accountantscoach

Reasons to be Cheerful - part 1

2009-10-11T17:34:27+01:00

Problem solving: Can we fix it? Yes we can! Accountants solve problems. From CCAB syllabuses, to job ads, to client expectations, there's no denying that problem solving is a core professional skill. Just think about the problems you solve every...

Making happy accountants

2009-09-30T14:56:04+01:00

So you want to be happy? Simple: just shut your eyes and wish hard! Wham-bang, you’re happy! That’s Positive Thinking, and people (yes even us amongst us cynical Brits?) buy into it. Do you swallow that? Many don’t. Some people...

Are you an adult, parent, or child accountant?

2009-09-22T10:30:00+01:00

What’s your take on Jekyll and Hyde, one-and-the-same protagonists of Stevenson’s tale of a physician and his murderous Other Self? Gothic Horror nonsense? Real human behaviour, albeit psychopathological? Or something closer to home? To put it another way, how do...

Accountants get into the Groove!

2009-09-19T11:34:39+01:00

Two questions for you. Firstly, when and where do you enjoy yourself most? And please, keep it to yourself! Although in fact we already know, because Chicago’s Professor Csiksentmihaly has established exactly when we enjoy ourselves most. It’s when we’re...

Exclusive offers for subscribers to ICAEW Alerts

2009-09-18T10:34:00+01:00

2 very special offers...... OFFER NO 1 from theaccountantscoach.com A one hour telephone coaching session with writer and coach, Carol McLachlan FCA, theaccountantscoach This is an exclusive opportunity to experience executive coaching completely free, no-strings attached. You can use your...

more info on theaccountantscoach offer to Subscribers of ICAEW alerts

2009-09-17T09:28:00+01:00

Have you read this months article in Audit and Beyond, 'Ch...ch...changes: turn and face the strain'? Writer and coach, Carol McLachlan FCA, theaccountantscoach is making a very special offer available to subscribers of ICAEW Alerts. This is an exclusive opportunity...

RHITG BRIAN OR LTEF BRIAN? WHAT A NO-BRAINER!

2009-09-14T19:49:20+01:00

If yeou’r rignead tish Nelswetter yeou’r prolbaby an accatnount, therefore a left-brainer. If, however, you successfully decipher these first few lines, you have something of the right-brainer. So contagrulantios, you’re moving towards being a whole-brainer! And whole-brainerdom is good: it...

Confidence without the Tricks (2)

2009-09-11T11:28:45+01:00

It’s time for the mouse to ROAR - or at least speak firmly without nervously twitching whiskers! Here are twelve tips on acquiring and developing self-confidence. Click here to read the full newsletter.

Confidence without the tricks (1)

2009-04-27T11:49:00+01:00

Remember Oz, where the mighty Wizard was really an old man pulling levers and speaking through a microphone? Or the Vikings - fearless fighters, but likely fuelled with drugs and alcohol? All too often, self-confidence seems like a smoke and...

Procrastinate? Me? Can't it wait?

2009-04-24T11:48:45+01:00

Ah yes, our old friend, procrastination. Thief of time, wrecker of careers, mother of painful regret: ‘If only I’d...’ We’re here again because, once you’ve fixed your goals and deadlines, you’ve got to make them stick: as emphasised in recent...

Learn to work your Cerebral Assets

2009-04-14T18:34:00+01:00

The way you think can be a key factor in your success - and many people are failing to use their intellectual resources in the most effective way. Read the full article that I wrote for ICAEW's Finance & Management...

TopCAATs: the auditor's indisputed leader of the gang

2009-04-13T11:29:08+01:00

Love the name, love the product. This is a dream product for 'regular' auditors, like me, with a far from sophisticated IT skillset. Did you ever baulk (or blow the budget) when expected to wheel out CAATs on a sporadic...

Time Management not working? Try Time Leverage

2009-04-11T18:43:00+01:00

The following article first appeared in the ICAEW's Finance & Management journal March 2009. Have you reviewed your own ROI? If not, 2009 is the year to get your personal assets working more smartly. Forget the results by volume approach....

Time Leverage

2009-04-08T18:58:18+01:00

ICAEW's Faculty of Finance & Management presents Carol McLachlan, Introducing 'time leverage' Thursday 30 April 2009 18:00 - 19:00 Chances are 2009 is still ushering in a troupe of challenges, complexities and unprecedented change, not just in the economy but...

The Wheel of Life

2009-03-31T16:09:54+01:00

One of the most powerful coaching tools I use is the Wheel of Life. It's a simple tool which helps determine the current focus of your time and energy. This in turn can help identify areas of relative neglect and...

It's February. Running on empty?

2009-03-04T00:27:00+00:00

Whoopee! It's gone. January, farewell, the accountant's hell, season of deadlines, screaming fits and stimulant-fuelled all-nighters: our pressure cooker month. At last the pressure's off and we can sit back and...what? Go on working like crazy, that's what - because...

