tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76296582668639800452024-03-12T19:10:07.134-04:00Carlino's CornerTransition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.comBlogger651125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-90589509725368010112022-01-04T09:00:00.029-05:002022-01-04T09:00:00.161-05:00You Expensed What?<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3ZYSrlj0pqRqEhEH_e7AHWgnoiwyWuBGrArQta4s3-WqOn7R0h3EqtxZECUXkXPuaKMPwrQpEKauV2BQMeQQptT1GN-kvH92TS0mZVpBkMf57_XuVPDtYxhaZ6D7hIYbrELkiIiN8PV_8_acXb2UvyRb-Phik5WO_SXOPvtXj8NGV_LZ8WnUSdNIX=s2560" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="2560" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg3ZYSrlj0pqRqEhEH_e7AHWgnoiwyWuBGrArQta4s3-WqOn7R0h3EqtxZECUXkXPuaKMPwrQpEKauV2BQMeQQptT1GN-kvH92TS0mZVpBkMf57_XuVPDtYxhaZ6D7hIYbrELkiIiN8PV_8_acXb2UvyRb-Phik5WO_SXOPvtXj8NGV_LZ8WnUSdNIX=w442-h177" width="442"></a></div><br><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="background: white;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Welcome back
and best to everyone for a happy and healthy 2022. Here’s hoping your holidays
were COVID-free.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="background: white;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">But on
to today’s missive. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="background: white;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">My
first introduction to completing an expense report came courtesy of the head of
accounts payable at the publishing company that was kind enough to give me my
first job.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="background: white;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Jean
was a dour, moody individual who managed to intimidate everyone – from the
office maintenance staff to the CEO of the company. She ruled the department
with the subtlety of Vladimir Putin and if your expense account contained
something that was not allowed it was returned in an interoffice envelope with
DENIED underlined and in bold red letters.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="background: white;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Once
she discovered an employee going through her desk searching for a paper clip
and in less than 30 minutes, he was a former employee. A short while later, one
of the women in the classified department attempted to write off a fur coat. I
kid you not. It was also one of the few times I saw Jean laugh – perhaps it was
because said employee was last seen being escorted out of the building by
security.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="background: white;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">But
that was then, and this is now. With what has been termed “the great
resignation” with scores of workers ditching their present posts for greener
not to mention remote, pastures, a manufacturer of expense management software has
compiled a list of unusual expenses that were approved over 2021 – items that I
could not conceive of passing official muster even 10 years ago. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;"><span style="background: white;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></span></p><a href="https://transitionadvisors.blogspot.com/2022/01/you-expensed-what.html#more">Read more »</a>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-33091216216963889812021-12-21T09:00:00.012-05:002021-12-21T09:00:00.156-05:00Season’s Bleatings: A Wish List for 2022<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi02QOwUMtDhn6RBY8n7I85WgN_0EKpb7uPazr415-xNyUNDRFJbF-M1U-6t-Bb0mzyJA-TMrK5W6T41E_58SvlTPplskLH45GsJ71SJGina4IPbnsRwoMCU1ioM7vqqg-PTNkoELsLIagO7BdRjocVt9D0pjayBaV6svA6iAF1s-KGWD8K6E6U3U4-=s270" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="187" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi02QOwUMtDhn6RBY8n7I85WgN_0EKpb7uPazr415-xNyUNDRFJbF-M1U-6t-Bb0mzyJA-TMrK5W6T41E_58SvlTPplskLH45GsJ71SJGina4IPbnsRwoMCU1ioM7vqqg-PTNkoELsLIagO7BdRjocVt9D0pjayBaV6svA6iAF1s-KGWD8K6E6U3U4-=w307-h401" width="307" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Like
most people I hope that whatever happened in 2021 stays in 2021. If I get
handed another facemask when entering a store or have someone tell me that I am
standing too close to them, you may very well see that vignette re-enacted on
an episode of “Cops.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Nevertheless,
as many of us prepare to croon an off-key version of “Auld Lange Syne” in a week
or so, I have compiled my personalized wish list that if all is holy – or even
if not – will come to fruition in the coming year – particularly as it relates to
the CPA profession.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">So,
in the spirit of the season and knowing full well some of you might take a
slight offense here goes:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span>In the ensuing 12 months I do not want
to hear another practitioner rationalize that their succession plan will work
if they can just locate a young CPA who can take over the controls and steer
the ship into the future. It is not going to happen. EVER. Fifty thousand firms
around the country and most a lot bigger and with deeper pockets than yours
have the same strategy. Want to take a chance? Play Powerball. Your odds are
about as good and think of the payoff.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span>I realize that many of you have worked
hard to build up your practice but let’s wake up and face north when it comes
to how much your firm is really worth and please don’t ask me to find a buyer
willing to pay as high as 1.5. A figure like that has not been seen since NSYNC
was at the top of the billboard charts or Member’s Only jackets were considered
stylish. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span>Far be it from me to prevent someone
from working based on their date of birth but in the sometimes-harsh reality
that is M&A absolutely no successor firm is going to allow someone well
north of 65 to continue working full time for 5-10 years. Not gonna happen. So
be realistic about your full-time working timeline. Ditto for an aging
practitioner looking to merge in a firm with younger folks. Again, when many of
you were in their early to mid-30s would you affiliate with someone 75? Didn’t
think so.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span>Working remotely is here to stay.
Period. The traditional workflow has changed so change with it. Several
practitioners I know declined to invest in the needed technology to accommodate
off-premises staff and as a result they lost staff to more progressive firms.
