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Pride Can Prevent a Fall
Richard Brewin • April 24, 2020
We’re told that pride comes before a fall.
Looking into the origin of this, what the King James version of the Bible actually says is that “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18), a warning that arrogance and complacency will lead to failure.
So what’s the flipside for pride? Surely, creating or doing something that you are proud of is a good thing?
I talk a lot about creating your five star firm. It’s a deliberately subjective term that allows you to measure your success by your own benchmarks rather than those set by others. And one of those benchmarks for achieving your five star firm is in creating something that you are proud of.
If you are going to build a ‘pride’ benchmark into your strategies then you’re going to have to get a bit more specific in order to ensure that the plans you are following will achieve what will make you proud.
What are the things that would make you proud of your firm? Have you ever really thought about this, even listed them down?
It’s likely that there will be short term, medium term and long term objectives.
In the short term it could be things such as making a positive difference to a client, giving a team member an opportunity, getting a great testimonial.
In the medium term it could be consistently delivering on all of the short term goals plus hitting your growth targets, refurbishing your offices, seeing your team qualify.
In the long term it could be consistently delivering on all your short and medium term goals plus hitting your ultimate vision (you’ll need to know what this is of course but that’s another story).
These are just examples but you need to know your version so that you can then say, “Right, how am I going to do this? What’s my plan for making sure that I’m proud of my firm?”.
Business leaders rightly will have plans for the growth of their firms but surely the ultimate plan has to be the one that makes you most proud of your achievements?
Go make yourself proud!
Accountants selling to their clients is a topic as old as the profession itself. I regularly hear criticism from those looking to monetise the accountants’ relationships with their clients that “accountants can’t sell”. I also come across an attitude within the profession that “accountants shouldn’t sell to their clients…it’s unprofessional…it’s not what my clients expect”. Let’s tackle the issue.
Back in the 60’s and 70’s, when I was a lad, doing the family laundry was a time consuming chore. Mum would disappear into the kitchen and close the door so that the noise around the rest of the house was at least manageable. She would be in there for hours, swapping between washing, rinsing and squeezing out. Every so often the noise level would resemble a fighter jet taking off on an aircraft carrier as the tumbler element kicked in and then she’d reappear, wooden tongs in hand, to ask for help to reposition the twin tub that had danced across the kitchen floor.
Do I deal with the client who is shouting the loudest, the most pressing deadline, the thing that is most stressing me out, the best thing for my cash position, the team member who is stuck without my help, the thing that I had set out to do today or any one of all those other issues that are lined up at my door? I would love to give you a definitive or simple answer but, of course, there isn’t one. Welcome to every day decision-making, not just in an accounting firm but in life!
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