Q&A: specialisation on CA qualification

2009-03-03T11:53:00+00:00

I was wondering if you could highlight some of the specialisation available in the global industry after obtaining the CA qualification (the degree I am doing is audit focused). I am from South Africa, and the only obvious paths here...

Q&A: MSc to auditing

2009-02-27T11:49:58+00:00

I am currently studying an Msc in Audit Management and Consultancy at Birmingham City University which I will finish in September. My first degree was in History and I have two years banking experience, but not in Internal Audit. I...

Happy or not, it's another new year

2009-02-22T16:21:00+00:00

Any new year is a different year, and I’m betting 2009 is going to be seriously different: tougher than 2008 and unprecedentedly complex, a proper you-ain’t-seen-nothing-yet year. So ring out the old, ring in the new, and out with old...

Stressmass, twixtmas and an accountant's worklife balance

2009-02-20T16:20:08+00:00

Christmas is coming but it’s actually twixtmas and the bleakness of January that are the real killers for many of us accountants. Our business diaries are black with deadlines; our personal pages are bare. And we say ‘that’s life!’ Accountants?...

Q&A: Career plan for auditing

2009-02-17T11:04:00+00:00

I am AAT qualified and an ACCA finalist. I ‘m currently in the process of obtaining a degree in Accountancy as I feel it’s important to have a degree qualification. (I only have to do the final level as exempted...

Q&A: Audit career for ACCA

2009-02-14T11:02:00+00:00

I am ACCA part Qualified, still studying. I am really interested in taking a pathway into audit. At the time of this mail I have got no work experience. How can you help me - even for a voluntary role...

Q&A: Audit qualifications for the UK market

2009-02-12T10:59:51+00:00

I would like your help in deciding about which qualification is more suitable for me in the UK job market. I am based in Pakistan and shall be moving to the UK with a valid work permit. I have about...

Accountants: celebrating our assets

2009-02-10T00:51:00+00:00

'Walk tall, walk straight, and look the world right in the eye’ (The Popes) Er, yes, I know it’s a song about a jailbird – but hey! What a fantastic motto for a profession: what a fantastic motto for our...

Multi-tasking: eradicating the blight

2009-02-07T00:46:00+00:00

The sign of the times? ...Banks collapsing? Or how about a bunch of tourists, oblivious to the fragrant beauty of Granada’s Generalife gardens, absorbed in texting? That’s where we were last newsletter. Everywhere technologies crowding in and human wit crowded...

Multi-tasking: modern work place blight

2009-02-05T12:45:40+00:00

Those Ancient Greek giants with fifty heads and a hundred hands apiece must have been whizzo multitaskers. Computers are. You, if human,are not. Almost certainly, however, you are expected to be, have claimed to be, or aspire to be, an...

An Accountant, a Comedian and a Parrot went to the HMRC

2009-01-28T15:44:00+00:00

This month, it’s all about me: a true-life case study. What I’ve done, what it’s done for me and what it could do for you. I’ve been up to funny business. No, not embezzling clients’ funds. I’m talking about learning...

Busy being Busy. An Accountants' Parable

2009-01-26T15:39:00+00:00

We’re busy being busy Working the whole day through, Stressed-out accountants Effective or Efficient, Which one are you? You think that last line’s not a showstopper? Oh, yes it is - because strenuous, misdirected effort will eventually stop your show....

How to Grow Your Practice In a Recession

2009-01-26T13:49:26+00:00

A specially designed Workshop for forward-thinking Partners and Practice Owners “How to Grow Your Practice In a Recession” A specially designed Workshop for forward-thinking Partners and Practice Owners Practice owners and partners, now learn the tried, tested and proven critical...

The Accountant says No! Say it. Mean it. Love it.

2009-01-22T15:35:13+00:00

A long day gets longer. Interruptions. Phone calls. Endless emails! Your 9 pm dinner date is looking as remote and as jolly as Scott’s Last Camp - and suddenly they’ve called an unscheduled team meeting! Wow! You’re so popular! But...

Q&A: Big 4 audit

2009-01-20T19:00:00+00:00

I am an ACCA Professional Stage student in Nigeria. I work as finance manager for a small privately owned company but my real desire is to work in audit for one of the Big four audit firms. The challenge is...

Q&A: AAT career in audit

2009-01-18T18:53:00+00:00

I am currently trying to embark on a career in audit. I hold a degree in an unrelated discipline and would like advice on what is the best qualification to obtain. I am registered disabled through an accident and am...

Q&A: Graduate audit, non relevant degree

2009-01-16T18:48:00+00:00

I am currently at the stage of final assessment for various firms for a graduate audit position. I do not have an accounting background (degree in Biology) but have read up on auditing and have a fairly good feel for...

Q&A: audit and accountancy job moves in the recession

2009-01-15T18:33:58+00:00

“Considering the current state of the UK economy, is now a good time to move jobs?” The current credit crunch and its implications - alarming forecasts of slashed consumer spending and imminent job losses – is never out of the...

