more ambitious, be more creative, take more risks?

Take your own personal development as an example. Do you see CPD as hours to be recorded in order to stay compliant or do you actively search out training that will improve your levels of expertise and skill sets in areas that you want to develop? Do you seek out others as examples to be inspired by and learn from?

In terms of your ambition, do you settle for a bit better than last year or do you really consider what levels you can strive to achieve? Do you wait for things to happen or make things happen?

When it comes to being creative, do you aim to just match the profile of an accountant or are you prepared to be different?

Risk gives us a particular problem as we are trained to be risk averse. Are you prepared to adopt a more commercial, even entrepreneurial approach to risk?

Most importantly, do you challenge yourself to perform in a manner that will inspire others? Do you recognise your role as a leader and not just an accountant?

2.   Do you challenge your team enough?

Again, this isn’t about challenging them to work harder. My guess is that you already have a loyal and hardworking team. Do you challenge them to work smarter, learn beyond their exam training and step up to do things they never thought themselves capable of?

Do you give them the space and the opportunity to step up, demonstrate the trust and confidence in them to encourage them to do so and provide them with the training, guidance and support to achieve beyond their current perceived limits?

Do you challenge their attitude and get them to break away from seeing each day as a list of tasks to complete and, instead, have them focus on your real vision and goals. Is their work life about simply getting jobs done or supporting you in your ambitions and helping clients with theirs?

Take the simple tax return. Do you and your team see it as just another task to get done or do you recognise and embrace the benefits of you doing it well – the reduced stress and worry and the increased clarity and certainty that you bring to the client?

Same exercise. Same cost and time but a very different mindset and perception.

Do you shape your team to embrace a challenge or continue the drudgery?

3.   Do you challenge your clients enough?

We too often accept the limitations that clients place upon themselves. If a driver of yours is to make a difference to the lives of your clients then we are almost duty bound to challenge their thinking. “Too busy”, “Can’t afford it”, “Do it later” are excuses that we recognise hold back our own businesses. Why do we allow our clients to make those same mistakes?

Are we bold enough and driven enough in our client dealings?

Challenging ourselves, our team and our clients to be better, to step up, to want more is the route out of the daily grind that we face. The beauty is that it doesn’t have to cost us an arm and a leg or use up massive amounts of our scarce time.

Passion, energy, drive and mindset are the things that make the real difference to individuals and teams. They use up no more than the same time and money that we have now, just to better effect…and, over time, they save both.