21 Awesome Ways to Show Appreciation

One of the key ways to improve client and workplace relationships is by showing appreciation.

“Too often” Leo Buscaglia, the author, once said, “we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

We can extend appreciation anywhere and everywhere — at home, at work, at school, and wherever you want to acknowledge those who make your life brighter.

Here are a few ideas that might work for accounting firms: READ MORE →

25 Magic Words for Career Success

Surprise: Hard work and knowledge aren’t Number 1. Neither are skills or knowledge.

by Rick Telberg

Above all else, the essential ingredient for career success as a CPA is not what you might think.

It’s not knowledge or ability; although you can’t be a CPA without either. It’s not hard work or integrity. But you won’t go far without them. In one word: It’s about “clients.” READ MORE →

End the 40-Hour Work Week

Blumer
Blumer

Count your passions, not your hours.

By Jason Blumer
blumercpas.com

Did you see the video where Mike Rowe of the “Dirty Jobs” TV show was talking about the importance of work?

If not, here it is again:

Mike discusses how Wall Street and Madison Avenue have helped us define work into something it is not really. This is one of my favorite Ted talks.

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No More 40-Hour Weeks in Accounting?

Accountants may be winning the war for work-life balance. The number of average weekly hours worked for non-supervisory employees in the accounting and bookkeeping industry slipped to 33.2 in 2011, down from 33.4 and continuing a 20-year trend since 1990, … Continued

Slackers, Space Cadets, Drama Queens: Managing and Motivating ‘Challenging’ Employees

Sandra Wiley, COO, Boomer Consulting Inc.
Sandra Wiley, COO, Boomer Consulting Inc.

Here are just seven types of difficult co-workers. You may know more.

by Sandra Wiley

Anyone who has managed a team has most likely stumbled across a challenging employee. Identifying the challenging behavior is easy; finding ways to change the behavior and motivate the team member so they exhibit superstar qualities is the true challenge.

Why are they so difficult? Why do they continue the unpleasant behavior, even when they are told that it needs to change? Because it is working for them! This is behavior that has worked for them before, and allows them to get what they want.

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Will Overtime Lawsuits “Reform” the Big Four?

Entry-level auditors at KPMG win class-action certification.

A New York federal court conditionally certified a national collective action lawsuit that alleges that KPMG LLP violated the federal labor laws by denying thousands of entry-level audit employees overtime pay.

“Denying associates overtime pay is a problem among all of the Big Four accounting firms, not just at KPMG,” says attorney Justin M. Swartz. “We hope that this case, as well as audit, advisory, and tax cases against Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Ernst & Young will reform the accounting industry.”

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