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Focus on activities that encompass make sure you hear something from
the whole — the whole department, the everyone. Start around the room and Timing is critical
whole team, the whole person. Below are have everyone share their best solution.
a few ideas to show that you value your Then continue around the room until when considering
team by allowing them to be themselves all ideas are heard. Finally, prioritize ways to update
and sharing their thoughts and opinions: the ideas among the group in order
to select the top two or three ideas workflows and tech
Focus on mental and physical to investigate. stacks. This should
well-being be a continuous
Create a plan along with rewards to in- Plan to address technical
centivize the team to take care of them- weakness process where
selves year-round. Continue to check Review key areas of technical weak- potential solutions
in on their well-being throughout the ness in the team and plan for ways to
summer season. Provide self-care op- address these. Empower the team to are identified and
investigated and then
portunities and promote mental and identify blind spots that may not be
physical health on the internal commu- noticeable and include them in formu- implemented.
nication platform (with examples from lating a plan to address them. Bringing
team members). One of our offices had in industry leaders or experts in certain
a challenge during tax season to see areas or having team members present
who could walk the most steps over the at “lunch and learns” is a great way to
season. With technology today, that accomplish this.
was easy to monitor and fun to watch.
Add value
Continuous feedback loop Adding value to the team is just like Identify and resolve
Create an opportunity for team mem- adding value for clients. Look for and bottlenecks
bers to provide meaningful and imple- identify pain points or areas of im- Removing bottlenecks in your pro-
mented feedback through anonymous provement from the employee point of cesses will add a great deal of value. The
polling and workplace surveys. These view. Then quantify to the team what issue most service firms have is that
can be created within the firm’s main improvements can be made and what low-volume, high-variety jobs make it
communication tool, such as Microsoft value that will add to employees and to difficult to identify and resolve those
Teams (to capture instant feedback the firm. In summary, adding value to bottlenecks. Many parts of workflow
from the team, check out Polly, an en- your team means appropriately balanc- can be streamlined even with high-
gagement app within Microsoft Teams). ing capacity, addressing pain points, variety jobs.
One of our offices uses PerformYard, and engaging in strategic planning with
a tech tool that allows managers to your team. Here are some ways to ac- Update workflows
easily and quickly post comments and complish that: and technology
reviews that are ready for HR at annual Timing is critical when considering
review time. Also consider 360-degree Review and calculate capacity ways to update workflows and tech
feedback, allowing team members to Determine needed capacity based on stacks. This should be a continu-
provide input from all angles. firm goals and make a plan to achieve ous process where potential solutions
that capacity. This could mean hiring are identified, investigated, and then
Brainstorming part-time staff, replacing staff who have implemented. One idea is to designate
Plan critical brainstorming review ses- left the firm, or realigning expectations a group who will be “champions of
sions. In advance, invite team members with current staff. Clear communica- change.” This group should be small
to review or analyze a specific process, tion and stating expectations with the and nimble but with a diverse range of
technology, software, or service cur- team at the outset will add value to backgrounds, including administrative
rently in use. Have them bring at least the team. Work is needed in the off- personnel. The group’s goals will be to
one new idea to the table. Be sure to season to purposely identify gaps and review, understand, and evaluate new
focus only on one or two topics. This strengthen the team’s understanding and emerging technologies and solutions
will allow everyone to strategize and of the part they will play in the firm’s in order to present proposed updates to
develop their thoughts beforehand, and strategic plan. firm management.

www.thetaxadviser.com March 2022 45