Ask the Right Question(s)

What don’t you know you don’t know?

By Gary Bolinger

The most valued advisors spend a lot of time listening. They spend more time listening than they spend talking. Listening provides insights to enhance advisory services. Of course, listening means that the advisor needs to spend time asking the right questions. Questions are hard.

MORE: Seven Elements of Engagement for CPAs | True Advisory Work Isn’t Just Consulting
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If you are engaged with staff, any question you ask will be different than when meeting with a partner. And different yet again with clients and prospective clients.

Posted on March 21, 2021

Gary Bolinger

About the Author

Gary Bolinger, CAE, a longtime advocate for accountants as advisors, is vice president of client relations at Oodles LLC, a software company for CPA firms seeking to expand advisory services. He served as the CEO of the Indiana CPA Society from 1990 to 2018.

Bolinger began his career with the Indiana CPA Society in 1984 as the field activities director. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Indiana State University. From 1993-95, he served on the CPA Society Executives Association Board of Directors including positions as treasurer, secretary, and president. He has served on several AICPA committees and task forces including Information Technology, Strategic Planning, Peer Review Board, Uniform Accountancy Act Committee, and the Pre-certification Education Executive Committee.

Bolinger has been named one of the “Top 100 Most Influential” people in the accounting profession and Outstanding CPA Association Employee of the year.

He was named Association Executive of the Year by the Indiana Society of Association Executives and received the Indiana CPA Society Chairman's Award on two occasions. Since January 2018, Gary consults with associations on strategy and governance and has served as an AICPA G400 firm representative.

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