This analysis clearly leads us to the conclusion that scheduling decisions need to be truly managed. And managed by someone in a position to make sound strategic trade-offs.

MORALE, MOTIVATION, SATISFACTION, AND EXCITEMENT

Drop unprofitable clients

Administration is a matter of “hygiene”: if done poorly it can hurt the practice, but outstanding administration never promotes the future success of the practice.

Relationships, to remain strong, must be nurtured, and future business must be earned.

After the engagement partner has forewarned the client (in person) that it is coming, and explained why the firm is doing it, the questionnaire should be sent out over the firm name (with the firm or office managing partner’s name attached), not the name of the individual engagement partner.

Listening well to clients means more than informal, opportunistic information gathering during the process of pursuing new client prospects, or “keeping one’s eyes open” during current client engagements.

“People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”—a

In the first type (Brains), the client’s problem is at the forefront of professional or technical knowledge, or at least is of extreme complexity.