Forward Looking Business Training

  Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs. Unknown. Are your expectations being met? Sometimes we find ourselves in a place where the work ethic, training, and standards are not what we have become accustomed too, and our expectations are viewed as unreasonable. We have experienced this first hand living and operating a business in a foreign country. Should we lower our standards and expectations? Or should we strive to improve those of the ones around us? Rome wasn’t built in a day, and it takes a certain person to keep it moving forward. It took a great deal of work to raise the bar to where it is; don’t let it come down.  Let’s share some examples of what we have experienced, and how we overcame it:

  Relying on one platform for all of your communications with clients may not be in your best interest. Service interruptions and business philosophy conflicts are some of the reasons relying on one provider may be problematic (have you been in jail with your social media account?); however, an important consideration is your potential client base just might be somewhere else. While working with multiple platforms may be cumbersome, it may be to your advantage. Take the time to research where your potential clients frequent, and reach out to them. Forward Looking Solutions can now be found on Linkedin in addition to our blog page; let's have a discussion on your experiences, and what has worked well for your industry.    https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-w-elliot-cpa-cga-391094200

 Be careful answering social media posts such as pet names, first car driven, and facts that may lead to your full date of birth! These may seem fun and harmless but may be data mining for answers to secret questions which may be used to compromise your accounts via password resets. I see this every day, and not all are obvious; however, combined with many other questions, may direct someone to the common security questions. A professional interviewer will ask you a series of unrelated harmless questions in order to put you at ease, and assess your reaction to questions you have no reason to lie about; then they will hit you with the odd question they really want an answer too, but may randomly throw them in so it does not appear obvious.  Many of the questions asked in these social media surveys are directly related to some of the common access/password reset questions,  and others are indirect; when combined with other questions and information, this can lead a professi...

  Do you want to scream every time you hear the phrase ˋThe New Normal?’ Working from home and meeting or learning on-line has been a great contingency plan; but let’s get real, we can’t do this forever... at least I won’t!  On-line meetings and workshops cannot provide the dynamics of in person interaction; for those who think I’m a dinasour for saying this, think about your personal/intimate relationships, and about that night out on the town you are planning with your friends the minute you are able. Personally, I look forward to standing in front of you with my clicker in one hand, whitebard marker in the other, and walking from table to table to see how you’re doing on the group assignment I have given you. Let's start the dialogue on the benefits of face to face interation, and why we need to get back to it; for Example: Getting up in the morning, getting ready for work including changing from our pajamas to real clothes, stopping at your favourite coffee shop, greeting ...

  “Do you remember when I talked about people skills being the most important part of being an Accountant Melissa?” “Yes I do.” “Once you get that into your head, the next is getting to know your clients and their business. Regardless of what they do: manufacturing, services, government, or private sector, people have a passion for what they do, and you taking an honest interest in them, and their business is paramount to a good working relationship.” “I never imagined that as an Accountant, I would put on a pair of hard toe boots and a helmet, and learn everything there is to know about making ice, including the systems used to power the facility.” “But that’s precisely what an Accountant needs to do Melissa.” Excerpt from our book The Beancounter available on Amazon Kindle.  Amazon.com: The Beancounter: The business student's guide to the real world eBook: Elliot CPA CGA, Daniel W: Kindle Store A good leadership coach or business consultant will have same or similar transfer...

 There are times where we find ourselves less than enthusiastic about out lives and what we are doing with them. This can include our family or employment situation as well as our health and fitness. The Pandemic makes things even more difficult, and the handling of it by the authorities can sometimes amplify the situation.  In the end it is up to us what we do in these circumstances: do we remain in our pajamas and waste the day surfing the internet, or do we get dressed and get back to work? Do we crack open the liquor cabinet at noon, or do we lace up and take a 5 kilometer walk? For those who are able to work from home, and let's be realistic, this is not possible in most professions, nothing compares to getting up in the morning, going to the office, having that first cup of coffee with co-workers, and having those interactions. You can find creative ways to still do these things through electronic platforms. For those who are told to work from home yet the daycares are c...

Forward Looking does not mean forgetting about the past; rather, we use it to remind us of what didn’t work, and provide insight of what we might do differently the next time. Looking in the rearview mirror also tells us what is about to pass us, which in its own way, is looking forward. Use what you have learned to your advantage, the good and the bad, and keep one eye on what is coming up behind you.