Gee who could have seen that coming.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><o:p><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">But
enough grousing for the moment. Here’s wishing everyone a happy and healthy
holiday season and a great 2022. Keep telling yourself it has to get better.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /></div><p></p>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-51461741320716108842021-12-14T09:00:00.001-05:002021-12-14T09:00:00.190-05:00The Winds of Change – Or Irrelevance!<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjC09bXsqVM417osGiaDi99UhQmHmefeJR65Dajmv-JRcVsS7x77LfeHYYUKbuRWp2SGdVw9IKU3oR91nkdhJqa9R94L9LBVBxqGGu2_fQZMFaneXOD4cSCWgMEg3_IfNPa5WbeS20UFS2RHVRAxnkoUhzkGzbvXq2DRfz_CGG5mire3_XdiGre2LJm=s750" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="750" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjC09bXsqVM417osGiaDi99UhQmHmefeJR65Dajmv-JRcVsS7x77LfeHYYUKbuRWp2SGdVw9IKU3oR91nkdhJqa9R94L9LBVBxqGGu2_fQZMFaneXOD4cSCWgMEg3_IfNPa5WbeS20UFS2RHVRAxnkoUhzkGzbvXq2DRfz_CGG5mire3_XdiGre2LJm=w541-h181" width="541"></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">During
college I worked for a time at a Tex-Mex restaurant when in an effort to boost
stagnant sales and customer counts, Joe, the manager gathered the entire staff
one early Saturday morning and proceeded to draw the face of a clock on a piece
of paper. The hands of the clock were squarely on 12. He held it up for a brief
examination and then drew a third hand and positioned it five minutes past twelve.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">“Most
people think that change means having the clock hands go around until they
again reach twelve,” he explained. “But even five minutes is change. We don’t
have to reinvent ourselves completely, but we need to change – even if it’s
slowly.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">In
that most basic demonstration he managed to drive his point across and
highlight the importance of change and more critically, adaption to change.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Of
course, that was years before words and technologies like Internet, texting,
email, and Smartphones became embedded in the American lexicon. But the
strategic lesson remains the same about remaining relevant by adapting to
change.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">The
landscape is sadly replete with examples of once-mighty stalwarts of business
and industry who failed to change when it was necessary for survival. For
example, Kodak once commanded a 90 percent global market share in film sales
and film developing but failed to see the encroaching threat of digital
photography, even though the company, incredibly, owned a patent on the
technology but declined to take advantage of it. Reader’s Digest once boasted
16 million readers but missed the gargantuan opportunity with online
publishing. Remember Blockbuster Video? The chain once had roughly 9,000 units
but ignored the threat of encroaching competitors such as Netflix. Now exactly
one unit remains in Oregon. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p></div><a href="https://transitionadvisors.blogspot.com/2021/12/the-winds-of-change-or-irrelevance.html#more">Read more »</a>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-18190752432226044412021-12-07T09:00:00.002-05:002021-12-07T09:00:00.176-05:00When it Comes to Service, There’s No Argument!<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNm7wrUjmcLBLin6h7ZbNXoATFBNzDzeU7DWk5raijZDizvNbHF49ETAWEgZ9VDpyaARc_m2qByaU3SmLjjz7SRC1GMzq9AsIoVovtJJQltFAc-uwXTmdO9XgNgw8DKCvqa9_v-FE9uNBhqxtFnlH3B4rypBHAw_yYgJn_6U-N6k4bQBMBrsvPhMg4=s296" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="296" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiNm7wrUjmcLBLin6h7ZbNXoATFBNzDzeU7DWk5raijZDizvNbHF49ETAWEgZ9VDpyaARc_m2qByaU3SmLjjz7SRC1GMzq9AsIoVovtJJQltFAc-uwXTmdO9XgNgw8DKCvqa9_v-FE9uNBhqxtFnlH3B4rypBHAw_yYgJn_6U-N6k4bQBMBrsvPhMg4=w462-h266" width="462"></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Years ago, the Miller Lite beer brand
aired a long-running ad campaign which posed the endless argument about the
product whether it was popular because of “Great Taste or Less Filling?” TV
spots included a number of celebrities and professional athletes debating that
question and one even highlighted a comical knock-down catfight between two
supermodels who eventually wound-up tussling in a pool. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Since I equate light beer in the same
category as vegetarian cheese or non-fat anything, as a decidedly non-consumer
it really didn’t matter to me why people bought it. But over the years I
pondered answers to some equally difficult product questions particularly those
pertaining to customer service. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">To wit: If you were a customer in a
restaurant, would you prefer great service or great food? Most people including
myself would excuse mediocre cuisine in favor of good service. Somehow when
service slows to a proverbial crawl or is non-existent, the food quality is shuffled
to near irrelevance.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Case in point: I was once dining in a
well-regarded and oft-written about Park Avenue establishment with a senior
executive with a Southern-based restaurant chain. Throughout the meal we were
basically ignored (okay to be fair Diana Ross was seated at the next table) and
I actually had to go to the hostess stand to ask for the check. The next day I
wrote a column about my experience for the 65K or so readers of my then
publication and from what I understood, the no-nonsense owner handed out a slew
of pink slips to the waitstaff and had the executive chef personally call me to
apologize.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p></div><a href="https://transitionadvisors.blogspot.com/2021/12/when-it-comes-to-service-theres-no.html#more">Read more »</a>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-81437224412147190152021-12-03T09:00:00.001-05:002021-12-03T09:00:00.151-05:00‘Tis the season to be jolly – and careful!<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcN1lbpFpjErnoa-2iCfiGxArW7tYWG_HewfDjlrXQylkwEpDxxCD92pXH9VRfBr-cbQqpyuxmvLmEpdEwl4d4QNTCxGBwk1lq2ngZrhtFu1Tb0t2gwxDs41zvrt9q-fUHN5fp8eM3jFc/s290/download.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="174" data-original-width="290" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcN1lbpFpjErnoa-2iCfiGxArW7tYWG_HewfDjlrXQylkwEpDxxCD92pXH9VRfBr-cbQqpyuxmvLmEpdEwl4d4QNTCxGBwk1lq2ngZrhtFu1Tb0t2gwxDs41zvrt9q-fUHN5fp8eM3jFc/w447-h268/download.png" width="447"></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Last week I was on the receiving end of a
personal record. And not one that I would brag to family and friends about.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">To wit: 12 of the 15 calls I received over
a two-day span were your basic spam – likely come-ons for auto warranty
renewals or ads for replacement windows - and no less than seven emails were
obviously textbook <i>phishing</i> expeditions. I sort of guessed when one
email came my way via <i>Banc </i>of America, seeking to verify my login
credentials. To top it off, the bank’s signature red and blue logo appeared as
a blurry shade of black and white. Another one insisted that I had not
collected on a $250 refund that was due (news to me!) and that they just required
my Social Security number to verify that I was indeed the deserving party of
this unexpected largesse.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">That was about one step more
sophisticated than those enticing multi-million-dollar “business opportunities”
you receive courtesy of a generous entrepreneur from Nigeria.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">But alas, with the joy and the family
camaraderie the holiday season brings, it also brings an exponential increase
in scams according to experts. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p></div><a href="https://transitionadvisors.blogspot.com/2021/12/tis-season-to-be-jolly-and-careful.html#more">Read more »</a>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-3858173869565946202021-11-23T09:00:00.001-05:002021-11-23T09:00:00.156-05:00Time to Say Goodbye<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2UUUzRZ4z0G4pG56T7-0CJrLphrj6_YRWmyZ0ORFFSqjBEgF_gJ687byxEESt4XfpD85YPleHf1cOnVaA5nOxKGHB5jp9lk71IoYVoEpzV-OcR81n92PlmHw7NorQgYlxsCzNC9KgYO0/s305/artwork.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="165" data-original-width="305" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2UUUzRZ4z0G4pG56T7-0CJrLphrj6_YRWmyZ0ORFFSqjBEgF_gJ687byxEESt4XfpD85YPleHf1cOnVaA5nOxKGHB5jp9lk71IoYVoEpzV-OcR81n92PlmHw7NorQgYlxsCzNC9KgYO0/w461-h249/artwork.png" width="461"></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Last week in this space, I regaled you
with sample vignettes of some of the lousy jobs I have held during my career.
