PURPOSE
"To make a difference helping firms build and integrate services by sharing real-life experiences."
THE
BLOG
INTRODUCTORY INTERVIEW WITH GREG BARBER
Thank you for visiting my new website as I continue to launch my practice that focuses on helping accounting firms build and integrate non-traditional services.
Below are links to a 3-part introductory interview that should provide you with a good understanding of who I am and my perspective on many topics relating to building and integrating non-traditional services. Andy Armanino, the recently retired managing partner of Armanino, LLP posed the questions to me for this interview. You might say Andy and I were among some of the first modern day pioneers that began building and integrating these new services within our firms in the 1980’s, so our perspectives on some very fundamental critical success factors are quite similar. As always Andy, thanks for your help!
The topics I cover in each of these three parts are as follows:
Part 1… A little about my background, the focus of my practice and why building and integrating new non-traditional services is so important today. READ HERE
Part 2… Why our profession has fallen behind on delivering more valued services and the Pyramid of Success model I developed that is a tool for firms to use to properly build and integrate new services. READ HERE
Part 3… A few recommendations for firms to follow today to accelerate the building of new services and how my advisory practice is a bit different than most out there today. READ HERE
After you read my introductory interview and review the content of my website you should have a good understanding of my background, the focus of my practice and how I might be able to help.
Thanks for your time and would welcome any feedback you wish to offer.
GB
"Pyramid of Success"
WORTH SHARING
Thoughts & Perspectives
7/27/2020
A Benefit From the Pandemic
One of the most respected authorities on impacting change within an organization is John P. Kotter, the author of the best seller, “Leading Change.” Kotter believes that the most significant key ingredient any organization must have in order to make significant change is a “sense of urgency.” As we all know by now, COVID-19 has turned our world upside down, challenging just about all we do and how we do it. It’s also woken up those within organizations that scoff at making change because they believe the root cause driving any sort of change will quickly blow over. Well, this one is not. So to all you Managing Partners out there, take advantage of these unprecedent times and leverage the heightened sense of urgency within your organizations to challenge the services you provide clients, how you provide them, and maybe most importantly, who you serve.
8/03/2020
Are You Having The Right Conversations With Your Clients?
In a recent conversation I had with the Managing Partner of a significant firm, I asked him, “If it were not for the pandemic and all it’s impacted in your firm, what is the most significant issue within your firm that makes you lay awake at night?” Without hesitation, he said, “We are still not having the right conversations with over 70% of our clients.” What he meant by this is that his people are simply not discussing and helping these clients address the most significant business issues within their business. He went on to say that yes, they do not have the resources right now internally to actually help clients address many of their significant business issues, however, this should not stop them from at least helping clients figure out how to address the issues, and then to simply help find people that can. I told him that I could not agree with him more and that if people within his firm are struggling with this issue, just think about all those practitioners in firms with far less resources and the challenges they face. He said, “Yes, I know, which is the reason why we are ramping up all efforts on “the right conversation training” so that as this pandemic loosens its hold, we will be ready to target the significant population of businesses being underserved by most firms.” Question… are you one of those firms?