Author Archives: jeffiepike

HOW TO KEEP MOTIVATED TOWARDS YOUR GOAL – DRESSAGE EDITION

Posted in Horse by

I pursued a goal that took me twenty-five years to achieve. I feel that gives me some perspective on self-motivation and how to keep going in the face of overwhelming odds.

My goal was to show Grand Prix dressage. Whether I trained the horse myself wasn’t part of the goal, but the reality was that trained Grand Prix horses are expensive, so by default I had to train one myself. If someone would have told me it was going to take twenty-five years, I may have reconsidered. But nobody can know the future, and this was my dream. I couldn’t let it die.

So I kept on going, even though setbacks were unending. The specifics aren’t important, and would take too long to record here anyway. The thing I remember most is that even when I absolutely, positively wanted to give up many, many, times, and even decided it wasn’t worth all the sacrifice, somehow I kept convincing myself there was no other option but to go on. Following is a list of techniques I used to keep me going:

  1. Habit. Once a habit is established, it’s really hard to break it. We know this is true for things we shouldn’t be in the habit of doing, like smoking or eating too much. It applies just a well to positive habits. I think about NOT doing the thing I’m supposed to be doing.  Then I think, that’s a lazy way to be, it’s just a few hours, do it. I noticed if I got sick and took a few days off, all of a sudden it became easier to take even more days off. So you can’t have excuses.
  2. Step goals. Every day I decided what I would try and teach my horse, or what I wanted to improve on. If I really didn’t want to ride I would decide to make the session a little shorter and get this or that done. I found once I tacked up the horse and made the long walk to the arena, it wasn’t much extra effort to have a normal ride.
  3. That leads to momentum. Habit gets you there. Once you have the step goals, you make a little bit of progress, and you see your bigger goals coming into view. Unfortunately they can come into view and disappear just as fast.  What I’ve found was that like a slippery slope, once I had momentum, even if I slipped and fell, I didn’t fall all the way to the bottom. I landed on some ledge and I was still closer.
  4. Setbacks – this is a tough one. You just have to be mentally strong, and your habits will help you. Your habits will hold you up if your mental will gives out. It is difficult, and your inner voice will tell you to quit. What I say is that if I quit, I won’t get to that wonderful place. Something wonderful is going to happen, it will be better than I can even imagine, but if I quit I will never know it. Mind you, that wonderful thing was decades away in my case, but the habits kept me on.
  5. Loneliness – the road to excellence is a lonely one. You won’t find many kindred spirits. They show up here and there along the way. It’s unlikely they will be with you on your entire journey.  If you’re not careful you may be lulled into believing that where you currently are, is the best it can be. Staying where you are never leads to anything but emptiness. I would rather be lonely than empty. It is a sacrifice, but one worth making. If I didn’t make it, I wouldn’t be able to tell you about it.
  6. Choices – we all make them. Sure you can choose to give up, not pursue the goal, or change the goal. Each person knows what’s right for them. Be sure you ask yourself why and thoroughly understand the reasons. If you’re just tired, that is not a reason. You will regret giving up for that reason. You will never reach your potential. As far as I’m concerned, that is a waste.

Reaching my goal was pure joy – a huge reward. But remember, even when you reach your goal, it isn’t over. You’ve gotten to a new and better place, and now you can set your sights even higher. That’s the beauty of it.

It’s never too late to start the journey to your true calling. It doesn’t matter how old you are, or the mistakes you made in the past. Today is a new day to take the first steps towards your dream. It doesn’t have to happen overnight, but it will never happen unless you do something to change. START TODAY!

http://youtu.be/96N5jEomNaI

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE AN EXPERT NEGOTIATOR TO GET WHAT YOU WANT FROM IRS

Posted in Accounting by

I had the pleasure of calling the IRS the other day. I expected to spend a fair amount of time on hold. They changed their hold music to tell me they were streamlining and improving IRS service by reducing the number of issues they could talk to me about. I was imagining if I had called a normal business and was greeted with such an announcement. I would take my business elsewhere. But the government has no competition. So I guess their policy is if you want something you’d better hope it falls within their new parameters.