And conversely, there have been positions that have been nothing short of
terrific with occasional fringe benefits exceeding anything I could have
imagined. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Regardless of job satisfaction, I fielded
an odd question during a recent CPE session from an attendee who stated that
they were unhappy in their current capacity at a mid-sized CPA firm and wanted
to leave but did not want to torch any of those proverbial “bridges.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">In full disclosure, our company specializes
in succession – not recruiting. We have occasionally placed folks at accounting
firms, but human resources is a niche we frequently outsource to those far more
experienced in that arena.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">But speaking from experience, I said that
if nothing else, go to your direct report and tell them outright that you have
accepted another opportunity. Thank them for the chance given you and then
always follow that with a formal letter of resignation. It’s often an
uncomfortable sit down, but it is something that must be done. I’ve been on both
sides of that equation a number of times and the last thing you want to hear
from an employee is an unexpected, “Hey have you got a minute?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p></div><a href="https://transitionadvisors.blogspot.com/2021/11/time-to-say-goodbye.html#more">Read more »</a>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-45768320957950847782021-11-16T09:00:00.001-05:002021-11-16T09:00:00.163-05:00You’re Hired! Um, No Thanks!<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPa2IG2RAMQRXgqX7tiX2vaKQsJHYe9KVQsr2LALSMjdT4MNYZkm0rsYL_7zr99RnWUiRiDtC9PZuivQTBjfqQxivU5wkkIbzUPHEN4MHftaCafvcCeDqHS-fBoEKY242hGxZv3IHfaw/s1860/artwork.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1046" data-original-width="1860" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguPa2IG2RAMQRXgqX7tiX2vaKQsJHYe9KVQsr2LALSMjdT4MNYZkm0rsYL_7zr99RnWUiRiDtC9PZuivQTBjfqQxivU5wkkIbzUPHEN4MHftaCafvcCeDqHS-fBoEKY242hGxZv3IHfaw/w446-h250/artwork.png" width="446"></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">As someone who has been a member of the
U.S. labor force since the early 1970s, you may have surmised that I have had
my share of, shall we politely say, lousy or unpopular jobs. Since this is a
family blog, I could have described some of them in far more graphic terms and
although tempting, I must decline.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">My first post was as a movie usher
(remember when we still had them?) at $1.85 an hour and all the popcorn you
could sweep up after each showing. And when kid’s movies came to town that was
a special treat, keeping throngs of unruly brats in line and warning them not
to toss Jujyfruits at each other which they, not surprisingly, did with
alarming frequency. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">The next summer I applied for a job advertised
under the banner of “lot maintenance supervisor.” It was an industrial park and
my “supervisory” duties consisted of shoveling huge piles of sawdust from one
location to another. That paid a skimpy $3 an hour. And say what you want about
the weight of sawdust, by 4 or 5 o’clock it felt like I was shoveling barbells.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Not to be outdone, the very next year the
Department of Labor assigned me to help transform a shuttered clothing outlet
into a home improvement store. All was routine until the tractor trailers
carrying the inventory arrived. I spent the next two weeks in 100-degree heat
pushing a hand truck back and forth. On the plus side, I did however shed 10
pounds.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p></div><a href="https://transitionadvisors.blogspot.com/2021/11/youre-hired-um-no-thanks.html#more">Read more »</a>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-44458731193015398922021-11-09T09:00:00.001-05:002021-11-09T09:00:00.170-05:00Bloomingdales Thanks You for Your Recent Purchases!<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHeC1HTq06qANS8KO3YQGBI8c8cSqTQFS0tDAeY33_U5I2U7G0ZgPesb0y2r4bNIlKKiuQnADiNn_4SVGFmAxTWifxfPYJewOJtVBFaCuxdhQnT2lh21z53BCOGb7KiuKXzhsaYVq5fUs/s225/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="224" data-original-width="225" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHeC1HTq06qANS8KO3YQGBI8c8cSqTQFS0tDAeY33_U5I2U7G0ZgPesb0y2r4bNIlKKiuQnADiNn_4SVGFmAxTWifxfPYJewOJtVBFaCuxdhQnT2lh21z53BCOGb7KiuKXzhsaYVq5fUs/w403-h357/download.jpg" width="403"></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Sundays in the Fall are fairly routine for yours truly. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">After two XL size cups of black coffee, I meet Paul, my tennis
partner of 30 years at 9 a.m. for a competitive best of three set singles match
and afterwards settle down for the remainder of the afternoon to watch
football.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Paul and I often text each other on reactions and observations
to whatever game is featured in the New York market so you can imagine my
surprise when I received a message on Sunday not from him, but an alert from
the fraud department at American Express wanting to confirm that I had just
spent $4,000 at trendy Bloomingdales.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Talk about a wake-up text!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Apparently, someone obtained my credit card number and proceeded
to help themselves to the Bloomingdales inventory like an all-you-can-eat
buffet. I immediately called AmEx to confirm that the exorbitant purchases were
not mine – lest I chance being kicked out of the house by my enraged spouse.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">The customer service rep apologized and promised a new card
within two days. Hopefully the matter is settled. Hopefully.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">But I got to thinking. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">With the holidays encroaching and the pandemic restrictions gradually
lifting how big a criminal enterprise was retail fraud – particularly credit
card and online fraud?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Plenty big. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p></div><a href="https://transitionadvisors.blogspot.com/2021/11/bloomingdales-thanks-you-for-your.html#more">Read more »</a>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-41639282360734814822021-11-02T09:00:00.001-04:002021-11-02T09:00:00.154-04:00Is Good Help Really that Hard to Find?<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmUiwmgSfAHmdi2GCfdYrsYtYYNqY3uWtMVHZRjbX_r99P0rnBvY1oTNaYNHjRS-jPyoEHKJ7g9OXBcrj8fjJ9rOYSjkU7BJl5OCjwMdlcB3HEphVvP0gsPaOfFq_ZzFXPRgb_SEUhSE/s612/artwork.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="612" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUmUiwmgSfAHmdi2GCfdYrsYtYYNqY3uWtMVHZRjbX_r99P0rnBvY1oTNaYNHjRS-jPyoEHKJ7g9OXBcrj8fjJ9rOYSjkU7BJl5OCjwMdlcB3HEphVvP0gsPaOfFq_ZzFXPRgb_SEUhSE/w481-h287/artwork.png" width="481"></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">In ancient times religious contemplatives
often debated arcane issues such as how many angels could potentially fit on
the head of a pin or what is the sound of one hand clapping? Meanwhile
philosophers of the time attempted to find solutions to a conundrum – a
difficult and often unanswerable problem. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Centuries later, we often find ourselves
struggling in similar situations. i.e., “I didn’t get the job because I have no
experience. But how can I get experience if no one will hire me?”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">With good help harder to find and retain
