LEADERSHIP AND ACCOUNTABILITY
By Liz Belcher, CPA
Senior Manager, Tax Services
Do you feel tightness in your shoulders, as if a heavy load is clinging to them like the straps of a backpack? In business, we refer to this weight as the invisible "monkey" clinging to your back — someone else's task that you take on as your own.
Just like monkeys swing from one tree branch to the next, problems within the workplace have a way of hopping across the rungs of the corporate ladder. Then, issues that should be worked out within the confines at the lower level of a single department end up in the lap of the manager or owner to complete and expedite.
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ASK QUESTIONS AND CREATE POSSIBILITIES!
By Lisa Blankman, CPA
Manager, Audit & Assurance Services
Amazon's dramatic evolution started with a simple question. In an email to 1,000 randomly selected customers, founder Jeff Bezos asked, "'Besides the things we sell today (books, CDs, DVDs), what would you like to see us sell?'" Customers responded as if they were making shopping lists, and when one requested windshield wiper blades, Bezos began to see how the online book seller could become the massively successful virtual marketplace it is today.
In this American business world that constantly preaches confidence, approaching customers about how to improve your business could be viewed as a sign of weakness. But what if Bezos never sent that email out of the universal fear of asking a stupid question? Reminder: The only stupid question is the one you don’t ask!
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IT IS LONELY ... BUT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE ALONE!
By Brandon Cangany, CPA
Manager, Tax Services
When you were a child, you looked forward to adulthood so you could make your own decisions. Early in your career, you may have sought upper-level promotions so you could direct operations rather than being directed. Careful what you ask for!
If you're the leader of a business, department, organization — your team members come to you to help them solve their problems, boost their confidence and assure them of their value to the team. For YOU, unlike your team members, you're supposed to be impervious to bad news, always shining bright with positivity and the perfect solution for every problem. Unfortunately, you are human, and the utopia visualized above is NOT reality. Leadership can be very lonely — courage is very important.
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EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT: MICHELLE BADGER
Michelle Badger joined the Sponsel CPA Group family in the summer of 2019. With a business certificate from IUPUI and nearly 20 years of experience in the field of accounting, she brings a wealth of knowledge to the table.
Michelle serves as an administrator in the Tax Services department, facilitating the delivery of individual, corporation, partnership, fiduciary and other tax returns. She is the person "at the end of the funnel" who makes sure the returns are filed on time. She is a great asset to our entire team!
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Meet Our New Team Members! |
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Please join us in welcoming Sarah Rana and Crystal Harless to our team! Sarah (pictured above) will join the Tax Services Staff. |
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Crystal (above) will serve as the Administrative Assistant for Lisa Purichia, among other team duties. We’re thrilled to have them both on board! |
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Indiana Rises Among Best States for Business
We're prouder than ever to be a Hoosier company given Indiana's recent rise through the ranks of the best states to do business. As CNBC's annual ranking shows, Indiana jumped up five spots from last year, landing at #14 with high scores in several categories, including infrastructure (#1), cost of doing business (#2) and cost of living (#9). Such high rankings bodes well for the Indiana business community!
Sponsel's Speed Demons
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We work hard and we play hard at Sponsel CPA Group. For the latter, the Sponsel team took to the racetrack last month at Speedway Indoor Karting, and we were happy to see that our members are natural born racers, and competitive urges raged … all in good fun! |
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