Finally a lady answers and proceeds to tell me she can’t talk to me because I don’t have the proper paperwork on file. I explained that I faxed it in two weeks ago, and she said I must have faxed it to the wrong place. Then she said it probably went to right place but they didn’t process it because it had the wrong name, concluding with “ma’am I don’t have a Power of Attorney on file” as if that was somehow clearing up the problem.

She let me put her on hold while I faxed it again.

I was really irritated at this point, but I couldn’t lose my cool. When she got back on the phone I said I faxed it and I had the fax confirmation, which caused her to chuckle. Then she hemmed and hawed and said, “Can you hold for a minute while I shut the blinds, the sun’s coming in and I can’t see the computer screen.” There was my opening to establish likeability. While on hold, I formulated a quick plan.

When she came back on, the first thing I said was “the sun, wow, you’re lucky, I’m in Washington State, and we sometimes don’t see the sun all winter.” That was all it took.

She spent the next five minutes telling me all about her visit to Seattle. I listened, and asked questions, but let her talk, making no attempt to steer conversation back to the issue I had called about. After five minutes, we were friends.

The issue I had called about was fairly innocuous; the company had an incorrect name on file with the IRS. She told me I had to send a letter to advise of the name change, and she gave me the basic idea of what to write. However, because we were now friends I received some special insider advice.

First she told me the letter needed to be brief. She said they got letters from attorneys representing their clients before the IRS that were up to 19 pages long. She told me when she got letters like that; she tended to ‘not do anything about them. Then she said the Power of Attorney they had on file wouldn’t be updated, and if I wanted to talk to them again about this company, I would have to send another one in. I said that was fine. Then she told me how I could get around that by sending a copy of the Power of Attorney in with my letter, and attach a sticky note on it to forward it to POA processing. I said, “Wow, that works?” and she assured me it did. So a small favor, but a favor nonetheless.

I got off the phone, drafted the letter in less than five minutes and my problem was solved. Plus I had a new friend in the IRS office.

I’ve used this same technique on much more complicated issues. I’ve been able to get the IRS to abate penalties, reclass incorrectly applied tax payments, and even talk to me about tax notices without the proper paperwork on file, all on simple phone calls.

So you see, sometimes it doesn’t matter what the rules are, it matters who you know, and if they like you.

The key is to find a common bond, in this case it was a shared knowledge of a place. However it can be the job (we’re both just trying to do our job) or how the day is going (I’ve been chasing down problems all day, it sure would be nice if this one would be an easy fix so I can cross it off my list).  Just about anything you can think of can be a common bond. Remember not to grow impatient while waiting for the bond of likeability to develop.

Yes, I was on the phone a little longer than I wanted to be. But then again, my normal hold time with the IRS is forty-five minutes. In that context, a fifteen minute phone call was a steal!

THE TRUTH ABOUT EXCELLENCE

Posted in inspiration by

Is it an idea? Is it a way of life? Recently it was described to me this way: Excellence is the result of caring more than others think is wise, risking more than others think is safe, dreaming more than others think is practical and expecting more than others think is possible.

This concept can manifest itself in many ways. Most people think of if only in terms of a dream or lifelong goal. But if you apply it in your daily life, you will be a much happier person.

I like to think of it in terms of taking control. I can’t affect what goes on around me, but I can affect what I do about it, and what I think about it. In everything I do, I have a high standard.

Some would argue that if you hate your job, or what’s going on in your life, the only way to reach for excellence is to find something else to do and go after it. That’s a part of it. The other part is to have excellence in real time, in everything you do in every moment of your day.

Let’s say you work in an office. You spend most of your day filing, doing data entry, maybe talking on the phone with customers. You might consider the work menial, boring, perhaps beneath your level of skill. If you have that perception, you will never achieve excellence, in anything. You have to change the way you look at things.

