Service, Prosperity and Sanity; Positioning the Professional Service Firm for the Future - Softcover

Plake, Mike; Winkler, Wendy E.

9780966601107: Service, Prosperity and Sanity; Positioning the Professional Service Firm for the Future

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0966601106 ISBN 13: 9780966601107

Publisher: Maxwell Locke & Ritter, 1998

Business leaders today are puzzled by Generation-X employees who'd rather play Frisbee with their dogs in the park than put in the long hours needed to 'keep up with the Jones's.' Traditional approaches to dealing with employee retention, rapid technological advancements, changing consumer demographics and increased competition are proven failures. Success requires a sustained, coordinated effort that goes beyond all the business buzz words of the day.

Earl Maxwell shares the story of his six-year voyage through the maze of cultural change, organizational restructure and the continuous quest for improved client service in his tell-all book, Service, Prosperity and Sanity.

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From the Author:

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result." One of my partners referred to this well-known quotation during a strategic planning session in early 1993 as we focused on our CPA firm's financial results since its inception in early 1991. The discussion that ensued had a profound impact on our firm, and fundamentally changed our business culture and operating systems. As we embarked on our journey, we could not find a case study involving a professional service firm that had fundamentally changed its business culture to better position itself for the future. We could not find a firm that seriously redefined its culture to incorporate the concepts implemented by manufacturing, retail and distribution companies. There were some isolated examples of professional service firms implementing certain concepts, but we found no firm attempting the systemic change that we believed necessary. Most reengineering efforts of professional service firms focused on converting the culture from one in which managers and partners took orders and relied on referrals, to a role in which they aggressively marketed their services. No one seemed serious about turning the traditional model upside down and implementing the systemic changes which were necessary. Professional service firms face a future filled with exploding technology, too little time and too much information. It's dangerous out there. The wrong moves can spell the death of your business enterprise. And the cost of doing nothing--well, nobody can afford that. We have not only chronicled our journey in this book; we share our story of how we learned principles and techniques which can allow a business not only to survive the future, but flourish. We encourage you to tap into our firm's experience, strength and hope on critical issues such as the changing nature of financial services, the emerging workforce, open book management, profit sharing methodologies that really work, and most importantly, the development of values in your workplace that change the lives of your associates. Preparing a professional service firm for the future actually means transforming your business from top to bottom. This book is the story of how a small group of people radically changed the traditional model of a professional service firm in order to position themselves for the future. It explains how our firm chose not to participate in the declining profit trends of the public accounting profession. Although this book is not a "how-to" self-help practice management book, it is full of concepts and ideas that you can adapt to your firm's unique situation. Finally, this book provides a benchmark from which to begin an internal process of change to allow the professional service firm to take advantage, rather than become victims, of the following external forces:

Increased Consumer Demand

Heightened Work Force Expectation

Changing Demographics

Technological Advances It is not the purpose of this book to convince anyone of the need for redefining the organizational structure of the professional service firm. It does not devote much space to the history that led to the rapid rate of change we are experiencing, nor to the changes that are ahead of us. I believe we have only seen the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the changes that are ahead. This book does not provide the technical guidance that supports reengineering concepts. In this respect, it does not focus on the academics of management philosophies or organizational behavior. Instead, it refers to some of the books and reference materials which people in our firm read as we became convinced that unless we changed the model of our firm, we would be out of business in five years. This book is for business leaders who are already absolutely convinced of the changing environment, and of the impact those changes will have on their business. Prospective readers are already struggling with how to go about redefining their own professional service firm. The purpose of this book is to help firm leaders deal with questions such as: How do I convince my partners (especially the older ones) of the need to change?

How will our people react to these changes?

What will our clients think?

How many of our people are capable of making these changes?

How long will it take?

How soon can we begin to see positive results?

What can we expect to go wrong?

What kind of help will we need?

How do we begin? This book provides a practical guide to reengineering the professional service firm. If you are not in a leadership role but have access to a leader, you may want to read this book. I hope you enjoy the Journey!!!

-- Earl Maxwell

From the Back Cover:

"a guide to managing the 21st century workplace. Here are scores of practical ideas for creating a healthier, more profitable company by better leveraging the intelligence, skills and commitment of those working in it. Maxwell shows how the success of a service firm is quite naturally tied to the self interest of its employees." Elizabeth Bradshaw, CEO, Ginny's Printing & Copying

"It is great to see a CPA firm employ many if the business practices used by the technology industry for many years." Jerry Carlson, Retired Site Manager, IBM

"Maxwell's journey is proof positive that, by humanizing what was once a threat-driven sweat shop environment, and by placing the focus on high quality services, the profession service form of the future and its members will prosper and actually enjoy what they do." Gus Garcia, Mayor Pro-Tem

"Professional service firms commonly find it difficult to apply management theory to their business model. Earl Maxwell provides a practical, common-sense guide of his firm's experiences." Keith Shuley, Partner, Brown, McCarroll & Oaks Hartline, LLP

"Service, Prosperity & Sanity contains information that will help your professional service form face real life business issues to prepare for the millennium. These are proactive solutions to issues faced by companies daily." Carol Thompson, Founder and CEO, The Thompson Group

"Maxwell ... offers a unique approach that will stimulate your thinking and help your firm retain and nurture its most important asset...its people. If you discover one good idea that helps you motivate and keep one good person, your time reading this book will have been a worthwhile investment." Doug Thompson, President, Accounting Firms Associated, inc.

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