Pete’s Blog

Mary Poppins Knew Best

From the desk of Peter Margaritis

petermargaritis-blog-marypoppinsknewbestWho is going to argue with the wisdom of, “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down?” Certainly not me. Think about it – I’m sure you do some form of this with your children, or dog, if you have either – in order to get them to digest something undesirable, but necessary. You add something sweet to go with it!

I am definitely in favor of taking this advice literally during the undesirable time of year that is busy season. Sweets and snacks made available during the long, endless hours of busy season can certainly go a long way, but so can something else that’s “sweet.” Humor.

Is there anything better than experiencing a really good laugh? It’s one of those sensations that lightens your mood, makes you want more. When something is funny, it feels good – it’s the sweet that can make the medicine of long hours taste a little better. So, why are so many workplaces seemly devoid of humor? The answer definitely depends on your culture and your colleagues. The point is, humor isn’t as common and present as it should be…and stress can be a big reason for that.

I get it; people are feeling tense. It’s a stressful election season, we’re in survival mode with ramped up deadlines, we’re all just trying to get through till quitting time. And let’s be honest, when you’re facing a tough deadline or enduring an impossible task, do you really want to be interrupted with some joker saying, “Hey, did you hear the one about the priest, the rabbi, and Bill Clinton walking into a bar?” Nope. Not the time, not interested. However, humor need not be a stand-up routine – it can be present in how you finish a request in an email, or a brief quip in passing to a colleague in the lunchroom. Perhaps you won’t get a belly-laugh each day at work, but you’ll be a part of lightening the mood and thereby making work more enjoyable for not only you but everyone on your team.

Here are some ideas of how to get your team on board to invite and enjoy a little humor this busy season:

  • Use the internet. Google any number of phrases “busy season laughs,” “accountant humor,” etc. to find funny accountant memes, hashtags, articles, and GIFS to enjoy throughout the season. Let us give thanks to the internet for being able to find stupid, yet funny relatable things for us to laugh about.
  • Schedule office get-togethers – even if brief (30 minutes) and in the break or lunch room. Give people a reason to take a break, interact, and enjoy something different whether it be a treat, reward, or lunch.
  • Keep a positive attitude – it can be contagious.

Busy season doesn’t last forever – but the memories (good ones!) can live on for a long time and, with just the right amount of humor and engagement, it can actually become a time of year your team doesn’t dread.

Start practicing using humor effectively every day by joining my Yes, And Challenge. Share your challenge insights on Twitter with #YesAndChallenge or The Accidental Accountant Facebook Page.

We All Want to Be Heard! (Especially Your Clients)

From the desk of Peter Margaritis

blog_we-all-want-to-be-heardThat time of year is quickly approaching. For many people that phrase elicits thoughts of changing leaves, football, hot cocoa, lots and lots of good food…all culminating in a grand holiday season. As an accountant however, I’m talking about another time of year…busy season…da da DAAA.

Sure, we enjoy fall and the beginning of the holiday season like anyone else; however, there’s the looming “fifth season” that others don’t get to enjoy (said with a tinge of sarcasm). What makes this such a dreaded time of year?! The hours, the deadlines, the stressed out clients and colleagues…need I list more?

Surely there’s something we can do to not dread the coming months? I’ve written a few blogs on the topic, which you can access here on how to cope and will continue to do so in the next couple of months. I do have something for you to consider however, over the next couple of months before January. It’s simply this: we all want to be heard…especially your clients. Being heard requires someone to actually listen. Listening requires putting our own agendas aside and prioritizing the person in front of us. Really listening to your colleagues and clients this busy season will make your life SO much better–why? People will feel heard, validated, and as a result they will feel positively toward you which will make your stress decrease significantly.

Of Course Improv Fits in Here…

The key to improvisation is listening to understand. When you’re not listening to those around you, how can you respond in a way that truly adds value to the interaction? It’s the same no matter the situation, a client meeting, speaking with your spouse, or meeting someone new—in each of these interactions we have a choice in how we’re going to engage.

A common game used to develop improvisational listening skills is called “Mr. Know-It-All.” It helps people drop their agenda, listen, and focus—to be in the moment. I sometimes introduce this game in my presentations by asking for three volunteers to sit up front and face the audience. “Together, these people are Mr. Know-It-All,” I’ll say, “and can answer any question—but just one word at time.” To demonstrate, I’ll ask something like: “Why is the sky blue?” I’ll turn to the first person, then the next, and the next—each providing a word as they attempt to construct a sentence to answer the question.

Inevitably, each volunteer has formed some kind of plan—or agenda—in their mind for how they want to answer. However, when the player before them doesn’t say something that fits their agenda they get flustered and have to scramble for a response.