What happens if you apply the concept of excellence to your daily work?

Let’s say you are filing, and you find a paper that has slipped through the folders and is at the bottom of the file drawer. You pick it up and see that it is dated three years ago, and belongs with records that have been boxed up and sent to archives.

What do you do? Excellence demands that you put it with its ‘mates’ in the archive area. You determine that doing this is going to take an extra twenty minutes.

But what if you don’t spend the time to put it in the correct place? You say, who cares, it’s only one paper, I’ll just put it in with current.

A few years go by, and someone needs to access archives to find that one particular paper. You took the shortcut and didn’t file it there. So now it will never be found. This potentially caused great inconvenience to someone.

However, if you took the time to file the paper correctly, you’ve unwittingly saved the day. It may have been needed for a very important project. You made it easier for someone else.

When you took that extra time three years ago, all those scenarios went through your head. Everything you do affects someone else. If you do things with excellence, the effect is always positive

It may feel like a waste of time to investigate details when something isn’t working right. In fact, it can be downright annoying. Especially if you get sidetracked and end up spending way more time than you thought you should.

Having high standards changes your outlook. No matter what’s happening, you have control over how you conduct yourself. It will make you stand out from the crowd. It will get you noticed. People will know you are someone that can be trusted. You are the person that can find the answer and will always do the right thing. You are a magnet for good.

Excellence makes you an expert, and you can be an expert in anything. Excellence will help you reach your goals, and keep you going when others quit.

HOW TO WRITE PERSUASIVE LETTERS THAT RESULT IN TAX REFUNDS

Posted in Accounting by

It’s inevitable that a state, local, or even the federal government will have money that lawfully belongs to your company.  There is really no incentive for them to return it, so it’s up to you to communicate persuasively to get what you want.

Although most business is conducted by email and phone, sometimes the best approach is a letter. This is usually the case with tax disputes. Keeping everything in writing is good proof, keeps a record of the timeline, and is a great way to make a strong case for your position.

Below are the five parts required of a persuasive letter:

  1. The introduction; which is a restatement of their position;
  2. Your explanation of the correct result and how you arrived at that result;
  3. The ‘don’t ask, but tell’ portion, where you state exactly what you want;
  4. The offer of help; you are available for questions and are happy to provide additional information;
  5. The gratitude; thanking them for taking the time to read your letter.

Before I start to write my letter, I spend a lot of time reviewing the correspondence received from the other party. It’s critical to understand their position.  There can be many reasons a government thinks your company owes money, some of them totally innocuous.

This researching process can take hours or sometimes days. If I’m spinning my wheels I put it aside and do something else for a while. With today’s complicated returns, it is sometimes very difficult to find the problem. Once you find it, and you are convinced it is a mistake on their part, continue on to the next step.

The research you do to find the problem supports the most critical part of the letter; the explanation of the correct result (item two). It must be clear, concise, and easy to understand. If it draws on for too long, the person reading the letter will truly have no idea what’s going on and will likely reject your request out of hand.

After the explanation, you move on to the ‘don’t ask, but tell’ portion. Write exactly what you want. Don’t suggest it, don’t imply it, and above all, don’t provide options. Just state what you want. Using the phrase ‘respectfully request’ softens the blow a little bit. This is where you don’t mince words.

Finally, you indicate your willingness to do whatever it takes to resolve the matter. You are happy to answer questions, provide more information, or fill out any additional forms required.  Include your phone number in the body of the letter.

End with a polite thank you. The person you are corresponding with is the link between you and the desired outcome. It is important to establish a cordial relationship in your letter, as you may end up speaking with them on the phone later on.

One final tip – keep the letter brief. If it is longer than one page, it is too long. If you are struggling with making it shorter, consider including additional attachments as further explanation and proof. It may be easier to understand when it is presented in that manner, and referring to the attachments in your letter will only take a sentence or two.

With practice, you will become an expert at collecting money in seemingly impossible situations.  This is a respected skill that will always be in demand.

