A Checklist to Evaluate Your Soft Skills
Source: Accounting Today
Gary Boomer’s article asserts that skills in the following areas, rather than technical skills, are what distinguish accounting firms from their competition.
- Leadership
- Communications
- Interpersonal relationships
For each of these “soft skills,” he provides a checklist to help assess them.
Leadership
- Executive image
- Vision
- Ability to manage—themselves and others
- Ability to make decisions
- Self-perception
Communications
- Ability to write and speak
- Clarity in giving instructions
- Listening skills
- Formal presentation skills
- Ability to motivate others
Interpersonal Relationships
- Being a team worker
- Dealing with conflict
- Creating new contacts
- Servicing clients
Training in CPA firms tends to concentrate on technical skills; however, training in the above will have a greater impact on the firm’s ability to increase services and revenue. The right training program can produce between $12,000 and $15,000 in added billable capability per staff member. But the training must be provided over the long term, not a one-day seminar. This kind of training is also critical to attracting and retaining staff.
From Accounting Today, April 4, 2005. For the complete article, click on the following link:
http://www.webcpa.com/article.cfm?articleid=11843&;pg=acctoday