Rita Keller, Author at CPA Trendlines

2016 Battleground: Aging Leaders vs. Emerging Leaders

There’s no time left to procrastinate about the firm’s future.

They say “past results are no indication of future performance.” Maybe. Maybe not. But if anyone should know, it’s our panel of experts, their comments drawn from the new edition of The Rosenberg MAP Survey. These are their bullet points and comments, verbatim, looking back at the last 12 months and looking ahead to 2016. – Rick Telberg, CEO

By Rita Keller
Keller Advisors

Lessons from 2015:

While the talent wars continue to rage, during the last 12 months I have seen a lot more aggressiveness from firms seeking lateral hires.

MORE FROM THE ROSENBERG MAP SURVEY: Private Clouds on the Rise | Firms Growing, Still Face Talent Challenges | Outlook 2016: Another Economic Storm Coming? | How Succession Issues Are Driving Desperation Mergers | Outlook 2016: Change Catches Up with Auditors | Strategic Plans Undermined by Out-of-Control Partners | Growth, Succession Plans Critical for Firms | Talent Wars Go from White Gloves to Boxing Gloves|Trend Outlook 2016: Change Agents Needed

If you are an experienced CPA with a niche focus and a successful track record you are more than likely being courted by several firms.
READ MORE →

OUTLOOK & ANALYSIS

2014 Roundtable: Firms that ‘Get’ Women Stand to Win the Talent Wars

On new leaders, staffing, ex-partners, and four new predictions.

by Rita Keller
ritakeller.com

Analysis

Women — The area of retaining and promoting females in public accounting continues to be a big challenge for many firms.

I like to compare it to life, in general. Men always have been and continue to be puzzled by women. In the business world, there have been many great books written to help women better fit into the game of business. The much talked about book “Lean In” by Sheryl Sandberg (COO of Facebook) is an example. The biggest challenge in public accounting is getting women and men to read such books. READ MORE →

OUTLOOK & ANALYSIS

Three Secrets to Easy Billings

Test your firm’s business savvy.

Accountants know that winning additional work from current clients is a whole lot easier than finding brand new clients. But too many firms fail to seize the opportunities.

Why? Simple: READ MORE →

LEADERSHIP

Six Reasons You Don’t Want to Be the Boss

Life changes when you move up the ranks.

After years of coaching partners and partners-in-waiting, Sam Allred of Upstream Academy knows a thing or two about what it takes to succeed as you climb the executive ladder at an accounting firm.

But rarely has he put it so succinctly. The skills you need in the new job are hardly like the skills that got you there. Executive-level leadership bears little resemblance to being a good partner or manager.

Allred offers Six Things Leaders Need to Do When You Become a Partner. Think twice about whether you really want the job.

Give up The Right to Remain Silent – When you become a partner, you must speak up – not nod your head and then go door-to-door after the meeting talking to the other partners. Not speaking up, in the proper forum, creates artificial harmony.
Keep an Open Mind – Learn how to listen and question before deciding and acting.
You Give Up The Right to Make All Decisions – Sole-practitioners don’t need to worry. But when you join a partnership, you give up that right.
Learn to Make the Proper Commitment – Saying or thinking, “I will stay out of the way” is not making commitment. It’s a case of “grudging compliance” vs. “spirited commitment.”
Willingness to Get Outside Your Comfort Zone – You cannot stand still. Becoming partner doesn’t mean you “made it” and now you can coast. You must keep moving, maybe faster and bolder than ever.
You Become a Leader for Change – They hired you to do things differently, or better. Change is the mandate. You must be in front of it.

via Rita Keller

OUTLOOK & ANALYSIS

Who’s that with Rita Keller?

Yesterday, in “The Three Ms of Success for CPA Firms,” I wrote about business icon Herb Kelleher’s reputation for chain-smoking, Wild Turkey whiskey and his “dressing up as Elvis.” And I added, “As for the Keller I know, she does … Continued

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Rita Keller

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Rita Keller, President and Founder of Keller Advisors, LLC, is a nationally known CPA firm management consultant, speaker and author.

She is a co-author of Bridging the Gap: Strengthening the Connection between Current and Emerging Leaders in the CPA Profession.

Keller is a former shareholder and Chief Operating Officer of a successful regional CPA firm and has over 30 years hands-on experience in the management, marketing, technology and administration of a successful firm.

She is widely known for her leadership, presentation and implementation skills, and passion for CPA firm management. She works as a change agent for firms throughout the country focusing on the people, internal management, operational, implementation and partner issues. She also provides a mentoring/coaching program for the firm’s management team.

Keller provides unique facilitation for partner retreats, bringing the people issues, succession issues and processes into the spotlight. As a facilitator and speaker,

She has been featured at nearly every prominent management conference, such as Management Summit, The Advisory Board’s Forum for Women in Accounting, AICPA Forum on Staffing Issues, the AICPA Practitioners’ Symposium, the AICPA Leadership Forum, the AICPA National Advanced Accounting Technical Symposium, The Association for Accounting Marketing, and The Association for Accounting Administration National Management Conference, plus numerous CPA firm association and state society management meetings. Rita has frequently been named among the Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting.

She has received the Everest Award from Management Summit, established to recognize major/ongoing contributions to the CPA profession and the Association for Accounting Administration ACE Award for achievement, commitment and excellence in CPA firm management and administration. In December 2009, her popular daily blog, devoted to CPA firm management, was named one of the Top 50 Blogs for Accountants. She serves on the AICPA Practitioners’ Symposium Committee as past Chair and is also on the advisory board of the CPA Practice Management Forum and the AICPA Seasonality Success newsletter.

Keller served on the national Board of Directors of The Association for Accounting Administration for seven years, two of those years as National President and is past president of the Indiana Chapter and cofounder of the Ohio Chapter. She is a contributing author to the AICPA MAP Handbook, AICPA PCPS Human Capital Center and has been featured on the cover of The Practical Accountant. She is often quoted in CPA management publications, Internet newsletters, blogs and Twitter. She has been featured four times in the Journal of Accountancy (February 2009, April 2007, September 1999 and September 1997) and authored the article, Make the Most of Mentoring, for the August 2008 issue of the Journal.

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