than uncovering rare truffles, CPA firm owners hardly need a refresher course
on the meaning and effects of a conundrum when it pertains to staffing. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">The ongoing labor shortage of young
talent in accounting has impacted smaller firm owners who do not have the
recruiting resources (or pocketbooks for that matter) of a larger practice, as
subtly as a 2X4 crashing through a casement window.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">As an example, take the case of a
frustrated firm owner in the Northeast with whom I was recently granted an
audience.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p></div><a href="https://transitionadvisors.blogspot.com/2021/11/is-good-help-really-that-hard-to-find.html#more">Read more »</a>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-53376957405811846322021-10-29T09:00:00.001-04:002021-10-29T09:00:00.170-04:00Not To Worry, It Won’t Cost Anything!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVX1fHAWFDN9PeWZdQTWd5jpcg6h6dn4c52fGZl1qMcTUByD18OxXQfrbeu8HCTfbHqlHq0cIs_BxFdfdXOBfkoVo3Zd1amHRHap_E50RF8w_MqCwS8uozylKa2bAVvGJ8ljz_KZwl2Y/s512/artwork.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="512" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVX1fHAWFDN9PeWZdQTWd5jpcg6h6dn4c52fGZl1qMcTUByD18OxXQfrbeu8HCTfbHqlHq0cIs_BxFdfdXOBfkoVo3Zd1amHRHap_E50RF8w_MqCwS8uozylKa2bAVvGJ8ljz_KZwl2Y/w457-h328/artwork.png" width="457"></a></div><p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">The other day I surprised, or rather
shocked, my wife by announcing that I just purchased a $100,000 Maserati
Ghibli, loaded with so many extras that its dashboard could easily be confused
with one aboard an F-22 Raptor fighter jet.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">I calmly explained to her that its top
speed approaches 180 miles per hour and can accelerate from zero to sixty in
under 5 seconds. Terrific amenities if you are late for an appointment or need
to be somewhere like yesterday. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">“But how can we afford it?” she yelled at
no minor decibel level.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Again, I explained that its already paid for,
so it did not cost us anything.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">“What? I don’t understand.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">I explained that I employed the same
accounting principle that the President has applied to the cost of the hotly
debated multi-trillion-dollar “Build Back Better” infrastructure plan. He assured
a skeptical nation that it will be paid for by taxing the ultra-rich, so it will
not cost anything. It’s paid for.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">“I still don’t get it.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Truthfully, neither do I. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">As you may have guessed, I did not
purchase a Maserati as our two Volkswagens service us just fine. Had I done so,
I would have had to requisition a guest blogger for this space as I would have
been busy recuperating at a local hospital, my limbs shattered by a well-aimed griddle
pan.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">But perhaps naively, I did think and hope
we were finally rid of Enron-like accounting.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p><a href="https://transitionadvisors.blogspot.com/2021/10/not-to-worry-it-wont-cost-anything.html#more">Read more »</a>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-46929030549996501622021-10-15T09:00:00.001-04:002021-10-15T09:00:00.203-04:00“We Buy Houses.” Sorry, Not Mine!<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbpg8-Zxepo_UrYBiwp26BKH41JVDMFqp_pr8ESqB4uHUjuR917ydhn9O1HAvSGcqa1Ck5FTPFzwN5MS0EGDKVMxEDVJ-GPpf6fotCS4eIaCTa3uURLC-dWiWjORGQdo7gQaf03w8MiQ/s794/il_794xN.3292990967_bx6b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="794" data-original-width="794" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbpg8-Zxepo_UrYBiwp26BKH41JVDMFqp_pr8ESqB4uHUjuR917ydhn9O1HAvSGcqa1Ck5FTPFzwN5MS0EGDKVMxEDVJ-GPpf6fotCS4eIaCTa3uURLC-dWiWjORGQdo7gQaf03w8MiQ/w424-h424/il_794xN.3292990967_bx6b.jpg" width="424"></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">A few blogs ago I chronicled the meteoric
demand for homes in our area with prospective buyers elbowing each other to bid
on houses with offers sometimes exceeding $50k to $100K over the asking price
including hordes of cash up front. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">As an example, the home directly across
the street was on the market exactly three days before it sold. During that
brief span I witnessed some 50-60 hopeful homeowners getting the grand tour
from various real estate agents. Although only 1,700 or so square feet, the
home sold for over $700K. Yes, you read that correctly. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">A week does not pass by when I don’t discover
at least 3 business cards in my mailbox from realtors urging me to contact them
when I’m ready to sell. Several of the more aggressive ones even took it a step
further by calling me directly. As if I don’t already receive more than enough
spam calls from expiring auto warranties and replacement window offerings. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">But with my oldest daughter’s wedding
less than a week away, the Mrs. made it clear we’re not going anywhere for the
near future. End of story.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p></div><a href="https://transitionadvisors.blogspot.com/2021/10/we-buy-houses-sorry-not-mine.html#more">Read more »</a>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-54902959500055975332021-10-05T09:00:00.001-04:002021-10-05T09:00:00.208-04:00We Can Eat Out but Not Go to The Office?<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPnJIU04wfQEiVuiurlDOA9__KWqUrspwnPD3Od5WYqCcFmviC-vM8FBPFwQTc9qgCLVzi6wjle5BMEIAX_iIKfUiVSCNAl5Kjj797wdvDbXrn_kkxkwFyu9hr6AJJC6DITgnxX9BeDc/s289/artwork.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="174" data-original-width="289" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWPnJIU04wfQEiVuiurlDOA9__KWqUrspwnPD3Od5WYqCcFmviC-vM8FBPFwQTc9qgCLVzi6wjle5BMEIAX_iIKfUiVSCNAl5Kjj797wdvDbXrn_kkxkwFyu9hr6AJJC6DITgnxX9BeDc/w472-h284/artwork.png" width="472"></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">At Chez Carlino, Friday dinner is
takeout. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Since our humble hamlet is host to an
impressive roster of 18 restaurants we have a wide selection of international
cuisines – from Indian and Tex Mex to Greek and Korean. But on this past Friday
the Mrs. and I decided to opt for dine-in.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">On this night, our town’s version of
“restaurant row” was frenetic. Nearly every establishment was sardined with
hungry customers and waiting lines in some venues snaked into the parking lots.
As a resident I was happy for the owners who, through no fault of their own
have suffered greatly over the past 20 months or so.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">But I sort of marveled at the hypocrisy
of those dining at a restaurant often seated just feet away from other guests
but remain hesitant to venture back to their respective offices. Most eateries have
relaxed the former rules of COVID protocol – i.e., no masks, scant spacing
between tables etc. By contrast many offices and companies have enacted far
more stringent rules such as siting desks at least six feet apart, shutting off
the water coolers and prohibiting the traditional morning gatherings by the
coffee machine.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">And yet many of those same restaurant
regulars steadfastly refuse a return to the office despite those myriad precautions.
