As I shared in a previous blog I have recently been doing some work on identifying my core business values (you can read that blog here).As a reminder the three are connection, cooperation and balance.
They didn’t necessarily jump out at me in that order, but when I started to reflect what they each meant to me then it became obvious to me that connection was the first and perhaps most important.
Connection is something that I strive for in all my relationships. In fact I have always said that in any coaching relationship it is importantthat there is a connection between the coach and the client.
Only when there is a connection between the two people will the trust develop that will increase the levels of honesty and openness, strengthening the relationship between coach and client.
With that in mind, whenever I receive any referrals or enquiries from potential new clients the first thing I do is arrange for either a face to face conversation be that in person or on zoom or a telephone call.
Why?
Well, fundamentally I need to see how the interaction with that person goes and whether we share similar views and values.
Ultimately this is what being connected is all about for me.
From a client perspective I want to see if we are going to be working together or if we are going to be in conflict. For the client to benefit the most and for me to enjoy the work that I do then we need to have that connection and trust.
This also filters into the work I do with my clients. My aim is to build connection between my accountant client and their team, and between the individual members of their team as well. This forms the strong foundations for building a high performing team.
In some cases that I work with just with the owner of the practice, but often I work directly with their teams too. I do this in either a training capacity or by coaching and developing them through my ‘done for you’ appraisal system.
I can do this using my knowledge, skills and some key tools to enhance the connections that are already there.
As an owner of an accountancy practice the benefits of this increased strength of connection is that your employees will have higher levels of engagement which maximise motivation and therefore productivity.
But perhaps the most important benefit right now, given the challenges of recruiting good people, is that retention levels will also increase.
So, ask yourself...
How connected are you to your team right now?
How connected are they to each other?
What one thing could you do to strengthen those connections?
For help with increasing the connection within your practice, drop me an email and let’s organise a conversation.