 

SERVING THE INTERNAL CUSTOMER

Posted in Accounting by

In business, internal customers are all the people you interact with that are not the external customers. This includes co-workers, supervisors, and others who work in the various departments of your company. They must be treated just as respectfully as you would treat the external customer.

Generally, most of the people you work with will be professional and courteous. This makes it easy to treat them as you would an external customer. In the normal course of your work, you should have many chances to interact with them. You want to be sure that every interaction is positive, and that you leave a good impression.

Office politics sometimes makes us feel like it’s ok to treat some of our co-workers with disrespect. They may not be well liked, or your supervisor doesn’t like them, or maybe they aren’t that nice to you. Don’t fall into that trap.

Treat everyone as if they are potential customers. This can be especially difficult if they are rude to you. Don’t be sidetracked by your emotions. Keep on topic. If you are personally attacked, don’t even respond. Try to steer the conversation back toward the issue at hand. If that doesn’t work, tell the person you are no longer able to discuss it, and leave the area.

After an incident like that, it is natural to want to talk to someone about it, just to vent and get it out of your system. It is better to talk it over with a friend or a close co-worker, not your supervisor.  Your supervisor doesn’t have time to listen to your personal rant, and it reflects badly on you. It could cost you opportunities for advancement and additional responsibility, as it shows a lack of maturity on your part.

There are times when it may be appropriate to discuss an unpleasant interaction with your supervisor. For example, if you are disrespected by an executive from another department. Then it is reasonable that your supervisor would want to know about this, as there is very little you can do.

It reflects well on you when others feel confident looking to you for leadership.  Once you become more familiar with the company culture, you can immediately direct them to someone who can help. Or if possible, solve their problem right away. Even if it’s a phone call or email they could just as easily have done, you will be the hero if you take care of it. They will remember it and tell others, developing your reputation as a problem solver.

Be someone others can count on. It will open doors for you.

 

DRESSAGE TRAINING USING BEND

Posted in Horse by

Today I’d like to share some video of my horse Liesl. She’s now seven years old and as I detailed in prior posts, it has not been easy with her.

About a year ago, after I learned of Clinton Anderson, and studied his techniques, I realized I was trying to make her change to fit my method. I was thinking in a very narrow way. She wasn’t responding to me in a positive way, so there must be something wrong with HER. In fact, there was something wrong with ME.

I needed to change my approach. To do that I needed to understand why she acted the way she did. Now of course I can’t really know the operation of her mind, but I tried to break it down into smaller pieces and not assign emotions to her actions.

The techniques I learned really helped me unlock her potential. Whenever something isn’t working, I don’t try to force it. I take a step back and think about why she might be acting the way she is. What can I do to convince her that it’s easier to do what I want?

One of the techniques Clinton uses to supple his horses is bending left and right, both on the ground and under saddle. The key is to bend the horse, then hold the pressure until the horse releases. It’s not just sawing the neck back and forth.

When I first tried it with my horses, I couldn’t believe how stiff they were. Neither one of them could bend more than slight sideways. It took weeks of daily practice until they could easily swing their necks from side to side on the ground.

When I started it under saddle at a standstill, the immediate reaction was again stiffness. I couldn’t get much bend. The video is taken after a few weeks of practice.  Liesl actually tries to beat me to each side, I’m barely touching the reins and she offers the bend.  The video also shows the desensitizing to the stick and string.

When they are moving it’s harder to feel the give but I would describe it as almost like a hollowing, rubber band feel in their neck and body, and they lighten in the mouth. This horse was so stiff every time I asked for the bend in either trot or canter she would revert back to her most common resistance, which was stopping.

At that point I had to ask consider the possibilities – was it impossible for her, or was it too difficult and she wouldn’t try? Since she can’t talk, I assumed that yes it was difficult, but that I should still ask, and accept less. After a little trial and error, I found the place where she can try and feel successful.

The longer video shows this work in the canter, and I’m incorporating the half-pass. She’s still very stiff, so I don’t ask for perfection, but I do want extra bend in the sideways to help supple her.