Perhaps many of them have gotten used to donning jeans and T-shirts instead of
button-down shirts and sport jackets and did not miss riding in crowded subways
and commuter trains. But whatever the reason, I refuse to believe it’s all because
of perceived health risks.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p></div><a href="https://transitionadvisors.blogspot.com/2021/10/we-can-eat-out-but-not-go-to-office.html#more">Read more »</a>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-84494567078883047282021-09-28T09:00:00.001-04:002021-09-28T09:00:00.169-04:00CPA and Esq. Designations Mean Little When It Comes to “Serving the Public.”<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5kuIRHC0f-9ggKWH1dFWGcX84MQMJz7o69FOOj3PjOzRZwhLrtr76LR406aHO4nvobNpfOHqBvg9gbyK1AAaCMOU6vrzPgwgvnuDLiNuWfO9J8F7QV8ZzwQ4agbsnRFr_WY6decawxs/s275/artwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_5kuIRHC0f-9ggKWH1dFWGcX84MQMJz7o69FOOj3PjOzRZwhLrtr76LR406aHO4nvobNpfOHqBvg9gbyK1AAaCMOU6vrzPgwgvnuDLiNuWfO9J8F7QV8ZzwQ4agbsnRFr_WY6decawxs/w450-h266/artwork.jpg" width="450"></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Last week at my health club one of the
members and yours truly got into a brief but very lively conversation about the
merits of going out on your own after spending years under the corporate
umbrella. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">My debate companion was an attorney and
by coincidence a CPA as well, a partner at one of New York’s premier white shoe
law firms. Money was not a concern as his annual compensation plus bonus was
laughably close to seven figures, so he was able to siphon as much starter
capital as needed. He revealed he was tired of the proverbial rat race and as
he was rapidly approaching middle age, he wanted to veer in a different
direction.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">His dream was to open a restaurant with a
menu dedicated to traditional recipes from his parents’ hometown in Europe. He
had designed a floor plan with the help of an architect and due to the
pandemic, there was a glut of potential spaces to rent. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Now as someone who toiled in foodservice
roughly seven years as well as covering it for another 12 for a national trade
magazine, I emphasized <i>caveat emptor</i>. I warned him that if he thought he
currently put in long hours at the law firm reviewing tax law and writing
briefs, wait until he opened a restaurant. As anyone who has ever donned an
apron or toque, you are basically working when most people are not – nights,
weekends and not to mention most holidays. Eighty-hour weeks are the norm
rather than the exception.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p></div><a href="https://transitionadvisors.blogspot.com/2021/09/cpa-and-esq-designations-mean-little.html#more">Read more »</a>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-58775477366006627002021-09-21T09:00:00.001-04:002021-09-21T09:00:00.173-04:00A People Manager vs. Managing People<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAepoekwLYCrg3FPd4vofX_qC00WyNA5UC7DqdW0j19Cj3Gf0wsIdK6DKBiKiD41eg2s52WeyWORTqtHQxWXBpv9XbC8YnRMG6piz7LHZ9XKZYgzUpbMa7oPwstUAh3iy1lnKPed7h1Mk/s279/artwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="181" data-original-width="279" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAepoekwLYCrg3FPd4vofX_qC00WyNA5UC7DqdW0j19Cj3Gf0wsIdK6DKBiKiD41eg2s52WeyWORTqtHQxWXBpv9XbC8YnRMG6piz7LHZ9XKZYgzUpbMa7oPwstUAh3iy1lnKPed7h1Mk/w457-h296/artwork.jpg" width="457"></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Years ago, one of my first editorial
overseers gave me two bits of sage advice that I have never forgotten to this
day. One, he said, always do your homework on a story assignment to ensure you
know what you’re writing about. Two, if you ever rise to a managerial position
remember it’s not always about direct authority – it’s also about being part
psychologist, part parent and part colleague.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Nearly four decades later I have not seen
nor experienced anything that would refute either.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">I calculated during my ongoing hitch in
the American workforce, I have reported to roughly 40 different managers
including 18 of them at the same company – let me repeat that for emphasis –
eighteen!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">So much for consistency. Is it any wonder
why the corporate cartoon parody “Dilbert” is still going strong after 32 years
and syndicated in some 2,000 newspapers?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">And throughout it all I can say that most
of them left me with something that incrementally burnished my management
skills. Like I said “most.” There were at last count some seven past
supervisors that I learned exactly nothing from. Needless to say, none of them
remained my direct report for very long. In fact, when I handed in my
resignation letter, my last manager who lent new meaning to the term “useless
corporate bloat” his idea of an enticing counteroffer was “I can’t give you any
more money to stay,” If there was ever a clarion to leave, this was literally a
foghorn two feet away from my eardrum.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p></div><a href="https://transitionadvisors.blogspot.com/2021/09/a-people-manager-vs-managing-people.html#more">Read more »</a>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-35945697678442095482021-09-14T09:00:00.001-04:002021-09-14T09:00:00.194-04:00The Home Shopping Network or the Network for Home Shopping<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIWF0KsyEWaH4QQtBkOGtN_KfItiy3bklFlLktpT3YEsbfUDvZImqJ0JOKZhRi-unPugRMqt-vUiLO9un5LtwYy5LjtA4XJ7PRv-jhURojTHC-Vzfqo9Er_-lNWx56LRACYE5cNUxG1M/s300/artwork.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIWF0KsyEWaH4QQtBkOGtN_KfItiy3bklFlLktpT3YEsbfUDvZImqJ0JOKZhRi-unPugRMqt-vUiLO9un5LtwYy5LjtA4XJ7PRv-jhURojTHC-Vzfqo9Er_-lNWx56LRACYE5cNUxG1M/w473-h264/artwork.png" width="473" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Last week I wrote about the prolific
number of job advertisements across a number of sectors and the disappointing
jobs report for the month of August. Strangely enough I received two atypical but
related pieces of mail over the past several days – one trumpeting $350 in
compensation for working Election Day and the other a clarion call for
Instacart Shoppers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Now I’m old enough to recall when the
polling places on Election Day were staffed with volunteers, rather than paid
gig economy workers. And $350 a day is tempting, except you don’t have a say in
where you are assigned. And if you live in a large county as I do, you could be
sent as far as 30 miles away. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">And in full disclosure I had little or no
idea what an Instacart Shopper was, so I did some research.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">As it turns out, they’re akin to personal
shoppers for groceries instead of clothing and accessories and subsequently
deliver them to the customer’s homes. The average pay is $20 an hour plus tips
and the best of breed in this category can make up to $50 an hour. Most who
toil as Instacart Shoppers do so as a side job and as you can imagine, during
the pandemic lockdown where many were petrified to leave their homes, demand
for these folks skyrocketed. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">In truth we tried home delivery for
groceries one time – but that was direct from the store as opposed to an
independent contractor. Out of roughly 30 items, they managed to foul up nearly
14 of them so that ended that brief experiment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">But I digress. I did locate an article
where one veteran Instacart Shopper detailed his top customer-related pet
peeves during his deliveries.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->As with most delivery
positions, getting the correct address is probably critical – so arriving as a
deserted building or a vacant lot when you have a trunkful of perishable foods
presents a serious problem.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Lousy tips. Instacarters
derive much of their total income from gratuities. So, when a customer skimps
on a tip it’s literally money out of their pockets. Just ask any waiter about
bad tipping and you will likely get an angry thesis.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adding to orders after the fact. Last minute
additions are okay, just as long as it doesn’t turn into an episode of
“supermarket sweep” at the end. One driver recounted how a customer added 11
items just as he was approaching the register for check out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Requests for alcohol and
cigarettes. Many states have prohibited Instacarters from purchasing alcohol
and cigarettes for customers. So many drivers take a “just say no,” stance.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">So, after thinking it over I think I’m
just going to perform my citizen’s duty and cast my ballot on Election Day,
rather than man a desk as well as a pledge to continue buying my own groceries.</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /></div><p></p>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-17897107117522727162021-09-10T09:00:00.001-04:002021-09-10T09:00:00.158-04:0062 is the new 65!<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWFL5cFg2ZhCGkE_Gyp1y1DvoM1JNMWCszK67a6V7mUFHM0rZbTdSUoLJqhYH3hrEJAMylzIiRu9NqrY_2pAUcFPCEV3s54cDMj1iFKRsL5an4_azFfOaK2K1UVd6b9Sxqqa0rZqvSEc/s299/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="299" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWFL5cFg2ZhCGkE_Gyp1y1DvoM1JNMWCszK67a6V7mUFHM0rZbTdSUoLJqhYH3hrEJAMylzIiRu9NqrY_2pAUcFPCEV3s54cDMj1iFKRsL5an4_azFfOaK2K1UVd6b9Sxqqa0rZqvSEc/w472-h265/images.jpg" width="472"></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">More than once in this space, I have
