There is no “I” in success

By Salim Omar, CPA, President, CPA Marketing Genius, LLC

There is no ‘I’ in ‘success’ but there is one in inspire, integrate and initiate.

The day-to-day routine of coming to the office, typing away at the computer and eating the same chicken salad for lunch can become monotonous. This monotony can lead to a mediocre work ethic that creates deliverables of lesser quality. As a partner at your firm, it is your responsibility to create a sense of excitement and gratification for your staff.

1) Inspire Your Team

It’s okay to be vulnerable with your team, consider sharing your experiences and your long-term vision with them. Share some of your failures and how you have overcame them. Include some of the lessons you learned as you overcame your failures. By relating to your employees, they can know that you were once in their shoes, working the 9 to 5.

Having become a partner at a firm gives you freedom and opportunity to shed some light on the long-term goals and success they can attain. By listening to your story you can help them understand that this type of success comes from working for a cause, not just a paycheck. Becoming a partner happens by making a difference, being dedicated to your work and impacting the lives of small business owners.

Explain the impact that they are making in the community and check in with them to help them establish their own personal goals. Checking in assures them that they are valuable and essential members of the firm. Their work is a necessity for firm growth.

2) Integrate Their Interests

Get to know your employees by asking them about their personal lives. Consider how you can incorporate a sense of personal relationship into the workspace. Maintaining professionalism is a must, but work should never be boring or dreary. It can be a place of engaging with likeminded individuals while doing dedicated, profitable work. For example, if some of your employees are really into football, make sure to watch the game, or Google the highlights from the game that previous weekend and spark a conversation about it on Monday. Relationships and social connectivity matter more than ever before for powerful leadership. You must show them that you see them as a person, not only as an employee.

3) Encourage Them to Take Initiative

To begin, you should set an example. No one wants to work for a slacker, and when you show them consistency and live up to the expectations you set for them, they will be more inclined to follow your example. When your staff does live up to your expectations, do not let their achievements go unnoticed. Commend an employee’s leadership by inviting them to lunch, or express gratitude when a staff member takes initiative.

As a partner you have a firm to manage, a life to organize and still somehow make time for yourself. However, taking the time to build up your staff’s confidence and comfort will help those things fall into place.

About Salim

Salim has spent the last 20 years uncovering the keys to success of any CPA firm. Through using his financial expertise and own struggles in the early years of starting his CPA practice, he has a deep understanding of the success principles that create accounting firms that are profitable. He currently owns a successful 12+ person firm. Best of all, he works only a few days a week while his practice continues to grow due to the practices he has implemented over the years.

Salim is considered by many as a top advisor and thought leader for small and mid-sized accounting firms. He is the author of the popular books, The Ultimate CPA Practice in the New Economy and The Million Dollar CPA Firm has been featured in a range of prestigious publications such as The CPA Journal, Financial Advisor and Wealth Manager and on the cover of Accounting Today.

Additional Resources

Webinar: Creating Your Million Dollar CPA Firm: Growth, Freedom and Sanity

Article: What Oreos can teach accountants about growing the firm

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