She’s also just starting her flying changes. They are still awkward but I’m not too concerned if she changes before I ask, or if she changes a little bit late. I’m just trying to give her the idea.

I’m finding that this bending concept really helps me to understand why things go wrong, how to deal with it, and also to be accepting of less as long as they try. It makes for a pleasant ride every day.

I work on my own and make many mistakes. I’ve learned not to be afraid of the mistakes. Horses are very forgiving, and I’ve been able to undo more of my training errors than I believed possible.

I’m so glad I found this technique and didn’t give up on this horse. And I never thought I’d say that I enjoy riding her. What an amazing transformation. It never would have happened if I was too stubborn to admit I was wrong, and change.

Video links are below:

http://youtu.be/Gfi5zUlBH4c
http://youtu.be/835MPOUW9xo

GAINING EFFICIENCES BY UPDATING OBSOLETE REPORTING TOOLS

Posted in Accounting by

As companies grow and mature, so do the tools they use for financial reporting. Many times this growth results in a very busy accounting department. It seems they can barely hold things together on a monthly basis, let alone innovate and improve. But unless innovation occurs, trouble awaits.

I’ve seen cases where spreadsheets that were created 15 years ago are still being used for current reporting purposes. In some cases, no substantial updates or changes have been made to these reporting tools. They’ve just been patched and linked together to the point that nobody understands where the numbers come from. If there’s an error, there’s no way to find it. The result is incorrect information being presented to management, excuses made, and lower level employees made to scramble to try and make it right.

Make some time every month to review at least one of your reporting processes. You may have to scrap the whole thing and start again. I remember a cash flow matrix that was prepared at one of my former companies. It took someone four hours per day to prepare it. Nobody knew how to read it, only that it all had to equal zero on the last page. I scrapped it and recreated an entirely new spreadsheet. We ended up tracking our cash flow even more efficiently, and it only took an hour a day.

You can’t be afraid to make wholesale changes like that. It does take time, and it can be frustrating. It will feel like you’re wasting time and should be doing more important things. Don’t let those thoughts crowd out the true purpose; to learn, innovate, grow, and always provide top-notch reports to your end user.

 

ALWAYS SERVE THE CUSTOMER

Posted in Accounting by

When we think of the customer, we often only consider the external customer. But everyone you interact with in your organization can be considered your customer. Everyone should receive the same level of high quality service from you. This post is about the external customer, the buyer of your company’s product or service.

Being in accounting, we are somewhat removed from the external customer, with the exception of Accounts Receivable. We get caught up in our routines and processes. If contacted by an outside customer, we take it as an interruption to our day. In our minds, we think, well, I’ll have to try and work this into my day, but it isn’t a priority. This is not excellent customer service.

You wouldn’t have a job without that external customer buying your company’s products or services. If a customer calls me I return the call the same day, in no case make the customer wait longer than 24 hours.

They may have what I think is a ridiculous demand or a complaint about something that has nothing to do with accounting. The last thing I want to do is tell them I can’t help them. Even worse is to tell them to call back and ask for someone else, or transfer them to another department never knowing if they got what they needed. I am their connection to the solution.  A customer will remember clearly that when they called your company, the first person that answered the phone took care of them. It reflects well on everyone.

I listen to them, find out what they want, then take the initiative to contact whoever I need to contact within our organization to handle the request. If I can take care of it, I do it right away.

No matter how much extra work it is to take care of a customer request, it should be a high priority. It should be done quickly, and if takes several days or weeks to complete, keep the customer updated on its progress either by email or phone. It is important to assure the customer that you are taking care of the issue.

I specialize in sales taxes and I know that customers are very sensitive about their invoices being correct. If errors are found in a customer’s receivable account, be pro-active and correct them. For example, there can be errors on sales tax charged on customer invoices. They are usually discovered when filing the monthly sales tax returns. If a customer is owed a credit, make sure it gets on their account.  Even for small amounts, have Accounts Receivable issue the credits and advise the customer. This keeps the level of trust the customer has for your company very high. The customer knows you are always looking out for their best interest.