chronicled the quantum surge in advertisements for job openings that I have
seen both in my neighborhood and beyond. Last week, the monthly jobs report stated
that job openings rose to 10.9 million– a fifth consecutive record high. Conversely,
job creation totaled just 235,000 payrolls in August missing the median
estimate of 733,000 added jobs.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">As it turns out, it’s not just the
Millennials, Gen X/Y/Z who are bypassing employment opportunities, but older
workers as well. Specifically, those who have reached the near retirement age
of 62. Or rather the new retirement age.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Recently the Federal Reserve Bank of New
York conducted a survey of some 1,300 households and discovered that the
chances of adults expected to work beyond the age of 62 hovered at roughly 50
percent – the smallest share since the Fed began the survey some seven years
ago. The percent of adults who expect to work beyond 67 dipped to a record low
32.4 percent.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">According to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, more than 1 million “older” workers have exited the workforce since
the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic. An additional 1.5 million cited the
coronavirus as the primary reason they remained out to the labor force during
the month of August.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p></div><a href="https://transitionadvisors.blogspot.com/2021/09/62-is-new-65.html#more">Read more »</a>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-72514955994076660282021-08-31T09:00:00.007-04:002021-08-31T09:00:00.171-04:00Spin Cycle<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-i5zOUI4vI0y5pm_uEyoFOVJfKjdWbn1INr9s3rTBA53iTDWfAa5HovgX1zoh9wHGf9ggYNsW_rRV3LMSFrOlBNJDG6DnURY04vPlF3J30AzYWzlV_qt7LyXzu22N0UogzXowGbGwew/s250/artwork.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="201" data-original-width="250" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-i5zOUI4vI0y5pm_uEyoFOVJfKjdWbn1INr9s3rTBA53iTDWfAa5HovgX1zoh9wHGf9ggYNsW_rRV3LMSFrOlBNJDG6DnURY04vPlF3J30AzYWzlV_qt7LyXzu22N0UogzXowGbGwew/w484-h313/artwork.png" width="484"></a></div><br> <p></p><p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Prior to March of 2020 when both my gym
and favorite restaurants locked down, Peloton was a brand that I had only
fleeting contact with and knowledge of.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Yes, I knew they made absurdly expensive
stationary bikes and featured impossibly fit instructors on their interactive
site, but other than that very little.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Until my better half decided that since
the gym was in lockdown, she was going to purchase one. Reluctantly I agreed.
So, four figures later, the bike arrived not with one installer but rather two.
Each was outfitted more like an electrician ready to rewire my entire house
than your standard delivery person who hands you an invoice and tells you to
sign. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">They needed the WiFi code as to connect
with their exercise link. I later learned that they even have their own
streaming cable station, which of course she quickly became a subscriber as
well. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">It seems we were hardly the only family
with that idea. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">I heard that sales of their products
(which I again learned later included a treadmill series with a decidedly non-economy
price tag of $5,000) went through the roof during the pandemic and yet another
missed stock opportunity for yours truly.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">However not all has been rosy at the New York-based company. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p><a href="https://transitionadvisors.blogspot.com/2021/08/spin-cycle.html#more">Read more »</a>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-74934283802543276422021-08-24T09:00:00.001-04:002021-08-24T09:00:00.183-04:00Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzosn3iydSFkYvFAQvSPUKWvmXWs9dTXjmG6qPTikUUiFMhnQxL-qG4KBjHyU4AODDz_dwV6ADbJv57gkX5-3CICIN6uN5lok3klroY-nBHSnP9JVIUfprQgBDqfqDA9OPvpkQQ3zcv9E/s275/artwork.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzosn3iydSFkYvFAQvSPUKWvmXWs9dTXjmG6qPTikUUiFMhnQxL-qG4KBjHyU4AODDz_dwV6ADbJv57gkX5-3CICIN6uN5lok3klroY-nBHSnP9JVIUfprQgBDqfqDA9OPvpkQQ3zcv9E/w499-h332/artwork.png" width="499"></a></div><br><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Had someone told me at the time of my
high school graduation that one day I would have a retirement savings in excess
of $1 million and a house worth nearly that, I most likely would have
envisioned myself becoming a titan of industry or at the very least, a
fortunate beneficiary of some unknown ultra-rich uncle.</span></span></div>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">For those keeping score at home, sadly
neither of those two scenarios came to pass.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">However, on a brighter note, I have put
away more than I ever could have envisioned back then, although as most of you
know $1 million ain’t what it used to be. So, retirement in a warmer climate
and endless games of pickleball will have to wait a while longer.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Along those lines, I recently read where
the number of 401(k) accounts carrying balances of at least $1 million at
Fidelity Investments ballooned 84 percent year over year to some 412,000 while
IRAs with a comparable seven-figure balance spiked 64 percent to 341,000.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Overall, the average balance of 401(k)s
grew 24 percent from the year-ago period to $129,000, while IRAs showcased a 21
percent gain to $139,000.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p><a href="https://transitionadvisors.blogspot.com/2021/08/who-wants-to-be-millionaire.html#more">Read more »</a>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-2360173047049607502021-08-20T09:00:00.001-04:002021-08-20T09:00:00.177-04:00There you go again! And again!<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1L6LRtbs_YlpzfYcXZbTY2Ta8KLZcP9yA4C1uP4FkZWvU5QeR6plJPfHP-wELfKhZ_5dibRN2Hp7VZDGZ-6eBFRfrNSQ_BhEUefUdwGPajjcSCBqrTc6naf1MCIqSbjbxIGiecTNqKjc/s312/artwork.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="312" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1L6LRtbs_YlpzfYcXZbTY2Ta8KLZcP9yA4C1uP4FkZWvU5QeR6plJPfHP-wELfKhZ_5dibRN2Hp7VZDGZ-6eBFRfrNSQ_BhEUefUdwGPajjcSCBqrTc6naf1MCIqSbjbxIGiecTNqKjc/w459-h238/artwork.png" width="459"></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">The summer between my senior year in high
school and freshman year in college my father impressed upon me a single
mandate for that two-month stretch: Find a job!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Back then, it was far easier said than
done. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">It seemed no one was hiring – even the
local quick-service food outlets were fully staffed. I interviewed for several
positions including supermarket checkout, stock boy, store maintenance, but no
luck.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">But that was then, and this is now. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Today it’s difficult NOT to see an
establishment with a “help wanted” sign. I wondered perhaps I was born 40 years
too early. I mean where was this labor shortage when I desperately needed to
stockpile some savings for my collegiate spending (read: drinking funds).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">But I digress. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">And anyone who owns and operates a CPA
firm knows full well that the profession mirrors the overall job market in
terms of seeking help. Each week, I hear horror stories from clients seeking to
staff up, only often, no one is miraculously showing up in their lobby, CPA
designation in hand to ease their labor shortage and succession problem.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">And yet hope springs eternal. Often to
the point of fantasy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p><a href="https://transitionadvisors.blogspot.com/2021/08/there-you-go-again-and-again.html#more">Read more »</a>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-78078029011094874322021-08-17T09:00:00.002-04:002021-08-19T10:10:11.278-04:00Customer Service or Servicing the Customer?<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQVVK01jt0CeYM0_CaXbrQ_ou6ga69y7rrydfYIaYsst8RdajHEdk-hbA6uko3fIVa29tvEwmyDCOgMD0cJNijqPhocOMBtWcqg6F-toM3vAupgQ1KmMs0kjt11tqkRPy8s7L53A6_jY/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="496" data-original-width="843" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCQVVK01jt0CeYM0_CaXbrQ_ou6ga69y7rrydfYIaYsst8RdajHEdk-hbA6uko3fIVa29tvEwmyDCOgMD0cJNijqPhocOMBtWcqg6F-toM3vAupgQ1KmMs0kjt11tqkRPy8s7L53A6_jY/w400-h235/image.png" width="400"></a></div><br><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">With my oldest daughter’s wedding rapidly
encroaching, this weekend my better half and I went shopping for a new suit.
