Happy Accounting

Merger Accounting

2012-02-05T13:22:00.004Z

In one of my alter egos I became involved in a merger of two organisations, the background to this is that it was a bit of a shotgun marriage as it was imposed by a significant third party common to both ( a major funder) who thought it might be a good idea. This led us all on a journey with many twists and turns so the attached download draws on some practical thoughts ...

www.lenejones.com/download/MergerAccounting.doc

Behavioural Accounting

2012-01-22T14:35:00.003Z

I recently was asked to comment on a piece about Behavioural Economics which is currently in vogue. It prompted me to write this piece about how accountants can also influence behaviour

read on.....
www.lenejones.com/download/behaviouralaccounting.doc

Diversity Accounting

2011-08-02T09:07:00.003+01:00

Diversity is a word that has become fashionable of late which takes the equality debate a bit further, what does this mean for an Accountant, or is it simply another way of doing the job?
Having a diverse work force in an organisation is a way of obtaining different points of view.
Is Diversity just therefore about talent management?, or can a Diversity Agenda actually improve performance overall.
Diversity may just be another way of engaging employees to perform better, or at least to communicate more effectively.
In all such debates the answer is .... 'it depends'

read on ......

www.lenejones.com/download/DiversityAccounting.doc

Choke Accounting

2011-06-09T09:29:00.002+01:00

What happens when an Accountant is put under pressure and he begins to doubt his own work and ability?
There is a danger that he retreats into his shell and doesnt rise to the challenge . He loses his nerve and logical thought processes, not performing to his best when it is needed the most, in short he Chokes, why is this? read on....

www.lenejones.com/download/ChokeAccounting.doc

Enough Accounting

2011-05-04T09:01:00.004+01:00

When you look at a set of accounts, what is the first figure you look for, quite often it is the Shareholders funds or Reserves and then you drill down into the balance sheet, this free download looks at the Reserves position and asks the question of how much the balance should be to provide comfort in the ability of the company to meet it's obligations. The concept of stewardship therefore comes into play and the article looks at the Third Sector way such funds are managed and disclosed.

www.lenejones.com/download/EnoughAccounting.doc

Resilient Accounting

2011-04-07T10:58:00.003+01:00

I think that personal resilience is a pre requisite for a successful career in Accountancy, or indeed any other vocation, however, the Accounts department within a business has also to display this attribute. In the free download I discuss what Resilient Accounting means to me www.lenejones.com/download/ResilientAccounting.doc

Sceptical Accounting

2011-03-25T08:50:00.002Z

Here are some thoughts on why an Accountant should retain a healthy inquisitive stance when compiling data. Accountants who have been in a job for some time acquire an inquisitive feel for data presented in an inconsistent manner. Having a degree of scepticism in the data exchange transaction will mean that everyone's mind is kept sharp and alert.

read on....

www.lenejones.com/download/ScepticalAccounting.doc

Educational Accounting

2011-03-25T08:41:00.003Z

In order to improve the effectiveness of the delivery of information, it is useful to know how the recipeint is able to absorb facts. In this respect the Accountant must have a framework for delivery, the attached article explores some thoughts on how people learn/receive information and what the Accountantt can do to get the message across.

www.lenejones.com/download/EducationalAccounting.doc

Start up Accounting

2011-01-27T10:12:00.003Z

When an Accountant is involved in start ups it is an area where there is uncertainty and a certain amount of guesswork. Quite often the skills of the orthodox accountant are stretched as the requirement for alternative ways of reporting become more demanding.
The Accountant should not abandon his traditional cautious approach and should be mindful of the four fundamental concepts, but at the same time accomodating the Entrepreneurial mindset that start ups demand. This is a difficult balancing act.

read my free download
www.lenejones.com/download/startupaccounting.doc

Leaky Accounting

2011-01-24T12:28:00.004Z

As in all walks of life, things dont always go to plan, and indeed quite often controls that are in place get abused , or just face plain denial they ever existed. This territory is difficult for an Accountant, just as he thought the numbers were solid, along comes new information, or indeed further denials and counter information that upsets the balance. This is leaky accounting, a Management information system is only as good as the numbers that are put into it, where there are leaks and contradictory information, accounting becomes fraught and difficult.... read on....

