From the Boomer Bridging the Gap blog. The new collaborative workforce has turned the rules of leadership upside down and shaken them vigorously for good measure. Where there was once a fairly defined hierarchy—Boss A tells Worker B what to do and B does it—there’s now a flat landscape where everyone is expected to take the reins as needed. That means if B has an idea—a way to make a process more efficient or a new way to get client feedback—he or she is allowed, even expected, to make it happen. In other words, everyone is now a leader. This is great news for entrepreneurially minded staff—but it does pose a challenge for an employee who wants to create change but doesn’t “officially” run the show. It can be more...

You may be missing out on the best way to get real feedback from your clients. Likewise, your clients might be missing out on the same information from their customers. The secret to finding out what they think about you? Ask them. "The thing is, lots of businesses ask about personal infromation, while deglecting more important questions, " according to Daniela Baker, who writes for WorkAwesome. The key topics she suggests asking customers: How did you find out about us? What would you do if we disappeared? What helped you decide to buy from us? Do you think you'll shop more or less with us in the future? Who do you see as our major competitors? How have our products or services made your life better, easier or more fun...

From CPA Practice Advisor's Bleeding Edge Blog . You would think, with Facebook now surpassing the 1 billion subscriber mark, that accounting firms would be happy using social networks as part of their marketing strategy. Instead, my survey indicates just the opposite. Admittedly, my survey is informal and lacking in most of the things I learned to look for in the three times I have taken statistical analysis at the post-graduate level. But when a company as prestigious as Ford Motor Company announces that Facebook ads don’t work, I tend to pay attention. Add to that the fact that Facebook is diddling with its ad formulas in ways that don’t benefit its advertisers. And the bizarre announcement this week that the social network...

From the Blog: Bridging the Gap A far too common myth in many CPA firms is that you must be a CPA to manage and understand the firm. This is simply not true and is costing firms a lot of time and money while reducing their ability to compete today and into the future. Requiring a CPA certificate to have a seat at the management table is holding back some of your best talent and limiting the firms potential for greater success. One party that should have a seat at the management table is your CIO, especially if you want to leverage technology as a strategic asset. Let’s look at five ways CIOs can provide you a strategic advantage and why they should be contributing members of your management team. CIOs bring a different...