September 2006 Boomer Bulletin
Boomer Consulting is committed to offering innovative and relevant instruction as a valuable resource for our readers. Each month we feature an industry leader selected from our Boomer Technology Circles who shares his or her insights, wisdom and accomplishments. These feature writers offer the value you have come to expect from our publication.
Our contributing author for September is Corrine Kavanagh Fedje, the marketing coordinator for Boulay, Heutmaker, Zibell & Co. P.L.L.P (BHZ). Corrine is the marketing coordinator for BHZ.
August Circle Update
September 5 | by Ken McCall, MBA, MCP, CDIA+, Senior Consultant
August has been an exciting month for the Boomer Technology Circles! Our summer cycle of meetings kicked off when Circle #1 convened on Monday August 14, 2006. This was the first of two “1-2-1” meetings that featured two Circles meeting over a span of three days.
Your Perception of Client Service - Should it be Expanded?
September 5 | by Sue Thiemann, Director of First Impressions
Your perception or definition of good service shapes every interaction you have with your clients. If you hold the familiar idea that customer service is giving clients what they want, you likely back yourself into a corner every time a client asks for something that is impossible for you to provide.
Culture – A Sustainable Competitive Advantage
September 5 | Jim Boomer, MBA, Senior Consultant
Boomer Consulting has written numerous articles over the years and most have stressed, in some way, the importance of people and culture. Looking back on my MBA education at the University of Texas at Austin, I read nearly 200 case studies and can assure you this is not just a bunch of “touchy feely” rhetoric without merit. At the heart of every issue addressed were people and culture.
Performance
September 5 | by L. Gary Boomer, CPA, CITP, CEO
Charge hours have traditionally been the primary measure of performance for many firms. However, as the accounting industry moves away from an efforts based to results based economy—charge hours are now just one of many gauges the firm pilot must watch as he flies the plane.
Know Thy Firm
September 5 | by Douglas Donald, Publications Editor
Even in such technical lines as engineering, about 15% of one's financial success is due to one's technical knowledge and about 85% is due to skill in human engineering, to personality and the ability to lead people. - Dale Carnegie
Flex Appeal
September 5 | by Corrine Kavanagh Fedje, Boulay, Heutmaker, Zibell & Co. P.L.L.P.
Balancing our lives and our work is a challenge for everyone these days, and it’s not getting any easier—just when work demands more of our attention, so, it seems, does the rest of our lives: family, friends, relaxation, hobbies, other responsibilities. Striking the balance is difficult, and can seem impossible. So what’s an accountant to do?