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Thursday, March 22. 2007
Working Smarter, Not Harder
Focus on value. Set priorities. Follow through.
by Rick Telberg
On Careers
These days it seems like everybody wants to "work smarter" rather than harder, or at least that's what the smart CPAs are telling us. However, what equates to "working smart" differs from worker to worker, and from boss to boss.
by Rick Telberg
On Careers
These days it seems like everybody wants to "work smarter" rather than harder, or at least that's what the smart CPAs are telling us. However, what equates to "working smart" differs from worker to worker, and from boss to boss.
Ralph J. Hochman, a public practitioner in Jacksonville, Fla., is among the CPAs who told us working smarter, not harder, is a major consideration. His tax season ideas for working smarter: "When appropriate, make appointments now at the time we complete and deliver tax returns, rather than contact our clients later after the urgency is over."
He smartly adds, "When we have a client's attention, tell them about us and what we do for them."
The New York-based American Management Association reports that efficiency and productivity are paramount issues across America because companies are employing fewer people. The labor shortage is exacerbated by other issues, including information overload, changing priorities and the stress that long workdays put on one's family life.
Business management author, Brian Tracy, has a concise list of ideas for how to "work smarter, not harder" in his book Turbo Coach. One idea that may be particularly useful for CPAs is to prioritize your to-do lists by their value, and start on those first.
Working smart means knowing you can't do everything in one day. Lynn Abala plans to build her solo CPA practice in Oakland, N.J. by "taking at least one action each week," such as making a phone call to stay in touch with a key client or business associate, writing an article or some kind of "getting out there activity."
When we asked, "what issues are most important to your organization," a whopping 82 percent of CPAs in public practice, business and industry say "working smarter, not harder."
Robert L. Clark, Albuquerque, N.M., is one of many business and industry CPAs who can associate with working smart. He offers this smart approach when developing marketing programs for new services, "the idea is to seek who needs it, not target whom to sell it to."
In addition to helping our businesses during tax season, and/or financial reporting crunch time, what we know about working smart can also help the people around us (associates, clients or family); everyone seems to have more to do nowadays.
[First published by the AICPA]
He smartly adds, "When we have a client's attention, tell them about us and what we do for them."
The New York-based American Management Association reports that efficiency and productivity are paramount issues across America because companies are employing fewer people. The labor shortage is exacerbated by other issues, including information overload, changing priorities and the stress that long workdays put on one's family life.
Business management author, Brian Tracy, has a concise list of ideas for how to "work smarter, not harder" in his book Turbo Coach. One idea that may be particularly useful for CPAs is to prioritize your to-do lists by their value, and start on those first.
Working smart means knowing you can't do everything in one day. Lynn Abala plans to build her solo CPA practice in Oakland, N.J. by "taking at least one action each week," such as making a phone call to stay in touch with a key client or business associate, writing an article or some kind of "getting out there activity."
When we asked, "what issues are most important to your organization," a whopping 82 percent of CPAs in public practice, business and industry say "working smarter, not harder."
Robert L. Clark, Albuquerque, N.M., is one of many business and industry CPAs who can associate with working smart. He offers this smart approach when developing marketing programs for new services, "the idea is to seek who needs it, not target whom to sell it to."
In addition to helping our businesses during tax season, and/or financial reporting crunch time, what we know about working smart can also help the people around us (associates, clients or family); everyone seems to have more to do nowadays.
[First published by the AICPA]
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