www.lenejones.com/download/LeakyAccounting.doc

Thought(ful) Accounting

2010-12-23T14:01:00.002Z

The basic premise is that there is more to numerical data than meets the eye, to paraphrase an old song 'it's not what you report it is the way you report it'
Quite often data gets misinterpreted quite unintentionally because the manner in which it is transmitted and the way in which it is received/perceived are at variance.
Having a more thoughtful approach to data and understanding some of the neurological processes at work about how we manage data internally is key to getting the message across.
It is all about preferred communication styles by the sendor and preferred receipt styles by the user.

see www.lenejones.com/download/ThoughtAccounting.doc

Olympic accounting

2010-12-07T15:18:00.003Z

Here is a bit of metaphorical whimsy based on a topical subject, the conclusion is that to encourage the people in the bsuiness to follow the olympic ideal and perform at their best (most of the time) then the reporting infrastucture and environment needs to be of such a Olympic quality that perfroming comes easy without having to worry about hygiend or comfort factors, In short world class environments can produce engaged and world class perfromances...
read on

www.lenejones.com/download/Olympicaccounting.doc

Mendicant Accounting

2010-12-01T12:58:00.005Z

This is a piece about how a lending proposition can be improved by understanding the lenders postion. The FD is after someone else's cash, so putting the proposal in the best possible light is key and making the investor comfortable that he understands what is being requested and that you are the custodian of a valuable asset for reciprocal benefits.
Managing the relationship of the cash provider starts with getting off on the right foot, the article attempts to highlight some actions you can take to persuade lenders to part with their hard earned cash.
www.lenejones.com/download/MendicantAccounting.doc

Metaphor Accounting

2010-11-30T10:30:00.004Z

I had a bit of fun about personality types and behaviour of FDs under pressure, especially in the current economic climate, Fd's react differently under stress and knowing your default position will help you modify your behaviour so that your message does not become confused and unprincipled.

This is important so that your leadership qualities do not become diminished and that you remain true to your values,

see www.lenejones.com/download/MetaphorAccounting.doc

T Accounting

2010-09-24T11:46:00.002+01:00

Older accountants will, recognise this phrase as a way of assisting the completion of accounts. Every debit must have an equal and opposite entry ( credit) to acheive a 'balanced' set of accounts.
The term has moved because of change
firstly, computer systems have largely removed manual book keeping and ledger accounting
secondly we have seen the advent of the T manager and accounting functions have evolved from a purely reporting function to a more operational nature.

The 'balance' now comes from a set of operational processes in harmony with the goals of the organisation
My free download eplains this in a bit more detail

www.lenejones.com/download/Taccounting.doc

Wiki Accounting

2010-09-17T11:13:00.002+01:00

The 'Wik'i is becoming accepted as a normal way to rationalise and further explain information and events.
How can the accountant capitalise on this approach to content managing an accounts information system. More companies want more information behind the numbers , so a 'Wiki' approach to an information system might be the answer
read my free download for more......

www.lenejones.com/download/WikiAccounting.doc

Mission Accounting

2010-09-13T12:02:00.002+01:00

How is it posssible to set measurable outcomes and set specific targets when Mission statements are so obtuse, what exactly is a Mission statement trying to acheive , is it a platitude or does it mean something?, read my free download
www.lenejones.com/download/MissionAccounting.doc

Time(ly) Accounting

2010-09-08T11:25:00.008+01:00

In the present economy, CEOs are becoming more anxious about organisational performance and the demands placed on the CFO to provide figures and analyses which are accurate and timely. traditional monthly figures need to be produced on time and should be reliable, yet CEOs are demanding Flash information. Just how long should the CEO wait... to find out more see.

www.lenejones.com/download/Time(ly)Accounting.doc

Big Accounting

2010-09-03T11:36:00.003+01:00

In keeping with the Governments 'Big Society', and its all inlcusive approach I have set out my thoughts that Accountants have a Big Role to play in this. We are the providers of information and should be Big enough to be open and honest with our stakeholders.
We should not hide behind the veil of corportate sensitivity

see my further thoughts on
www.lenejones.com/download/BigAccounting.doc

Customer Accounting

2010-08-11T13:25:00.003+01:00

I thought I would add to my further comments about supply chain accounting ( see earlier blog) and actually concentrate on the Customer and demand side. The issue really is that although the customer may be right, they might not be the right customer for you. see the free download
www.lenejones.com/download/CustomerAccounting.doc