The event itself will be black tie optional, but I later learned that only the groomsman
were mandated to wear a tux. Dark suits for the other male guests were strongly
encouraged.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">So, we went to a custom tailor nearby and
were waited on hand and foot, shoulder, leg, and waist - literally. The sales
rep took the requisite measurements, gave us the choice of everything from
fabric patches for the suit, buttons, lining and even an optional monogram on
the inside pocket. For those keeping score at home I took it.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Everything was fed into his iPad and
seconds later the finished product was imaged for our inspection. Of course,
the actual suit would take several weeks to complete, but we both were
non-plussed by the customer service. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Now we’ve all heard testimonials of
companies that consistently get high marks when it comes to customer service,
which in my humble opinion is rapidly becoming a lost art. Like Nordstrom of
Seattle, which legend has it, allowed someone to return a car tire even though
the company does not retail automotive parts. Or a restaurant company whose
name escapes me at the moment, sent one of the servers to a nearby McDonald’s
when a child guest complained that there was nothing on the menu they liked. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p><a href="https://transitionadvisors.blogspot.com/2021/08/customer-service-or-servicing-customer.html#more">Read more »</a>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-44452053401436611522021-08-10T09:00:00.001-04:002021-08-10T09:00:00.160-04:00Saving, Not Spending for a Rainy Day<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXb5-XUwtTir-QlrsBnTde0S501l_CGKA7axceg5JLzDO0-W1cOSv2cPCAJ1xnz0lbZtxQ2XdEmYmSioevewikOW2_l7TJrQj301a_1AQZ5RwLzkzAReZ8B_TJG48xb5LyWboPv4ZnmB4/s275/artwork.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXb5-XUwtTir-QlrsBnTde0S501l_CGKA7axceg5JLzDO0-W1cOSv2cPCAJ1xnz0lbZtxQ2XdEmYmSioevewikOW2_l7TJrQj301a_1AQZ5RwLzkzAReZ8B_TJG48xb5LyWboPv4ZnmB4/w434-h289/artwork.png" width="434" /></a></div>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">I try and work out every day. I rarely
eat dessert and often am in bed by 10 pm.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">In my humble opinion I think I have
preserved pretty well for a man encroaching on collecting Social Security, but
in full disclosure, I still wince when a clerk automatically gives me the
senior discount at the supermarket checkout. In the not-too-distant future,
retirement will be a fact of life and hopefully I will have enough saved to
remain ensconced in a reasonably comfortable lifestyle.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">In that same vein, this weekend I came
across an article that detailed several ways that retirees foolishly fritter
away their savings. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Some of them surprised me a bit, others
seem like common sense. So, in the spirit of preserving your retirement savings
for a long as possible here goes:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">1.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Ignoring
senior discounts</b>. I know it might offend some
age sensitive people (like yours truly), but the fact is that many retailers
offer discounts that may hit as high as 20 percent.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">2.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Purchasing
unneeded insurance products</b>.
Disability Insurance when you are no longer working and even life insurance in
some cases is at the top of the list.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">3.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Continuing
to support grown children</b>.
This sadly, is an all-too-common scenario. My kids are still on my mobile phone
plan but that’s as far as it goes. There are a number of other ways you can
help your offspring without emptying your wallet or portfolio.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">4.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Having
two cars</b>. Multiple vehicles are a
necessity when both spouses work, but when both throw in the towel, it often
makes sense to get by with one vehicle. Otherwise, repairs, gas, state inspections
and registrations add up. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">5.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Not
downsizing</b>. This scenario hits close to
home if you’ll pardon the bad pun. There’s a long-retired couple down in my
neighborhood who continue to live in a spacious 10-room house. Their children
moved out years ago and now they must continue to meet the requisite financial
obligations that a home that size requires. In fact, a recent study conducted
by Merrill Lynch revealed that nearly 33 percent of retirees actually <i>upsize</i>
to a larger home to accommodate family members who visit. Go figure.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">6.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]--><b>Donating
to multiple charities</b>. Again, this is familiar
territory as I receive at least 3-4 pieces of mail asking for donations on a
weekly basis never mind the relentless telemarking calls which are often scams.