We never want to be caught unaware! But that fear causes us to come up with a script or an idea before the person in front of you has even finished—or started in some cases! However, contrary to what you may be thinking, when you allow yourself to listen, you’ll naturally respond appropriately. That’s what your clients need and want. They want authentic feedback and guidance. They don’t want scripted/canned answers to their concerns.

When we listen to understand, solutions are created quicker and more effectively—and guess what?! That makes for a much easier work environment for you and your team. Join my Yes, And Challenge to start practicing better listening. Share your challenge insights on Twitter with #YesAndChallenge or The Accidental Accountant Facebook Page.

Getting Over SALY – What Next?

From the desk of Peter Margaritis

blog_getting-over-salyLast month on the blog we talked about breaking up with SALY – doing things the “same as last year.” SALY refers to this notion that we tend to do things the same way we did last year because, in some cases, it’s just the easiest. We get in a rut of doing what we think is easier, or don’t change because we somehow think we’re not supposed to.

As we start creeping up on busy season, it’s time to figure out what comes after deciding to dump SALY. If last year needed to improve, how is that going to happen? Getting better and improving doesn’t necessary mean you have to completely do away with what has been done, but it will require new ideas – which requires creativity – which requires everyone being confident in communicating those new ideas.

A Safe Place To Be Creative

David Kelley, CEO of legendary design firm, IDEO spoke about the importance of building creative confidence. He relayed the experience of a classmate of his early on in elementary school being ridiculed by a peer about the project he was trying to create. As a result, he immediately shut down and quit the project, feeling discouraged about his peer’s opinion. Kelley went on to talk about how we can often “opt out” of being creative due to this kind of experience – we tell ourselves that we’re not creative, so therefore it’s somehow true. He stressed how wrong this is, and how important it is for us to understand and realize that we are all naturally creative – we’re not divided up into “creatives” and “non-creatives.” That is the important thing for us all to realize – especially for those of us in technical professions, who otherwise considered “not creative.” We are in fact creative, and your involvement in the creative process is just as important as anyone else’s. I tend to think of creativity as the generation of ideas; so, the more, the better – especially if you’re going to get over SALY!

Getting Those Ideas Out

I often introduce a technique called mind mapping and clustering to help individuals share ideas. If you have an objective, think about things associated with that objective. Some will be attributes, and some will be details. From a creative perspective, once the mind is able to see the details and attributes, it often will connect the dots in new ways to produce novel associations and ideas.

For example, if your objective is to open a new restaurant, you start by considering some of the details and attributes of what you anticipate you will be doing. What type of food do you want to serve? Do you want to open it in the city or the countryside? Is there a particular theme you want to emphasize? What will be your reputation for service? As you imagine your restaurant, you will be able to list dozens of details, and they will readily cluster into attributes.

You just connect the dots. Whatever your dream, you can quickly create a specific picture from a general concept through this technique of mind mapping. It goes back to associations and the use of the improve principle, “yes, and…” In your brainstorming session, you take two things that may not seem to go together and put them together. That’s the essence of creativity – considering something that perhaps you haven’t considered before.

Implementing a Creative Workplace

In the end, the workplace needs leaders that inspire and encourage the expression of creativity. John Dragoon, CMO of Novell was quoted in Forbes speaking to this saying, “Truly creative leaders invite disruptive innovation, encourage others to drop outdated approaches and take balanced risks. They are open-minded and inventive in expanding their management and communication styles, particularly to engage with a new generation of employees, partners and customers.”

When it comes to creativity and generating ideas, all are needed and all are wanted. While what comes out might be a bit rough, with a little polishing and fine-tuning, the result can be quite extraordinary. Join my Yes, And Challenge to practice communication that fosters creativity and build new habits. Share your challenge insights on Twitter with #YesAndChallenge or The Accidental Accountant Facebook Page.

Dumping SALY

From the desk of Peter Margaritis

Dumping SALYNo…it’s not what you think, I haven’t switched my focus to dating – or dumping – advice. But dumping SALY? That I do want to talk you about. In fact, I offer a course that I call “How to Dump SALY” (an acronym for “same as last year”). SALY refers to this notion that we tend to do things the same way we did last year because, in some cases, it’s just the easiest. We get in a rut of doing what we think is easier or don’t change because we somehow think we’re not supposed to.

But that’s a big problem – SALY is hurting your creativity, SALY is getting in the way of improvement and progress. But, the idea of change can overwhelm, causing us to downplay the shortcomings SALY has, like maybe, just maybe it’s something that will get better with time, or you just need to change your point of view and magically your feelings will change.

