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Stop me if you've heard this story: In the movie Armageddon , a group of oil drillers is trained to become astronauts to save the world from an asteroid. Early in production, Ben Affleck famously approached the director and questioned the logic behind this: “I asked Michael why it was easier to train oil drillers to become astronauts than it was to train astronauts to become oil drillers, “ Fair question, Ben. Why wouldn’t it be easier to teach astronauts—literal rocket scie

The “Know-it-all” and the “No-One-Knows-Anything” - Two sides of the same coin: In the "before times," our experts and pundits operated from a position of total knowledge, sometimes esoteric, sometimes practical, but uniform in its authority. The attitude was, "Come, sit at my knee, and I will school you as I have all the answers." This sober paternalistic pose, however, has been replaced with one that's more (stoned) avuncular but equally as obnoxiously absolutist. The "know

Undefeated, high school wrestler and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson As growth-oriented professionals, do you ever feel stuck? Are you exerting maximum effort but seeing minimal growth? If so, it's time to consider two powerful lessons from physics that could revolutionize your firm's trajectory. These lessons, discussed below and explained brilliantly by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson in the linked video (click on image above), can offer strategies for growth and firm

I'm not usually an acronym (or acrostic) guy, but trying new things is a great way to grow. I hope you enjoy today’s blog! Enter the SCALE System: A comprehensive framework to help professional services firms achieve sustainable, intelligent growth with specialized practice areas. Let's explore each component of this system and how it can transform your firm's approach to scaling. S: Survey and Strategize The foundation of any growth system is a clear understanding of your cu

As a professional services firm leader, you've likely been frustrated with your marketing, sales, or other “investments.” Maybe you tried a new technology, hired expensive new talent, or signed a pricy contract, but nothing new seemed to happen. You've been pouring resources into what you believe are strategic investments for growth, yet sometimes, the needle barely seems to move. So you cancel or change strategy. You end up frustrated. Your team ends up frustrated. It is a

As a leader of people in professional services, your ability to quickly filter out nonsense and get to a decision-making position is critical. Your team looks to you for clear and effective thought processes, and the less time you spend wading through BS, the more value you can bring to your firm and your team. Good news! There are some great tools to help you with this, and they are free. For our discussion today, I want to focus on tools called "philosophical razors" (which

A.K.A. How to Change Institutions while Institutionalizing Change Implementing true cultural change is a process laden with irony. The leaders who pioneer difference are rarely those who embody it. Instead, the first generation to spur transformation does so by going through the motions despite not fully “getting” it. I Know Best…? Sound counterintuitive? Not really. Think of parenting. The core value shifts many experiences as mothers and fathers have little to do with sudde

This article was originally published in the November 2023 issue of Inside Public Accounting. Every MP has been pitched on a technology solution or new management approach that will magically solve all their problems. Sophisticated promises to unlock the secrets to success are common, and while they’re attractive, they’re most likely illusory. There’s no “secret sauce” to success, asserts sales expert Bruce Ditman, the former CMO of New York-based IPA 100 firm Marcum (FY22 n

Shift happens. As industry consultants love to remind us, the dynamics between leadership and talent in public accounting are changing. But rather than fret about why younger generations think and act differently, we need to recognize this for what it is—a shift in the dynamics of power. “The Way We Do Things Around Here” For decades, firm partners and directors held the cards; candidates and staff had little choice but to fall in line with “the way we do things around here.

Growth doesn’t happen by accident –at Chief Seconds , we believe it requires following a strategic recipe. As any client or friend will tell you, the first step towards growth is always to clearly define what success looks like. “Growth” is the general direction but doesn't make a great goal. We must identify the behaviors and action steps needed to achieve success. This provides clarity on the activities and focus areas that will fuel growth. This is the critical first ste