Outsourced Accounting

2010-08-10T10:18:00.004+01:00

In times of uncertainty there is a need to review business processes and accounting functions. To achieve economies of scale the FD may well consider outsourcing some of the routine accounts functions to free up resources to focus on more business critical areas, in the free download below I have considered some issues which may influence the outsource decision.

www.lenejones.com/download/OutsourcedAccounting.doc

selling a business

2010-08-04T11:08:00.005+01:00

here is some standard stuff as a free download which might help you realise your dream and sell your business to a willing buyer at a good price, pretty much common sense really, but worth remembering as a checklist.

My own personal experience on this is that the Buyer has to understand what he is buying , so trying to understand their perspective is key.

www.lenejones.com/download/Sellingyourbusiness.doc

Austerity 2

2010-08-04T09:48:00.002+01:00

I wrote a bit about this earlier in a blog and am now coming to terms with a more empathic view on this this given that the Government wants to create a 'Big Society' and reduce the role/financial burden of the state as it seeks to address the deficit.
In a sense this is a footnote and a quandary.
If the Government are keen for cost reduction measures across the board, look at the way they are viewing Housing.
If we take their stated intent to reduce costs and for example ensure that Council Houses dont become a life long entitlement, then turning this entitlement into a periodic review, ultimately comes down to a means test for the occupants.
In the long run this means that Capitalism will have to be different as 'ownership' may come under more scrutiny and it's definitions are stretched .
If we take the Council House analogy, the state ultimately owns the property, but latterly had handed over the 'occupancy' or ownership to the long term tenant. This is where the boundaries get blurred and it is the cuckoo in the nest syndrome, just who has what rights under these circumstances?
Altering these rights is philosophically deeply political, on the one hand it is giving the tenant care and compassion, on the other hand it is trying to get the tenant out of the 'learned helplessness' phase ( and presumably 'in work').
Is the ultimate aim of the Government of the day to provide security for it's citizens, or is it to provide circumstances whereby citizens can secure themselves?
Just what is a 'Big Society'? Does this mean that the Capitalist Model as envisaged by this Government means that 'ownership' will be concentrated in fewer individuals and the prevailing economic conditions for the majority means that they will 'rent' rather than own?

struggling with this one.......

Human Resource Accounting

2010-07-29T09:58:00.003+01:00

If Employees are our most valuable resource, why aren't they recorded as an asset on balance sheets? I think it because we are trying to measure something too subjective, and what we are doing is actually trying to measure happiness. I do not think though that firms that ignore the human equation in their decsion making get very far, see my article below

www.lenejones.com/download/HRAccounting.doc

Austerity

2010-06-24T11:14:00.002+01:00

In the light of the recent budget and the general belt tightening that looks imminent, I wrote this piece that has a slant on how Accountants should approach this new landscape. see
www.lenejones.com/download/AusterityAccounting.doc

Supply Chain Accounting

2010-05-06T11:51:00.002+01:00

I recently came across an Article on whether it was appropriate to concentrate on Gross Margin specifically on a customer basis rather than a product basis and that got me thinking, do we really know how much Customers have cost us?
for further thoughts see
www.lenejones.com/download/SupplyChainAccounting.doc

150 part 2

2010-04-22T11:54:00.001+01:00

I came across this article also which I found interesting, it again tells the story of Dunbar's number in a bit more detail ( and much better) than I did.

http://www.thersa.org/fellowship/journal/features/features/the-magic-number

Talent Management

2010-04-22T10:16:00.004+01:00

As I work in an SME environment, I am continually faced with market pressures on wage rates to attract, retain, motivate and reward talent. This is not easy when you are up against the big boys, but working for an SME does have advantages in terms of career management. see

http://www.lenejones.com/download/Employment Policies.doc

Chaos

2010-04-08T14:15:00.003+01:00

Is it true that a large chunk of strategic thinking is generated by the CEO and CFO and is based on their instinctive reaction to perceived Chaos (aka Change)?When such reaction become kneejerk, misdirection occurs and the planned re direction becomes chaotic. Constant change (aka Chaos) is an energetic environment within business and managing the Corporate Energy levels is a key component of (dis)equilibrium management, with the Accountant continually striving to bring order out of the Chaos.
Chaos can be refreshing not exhaustive, so re frame it as planned change and find the longer term alignment of the Corporate Strategy and the Change strategy
The FD should be Change ready but, true to his instinct, he should constantly and consistently bring his training to bear and create order.
Get into the mentality that Chaos is healthy, but like everything else, only in moderation, so do we need a touch of Chaos from time to time to keep us on our toes and remind us of our true value(s)?

