Changing Face of the Profession
MHF : How do we engage each other so this collaborative Coolest Professional Around gets traction ?
SD : We start with engaging other business professionals , attorneys , investment advisers and bankers . It ’ s important for us to clarify what we do , how we do it and what we want to work on . That way , we can really be of service . I also feel we have to inform our staff . Sometimes , firms try to do everything possible to retain them but , in the end , limit team members ’ opportunities . It ’ s important to make sure that you are engaging your staff and making sure that they ’ re in the career that they want . To accomplish that , move them around in different departments to work with other team members .
We had a receptionist become an enrolled agent . I noticed and listened to how well she interacted with clients . There was so much more to her . That ’ s just about awareness , listening to people around you and not pigeon-holing them into what they ’ re currently doing .
We need to start young . It ’ s part of the education process of helping people understand what we do , what our role is and how we help people .
When I ’ m meeting with a senior partner of a law firm , real estate professionals or other business advisers , I ’ ll bring along someone with less experience so they can learn and participate — and I ask the other person to bring someone younger along as well .
JM : I think the question should be , how should we engage ? Many of the people coming into the profession learn about it through their professors primarily . I don ’ t know many who are in school that are getting a lot of 1-on-1 contact with people in the profession .
AM : In my experience , my Accounting I and II professor would talk a lot about his experiences as an auditor . He would share his experiences based on our lecture .
JM : Because there are so many different areas we ’ re involved in , we have to educate people about the diversity of our practices : valuation , mergers and acquisitions , business management , tax audit — all the things that they don ’ t necessarily teach in school .
Our job is to make sure — when we go to meet the firms events or meet with department chairs at universities — that we