Is Work/Life Balance a Myth?

Source: Accounting Web

Here are some ideas we learned from an article by Steve McIntyre-Smith, CEO of MFA Group Inc.

Calls from desperate clients with urgent needs disrupt the personal plans of CPAs too often. How can you combat the problem?

• It must start at the top. If partners don’t get a life outside the firm, they won’t be empathetic with staff who would like to. And they will send the wrong message to staff.
• If client urgency is about to disrupt your plans, try to delegate the work to a back-up person. If the matter is important but not urgent, delay it.
• Always be cognizant of the value of what you are doing. If it is not the highest use of your time, get someone else to do it.
• Develop hobbies or other interests. Read books. Make these activities important in your life.
• Make sure the whole office knows you want them to have a life outside the firm.
• Hire people with outside interests. Their habits will be infectious.
• Chargeable hours for staff should not be set too high. Setting revenue goals above charge hour goals will result in better productivity.
• Require staff to use all their vacation time.

For the complete article, click on the link below.

From Accounting Web.com (www.accountingweb.com), Features, 5/01/08, Work/Life Balance—the Impossible Dream?

Measuring CPA Leadership Effectiveness

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