The Emotionally Intelligent Accountant

2008-12-31T00:20:00+00:00

Emotional Intelligence (EI) or EQ refers to the ability to understand your emotions, responses and behaviours. EI matters. EI includes self-awareness, impulse/mood control, persistence, personal motivation in the face of frustrations and the ability to keep distress from affecting the...

Introducing The Accountants Circle: save time, deliver more

2008-12-09T14:52:27+00:00

If you haven't found them yourselves, let me introduce you to an exciting new set of services from the fantastic, innovative Accountants Circle. This is something rather different. The Accountants Circle offers a unique approach to working with accountants. The...

Compliance Problems? Compliance Solutions......

2008-11-07T15:08:00+00:00

theaccountantscoach is delighted to introduce and recommend PCP. PCP Limited provides training and consultancy support for accountancy practices worldwide. They offer a range of technical products, courses and on and off site consultancy services to help you to cope with...

A problem shared - a problem solved

2008-09-26T11:11:11+01:00

Click on the link to read the first re-vamped newsletter from theaccountantscoach - May 2008. To get personal and professional development tips, especially for accountants, direct to your inbox, email me at info@theaccountantscoach.com

Mind Maps for Accountants

2008-09-15T14:52:00+01:00

A system to remember your presentation so you don’t have to read your notes A technique that helps you take a project, see the big picture, focus on the key areas and understand all the inter-connections A means of making...

From BeanCounter to LionTamer: smashing the accountant stereotype

2008-08-24T00:24:00+01:00

From Beancounter to Liontamer was the subject of my most recent contribution to Accountingweb. You can read the full article here. However, the topic of accountant stereotypes is also the subject of my first short stint in stand up comedy....

Health coaching to optimise your well being

2008-05-31T15:34:00+01:00

Poor concentration? Fatigue? Mental fog? Suspected food sensitivities? Faulty sleep patterns? Susceptible to every bug that’s going around? Sound familiar? Or perhaps you have multiple health niggles. Individual niggles which seem too trivial to see a doctor, but en mass...

Especially for accountants

2008-05-16T19:14:54+01:00

You’re a busy accountant over-committed, under pressure, daily challenged, in an environment of increasing technical complexity.

Accountants' CPD - The other P in CPD

2008-04-24T07:32:00+01:00

Accountants - there are two Ps in our CPD too. Anything from negotiation skills and personal effectiveness to learning Spanish could be classed as CPD.

Accountancy Training & Development - revised, reborn, refurbished. How you can maximise your ROI on your own Accountancy Training & Development

2008-04-23T08:45:15+01:00

Accountants, how often do we consider what our job is really about? Or look at skills development that would really serve us well? Or put another way, how often are we sitting through courses or read bumph, that's pretty much irrelevant to real life at the coalface?

Q&A: small firm to big 4

2008-04-15T16:44:22+01:00

I am working in a small firm as an audit senior, responsible for preparing accounts (60%) and audit (40%). I’ve now been offered a job as a Big Four Assistant Manager. I understand that auditing under ISA is about identifying...

Q&A: finding your next audit role

2008-04-15T16:31:17+01:00

I’m an Internal Audit manager. I had been making enquiries about alternative employment only to be served with a letter giving me 3 weeks notice (I am entitled to 3 months). I have been employed with the organisation for 9...

Accountants, are you visually, auditory or kinaesthetically preferred?

2008-04-11T00:38:00+01:00

You'll know by now that we each have a preferred thinking and learning style, from my recent articles. And now you have the opportunity to identify your own preferences in 3 simple steps: Click and download the list of indicators...

Q&A: asking for a raise

2008-04-03T18:30:39+01:00

I feel 2007 was a very good year in terms of my productivity for the company, how do I approach my boss about a raise? Great start! You’ve already tied the cost to the benefit. It might seem obvious but in any commercial organisation, it’s going to be vital to establish that connection between ‘cause and effect’. You’ve made that link by relating your request for a raise directly to the measurable benefit that you’ve conferred on the company.

Q&A: change of clients

2008-04-03T18:18:31+01:00

What’s the best way to approach the partnership about changing clients? First be clear in your own mind why you want to change clients. If it is due to a short-term, one off issue relating to chemistry/relationships or ability to do the job, then act now. It could prove an ethical matter if there are implications in the standard of your work. However, if it’s more to do with career progression, personal strengths, likes/dislikes then you can afford to take a more measured approach

Q&A: from audit to management consultancy

2008-04-03T18:11:58+01:00

I am very interested in moving from the audit into the general management consulting of my company – what’s the best way to go about this? This will be a competitive move and first impressions count. Consequently, before you ‘go live’ with your career aspirations, ensure you are knowledgeable about the sector, understand what’s expected in the role and can articulate your personal differentiator. Bearing in mind these three key requirements, here’s some tips to help.