for a more in depth version of this blog see
www.lenejones.com/download/disequilibrium.doc

getting rid of the CEO

2010-04-06T14:21:00.002+01:00

The CFO and the CEO have to work closely, but what happens when the CEO has to be told he no longer has the confidence of the Board or indeed his performance is so below expectations that departure is inevitable, here is my take on this particular problem see
www.lenejones.com/download/Losingtheplot.doc

How do we do it?

2010-03-30T14:54:00.003+01:00

Most of us Professional accountants have been trained to a good standard, however they way we undertake our every day work is different, some of it is based on personality. It is not that some peronalities are much better suited to number crunching than others, it is just that we approach our work in different ways

see the attached article for further thoughts

www.lenejones.com/download/Areallaccountantsintroverts.doc

Customers

2010-03-30T13:16:00.003+01:00

These should never be taken for granted, they are the most valuable asset a business has, here is my analysis why
www.lenejones.com/download/WhathaveCustomersdoneforus.doc

150

2010-03-29T15:46:00.002+01:00

I read an article the other day that says you can only realistically keep linked or connected to 150 people , as this was the optimum size of tribe and this number of people can be managed within the confines of our own brain quite easily, anything more becomes unwieldy, so why is this?

for additional thinking on this see
www.lenejones.com/download/150people.doc

Sustainable Happiness

2010-03-29T11:58:00.000+01:00

There is a lot written about sustainability, the term has been hi jacked by several writers to cover different subjects and is a current buzz word. I thought I would hi jack it and talk about how we can find Sustainable or indeed everlasting Happiness. It comes down to how we manage ourselves and the trade off between current short term pleasure and longer term Happiness, and knowing the differece between the two
see
www.lenejones.com/download/SustainableHappiness.doc

Monthly Accounts

2010-03-26T16:13:00.000Z

I have often wonedered about the benefit of monthly accounts and i how long should they take to produce. As in most walks of life there is a trade off between the quick and dirty and the longer lasting and durable. For Decision making purposes what key indicators can be produced in a timely and accurate manner for CEO's and Accountants that are a reliable indicator of performance and a basis for decision making.
see www.lenejones.com/download/Monthlyaccounts.doc

Credit squeeze

2010-03-25T09:57:00.000Z

How often we forget about some fundamental rules for good housekeeping, irrespective of whether there is a credit squeeze or not, to find out more see
www.lenejones.com/download/Managingthecreditsqueeze.doc

Working with the CEO

2010-03-24T13:13:00.001Z

In these recessionary times it is more important than ever that the relationship with the CEO works. How do you see yourself working under pressure and how does the CEO react when you are stressed and vice versa, see my thoughts in more detail on
http://www.lenejones.com/download/AndroclestheAccountant.doc

Committee work

2010-03-23T10:14:00.000Z

You may or may not know I sit of the Finance and Management Faculty Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, here is my introductory profile
www.lenejones.com/download/Committeeprofile.doc

Is the Accounts Department Dead

2010-03-22T10:13:00.001Z

There are several ways you can structure an accounts department depending on how you see the business processes and the amount of resource you have, for further comments see my article which first appeared on talkaccountancy ( the official ICAEW website)
www.lenejones.com/download/istheaccountsdepartmentdead.doc

The Happy accountant

2010-03-19T10:56:00.000Z

For my views on how to keep Happy, see www.lenejones.com/download/TheHappyAccountant.doc

IT

2010-03-09T14:56:00.001Z

Why is IT not always as user friendly as it should be?

The Happy Accountant

2010-02-17T10:10:00.000Z

This is my first attempt at a blog, Happiness comes from within, it is nothing to do with externalities, merely how you react.