You never know when you may need help from your customer. Establishing this trusting relationship will be valuable and can serve you well in your ongoing interactions with external customers.

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF ACTIVELY MANAGING YOUR STAFF

Posted in Accounting by

Taking the time to train and mentor your staff can’t be overlooked. There are some people who are self-motivated and naturally ask for more work, get more efficient, and take on more responsibility. Those are rare people. The rest must be trained, helped, and encouraged along the way. But they can shine just as much.

When you hire someone, you are responsible for helping them succeed. We all make bad hiring decisions at one time or another. But if things don’t work out right away, don’t become negative and look only at the problems. Try to seek out solutions.

This starts with having a meeting with your employee. Don’t go into it in attack mode. Have a list of compliments countered with constructive criticism. Couch it in a helpful tone.  For example, for an Accounts Receivable clerk, you might say this: “I noticed you come in early every day and get customer emails answered, which is great. Our customer comes first. But the cash receipts don’t get entered by the 3pm deadline. Is there something I can do to help?  Does something need to be changed?”

You are only going to find solutions by listening and understanding the other person’s perspective. Someone else may be distracting them from their work. Maybe they weren’t properly trained. There could be some personal problems. Get to the root of it.

The two of you should come up with a plan to make improvements. It is critical to get the employee involved in making the plan. Shared responsibility gives them motivation.  Have specific goals and deadlines. Plan to meet every week to see how things are going. When people have a stake in making things better, it gives them a feeling of freedom and empowerment. This is a far better motivator than money.

A person invested in their job will be the first to speak up if they sense a problem because they feel a duty to do things well. You have shown them that you are a good listener and have an open mind. And because you showed that you care and want to help them get better, they will of course come to you and seek out your advice.

I always try to train my staff so well that they could replace me. My relentless efforts to do this have never resulted in me being replaced. Instead I end up going to an even better place. I am seen as the big picture person, the thinker, the solver of problems.

Some people fear losing their jobs if their subordinates are smarter or know more than they do. In my experience these are the kind of people you want to support you. It will allow you to expand your learning horizons, take a longer vacation, or maybe even keep shorter hours. It all works because you know in your absence all critical tasks will be handled.

KEEP TRACK OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Posted in Accounting by

It’s tempting when you have a job in the private sector to go day to day without noting what you worked on. In public accounting you have to keep track in order to bill the client, but in the private sector that’s not as much of an issue. When you’re really busy it seems that writing down what you’ve been working on is just a waste of time. It’s actually a very valuable exercise.

Even though I work in the private sector, I track my day exactly as I did when I was in public accounting. If I’m working on a special project, I take meticulous notes on the progress of what I call the ‘case.’ I keep a journal of all the names, dates, and summary of the conversations I’ve had with various people. I make note of any special things I do to get what I think is the best outcome for the company. I take the extra time to dig into the details. Most importantly, I take the notes as things happen. It is clear in your mind when you write notes immediately. If you wait a few weeks your notes on the distant memories won’t be as sharp and convincing.

This information can be very useful when updating your resume. You may not have any plans to change jobs, but if something happens and you have to seek other employment, it is so much easier to get started if your resume is already up to date.

I review my resume annually. I don’t necessarily rewrite the whole thing, but if I accomplished something special I add a few notes in the resume file. I might even write a paragraph or two for my cover letter as well.

This is also why I like to over-deliver when approaching all my work. I make sure I do everything with excellence. It makes my resume stand out because it is not just a list of things I have done. It reflects the care I took to deliver a high quality product that my customer, either internal or external, was happy to receive. It shows initiative and leadership.

Finally, it is sometimes fun to simply read your notes and revel in your accomplishments. I like to do this when I’m having a day where I feel like nothing is getting done. I take a ten minute break and read my ‘accomplishments file.’ Then I remember that yes, I was productive, and I will be again!