It won’t get better. Just like a failing relationship, if the signs are there and you need to justify reasons why it’s not working…it’s time to let go!

It’s Not You, It’s Me – Or Maybe It’s Both Of Us…

I promise I’m not doling out bad dating advice, but when it comes to breaking up with SALY the steps may seem reminiscent of past high school relationship drama. How about the classic, “it’s not you, it’s me” phrase? What a line! And it’s typically one we’d rather not be on the receiving end of.

People who are perhaps afraid of commitment usually deliver this line, but more than that, they are always looking forward to the next thing. On the other hand, as humans we can become lazy– it can be easy to fall into the same ol’ same ol’ just simply because it’s “easy.” But that’s not good enough.

In business, we should be using a variation of this go-to phrase. We should pull the, “It’s you…AND it’s me” routine often. Maybe there isn’t anything particularly wrong with how things are now, but they could be better and eventually what is currently “just fine” could become a liability for your business. The truth is, we need to dump SALY and find new, creative ways of doing things. SALY is an inherent risk in our profession.

It’s Time for a Change

Change is necessary, and usually the idea of it is welcomed in conversation, but actually doing it is difficult. For instance, if you have been doing things with clients or customers the same way for a long time, you face a hidden risk, and it could be explosive. It could bring down a company. If you are not thinking, asking the right questions, and coming up with creative approaches, you could shut yourself down. As Mark Zuckerberg, CEO and Co-founder of Facebook, has said, “The biggest risk is not taking any risk…In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.”

So, while SALY may be just ok, SALY isn’t good enough for you – so, go on, dump SALY.

Find the courage to move forward with my “Yes, And” Challenge. Sign-up to receive my weekly challenge designed to help you find creative ways to build new habits and improve the way you communicate. Share your challenge insights on Twitter with #YesAndChallenge or The Accidental Accountant Facebook Page.

Managing Your Inner Critic

From the desk of Peter Margaritis

Silence Your Inner CriticYou’ve no doubt heard me reference your “inner critic.” There’s a reason: it’s in all of us and it never goes on vacation. In fact, it prides itself on showing up every day, constantly giving opinions on anything and everything you do. It especially likes to be present when you are supposed to speak – and tends to get even louder and persistent. This critic of yours is real and it causes real stress.

Silencing Your Inner Critic

Like an unpleasant distant relative, your inner critic will always be a force to deal with – but you can learn to manage it successfully. There are two main ways to successfully silence the critic inside of you: changing the dialogue and not expecting perfection.

  1. Change the Conversation

If you haven’t read about “yes, and…” versus “yes, but…” you can do so here. Understanding this method of communication will be invaluable to you conquering the critic inside. Think about the difference between “but” vs. “and.” Using “but” introduces a contrasting thought and stops the other in its tracks. “And” connects one thought with another – allowing both to be considered jointly. So for instance, you could be saying to yourself, “yes, you have been asked to give this presentation, but you’ll do awful.” Or, you could turn it into the following, “yes, you have been asked to give this presentation, and you can do it.” When you make this switch, you develop confidence. Escort your fears right out the door by extending it with “yes, and…” thereby transforming the fear into a statement of confidence.

  1. There’s No Room for Perfection

It’s not possible for humans to be perfect – so stop expecting yourself to be perfect. Here’s the thing, if you can comfortably accept that, you’ll do and feel great.   The inner critic will chant, “something will go wrong…” and yes, there is a possibility that something may not go how you plan it. If you expect perfection, you will be disappointed. Yes, you will make a mistake, probably more than one, and most of the time, unless it’s a real blooper, the only person who knows about it is you. Your listeners won’t pick up on it – so, don’t worry about it! And guess what? When you’re not so focused on it, you’ll be less likely to make mistakes. However, making mistakes isn’t so bad…in fact being vulnerable can win over an audience. Check out the TED talk given by Megan Washington, a premier Australian singer/songwriter. When she opens her speech, you are immediately aware that she has a speech impediment, or stutter. Throughout the presentation, the audience watches her struggle from time to time to get certain words out, but it doesn’t matter…her vulnerability warmed the audience to her, keeping them engaged up until the moment she disclosed a deeply personal fact: you can’t stutter when you sing. At this point she plays and sings a beautiful song perfectly, ending with a roaring applause from the audience.

Allow yourself to be mindful of your inner critic enough to be self-aware, but learn how to manage it and you’ll have greater confidence and success in your next presentation – and throughout life in general!

Take the “Yes, And” Challenge and start silencing your inner critic today. Sign-up to receive my weekly challenge designed to help you find creative ways to build new habits and improve the way you communicate. Share your challenge insights on Twitter with #YesAndChallenge or The Accidental Accountant Facebook Page.