Based on a new book by Troy Waugh – Leading an Accounting Firm, the pyramid of success available at the www.therainmakeracademy.com and www.cpa2biz.com
Train like We Do at The Rainmaker Academy
When you are responsible for training a person, write down the initiatives and actions that he or she needs to perform at peak level. Be as specific as possible in each of your direct reports. Don’t make the mistake of overemphasizing results (for example, increase billable time by 200 hours). Instead, focus on activities that each person needs to accomplish for the results to occur (for example, visit each of your largest 10 clients twice between engagements for breakfast or lunch, meet with one referral source per week, and so on).
Bill Haller, managing partner of CapinCrouse LLP, a national firm, shares
We call it blueprinting. Every partner is blueprinted at the beginning of the year, and we use this to lead and manage our nonbillable time. Our nonbillable allocation comes first. We start out with 2,600 hours and decide together the most important thing a partner should accomplish and allocate time and resources to that. In our firm, available billable time for partners is what’s left over after we get them blueprinted for other things.
I am a huge believer in the teaching method of explaining, demonstrating, imitating, correcting, and then repetition. The old adage that practice makes perfect is untrue. Practice only makes permanent, and practicing the wrong methods will deepen those wrong methods in the fabric of your organization. The things that you teach are best demonstrated. It’s not what you say but what you do that speaks the loudest, whether it’s the act of being on time, showing respect, listening, challenging wrong thinking, or constantly teaching people how to perform at their peak level.
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