Retirees tend to be more generous in their golden years but as I can attest, it
can get out of hand. </span><span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-15397445327497786752021-08-06T09:00:00.006-04:002021-08-06T09:12:40.701-04:00Want To Earn Less? Stay Home!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfvd7dmB60ImCoy953xFyYIcuAy4AR6LnPZFn5sysFBXm-E2VWhEheaVic5xRwxy_VqBlU-thfLmXRY4lZphtUgbPX2rNRlrZQNm9V9WDZZNqR0yxqMZq4FjUZu5N89dyewRu2j0nkx4/s300/artwork.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWfvd7dmB60ImCoy953xFyYIcuAy4AR6LnPZFn5sysFBXm-E2VWhEheaVic5xRwxy_VqBlU-thfLmXRY4lZphtUgbPX2rNRlrZQNm9V9WDZZNqR0yxqMZq4FjUZu5N89dyewRu2j0nkx4/w492-h276/artwork.png" width="492"></a></div><br><p></p><p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">It’s been nine and a half years since I
officially became a remote worker. After a quarter-century toiling in various
offices throughout New York City, I would be less than forthcoming if I said it
didn’t take some getting used to. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">I immediately missed the camaraderie of
colleagues, as my contact with the outside world was often limited to emails
and phone calls and the frequency of talking to myself increased exponentially.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">The flip side to that was that I rarely
lost an argument. And still don’t. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">But I digress. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">However, the COVID-19 pandemic juxtaposed
the typical working dynamic almost immediately. Offices were shuttered and
those companies fortunate to have state of the art technology made the change
from on-premises to remote without too many speedbumps.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Now that many businesses, including of
course, CPA firms large and small, have eased their guidelines and reopened, an
interesting trend, has surfaced. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Many workers who have worked remotely
over the past 18 months or so, like it so much they’re willing to take a cut in
pay to remain that way. An online survey by Breeze, an insurance company, found
that 65 percent of those polled and whose positions could be done remotely said
they would be willing to accept a cut in compensation up to 15 percent to remain
homebound. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p><a href="https://transitionadvisors.blogspot.com/2021/08/blog-post.html#more">Read more »</a>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-40424968397812852742021-08-03T09:00:00.001-04:002021-08-03T09:00:00.163-04:00Long Division – The Sequel?<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWouP1YddcI6HCk7pI2Ht4BS-ReblCttUXgJoWIVg2s_9q8wyqWiXSL5PKHJBXa6krChtgJkPSamuHoIeBik0TYjdK_gkguML6y-NyFde6VwHKS9TR8bBuZKnl5ZOxDdVi7oya6sD3sJE/s235/artwork.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="235" data-original-width="214" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWouP1YddcI6HCk7pI2Ht4BS-ReblCttUXgJoWIVg2s_9q8wyqWiXSL5PKHJBXa6krChtgJkPSamuHoIeBik0TYjdK_gkguML6y-NyFde6VwHKS9TR8bBuZKnl5ZOxDdVi7oya6sD3sJE/w518-h358/artwork.png" width="518"></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Some 20-plus years ago I attended my
first-ever AICPA conference, the fall meeting of Council at the cavernous
Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, which had just made its debut on the Strip the
year before. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">I was sort of feeling my way around as I
was new to covering the profession when a curious thing happened. My colleague
and I were invited to one of the official dinners, which had reserved a table
for each of the state council representatives. Trouble was, that none of the
conference organizers had bothered to account for the spouses of attendees. So,
when people began lining up against the walls with no place to sit, a small
panic ensued, and the hotel housemen were forced to sardine in at least 10
extra tables to accommodate the overflow. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">When I returned to the office, I penned a
column titled “Long Division,” which basically pointed out that all those folks
had to do was get a true headcount and divide by 10 to determine the correct
number of tables. I also questioned as to why scores of CPAs, accustomed to far
more difficult financial calculations, were unable to do just that.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">As one might imagine that op-ed didn’t
win many friends at the institute and for 12 years, I had an uneasy
relationship with the powers that be.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">But that was then, and this is now. Or was
it?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p></div><a href="https://transitionadvisors.blogspot.com/2021/08/long-division-sequel.html#more">Read more »</a>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-17986173447753972472021-07-23T09:30:00.001-04:002021-07-23T09:30:00.170-04:00Suddenly, I’m popular again!<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIdmLHzIVKazf2DfLnsOoZORA33et9V3nfWVRXEK3aRrNdt5zZuxCsLyeTRyKhuMQuBQ0q2iNGk6SaaEPuoCoU3EsEUPnUcn9XuEkpEVGV2dKBZVcWZo8g9kHt7hCAkDTuLthZwzYFGM/s1200/artwork.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIdmLHzIVKazf2DfLnsOoZORA33et9V3nfWVRXEK3aRrNdt5zZuxCsLyeTRyKhuMQuBQ0q2iNGk6SaaEPuoCoU3EsEUPnUcn9XuEkpEVGV2dKBZVcWZo8g9kHt7hCAkDTuLthZwzYFGM/w508-h330/artwork.png" width="508"></a></div><p></p><p></p><p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: x-large;">Who knew?</span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">As the annual AICPA ENGAGE conference in
Las Vegas inched closer to reality, suddenly I was in great demand. The confab,
which was held virtually last year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, will once
again play host to a live audience in lieu of session presentations and
roundtable discussions on laptops.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">And that meant the exhibitors had scoured
the attendee list in hopes of luring potential sales prospects to their
respective booths. And that includes yours truly.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Over the past two weeks, I have been invited
to no less than three “preconference kick-off cocktail parties, four chances to
win either an iPad or a set of Titleist golf clubs, countless bags of free
“swag” and last, but not least, $100 off my registration fee.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">And in full disclosure, it was a welcome,
albeit slow return to normalcy. Getting an email barrage from conference
vendors was routine pre-COVID, but over the last 18 months it was a more a
relic of the past in dire need of burnishing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p><a href="https://transitionadvisors.blogspot.com/2021/07/suddenly-im-popular-again.html#more">Read more »</a>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7629658266863980045.post-48863165972649037282021-07-20T09:00:00.001-04:002021-07-20T09:00:00.216-04:00Don’t Be Useful, Be Necessary!<p style="text-align: center;"> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihg5nm0y4LVL2gG-rrkBUIQwpgmwKoup3bmnj84LATTZbNA1-bIol_hNlYhFNjHyPWMMbmytaHqBSopxEc85vKlilWJuT-L8PERTNnmKujAFwmQmMlUPYJQzy_3ddm54ucTZ21amxP4EM/s275/artwork.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihg5nm0y4LVL2gG-rrkBUIQwpgmwKoup3bmnj84LATTZbNA1-bIol_hNlYhFNjHyPWMMbmytaHqBSopxEc85vKlilWJuT-L8PERTNnmKujAFwmQmMlUPYJQzy_3ddm54ucTZ21amxP4EM/w575-h298/artwork.png" width="575"></a></div><p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">During my publishing days, company management once announced
that it was reshuffling the editorial hierarchy and adding an editorial
director who would oversee all the print and online accounting-centric
products. To my delight, the CEO tapped yours truly to fill the newly created
post and subsequently asked me if I would like to relinquish my editor-in-chief
responsibilities at the flagship magazine and concentrate on the larger
picture.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">I thought about his offer for less than 10 seconds and responded
with a resounding “No!” When I was asked why by my colleagues why I wanted to
assume dual responsibility for both the answer was simple. Mid-management posts
such as the newly minted edit director were not tied to one specific property
and as experience taught me, those were always the first to be jettisoned in
the case of layoffs. By additionally keeping my EIC post, I was directly
responsible for the main publication and therefore, necessary.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;">Less than a year later, my fears of a permanent furlough were
realized as there was once again a reorganization, and the edit director post
was eliminated in favor of some byzantine C-suite lineup which resulted in the
loss of five jobs. Had I not opted to fill both positions, I too would have
found myself filing for unemployment insurance.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #01449f; font-family: trebuchet; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p><a href="https://transitionadvisors.blogspot.com/2021/07/dont-be-useful-be-necessary.html#more">Read more »</a>Transition Advisorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08315062552785401619noreply@blogger.com0