How Successful Managers Ensure Successful Communication with Employees

The problem with communication…is the illusion that it has been accomplished. - George Bernard Shaw.

Many attempts to communicate are nullified by saying too much. - Robert Greenleaf

We have two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak. - Epictetus

Communication is extremely important for those accountants who want to excel and advance their careers. It’s so important, in fact, that we’ve dedicated a two-part series to developing effective communication skills. Last week we discussed the following four tips in accomplishing that:

1. Determine your message
2. Select the most appropriate communication method
3. Ask for feedback
4. Listen with intent

To become a manager you must have excellent soft skills. Communication is absolutely necessary if you are to manage well. Perhaps as an accountant you thought developing those skills would never be a priority. They’re not, if you are content being managed by someone else.

This week we will cover the final four tips in developing effective communication skills as an accounting manager:

5. Speak up!

In order to instill confidence in those you are speaking with, you must speak with confidence. This requires you to speak up and speak clearly. This might take practice and a little introspection as you determine how you can project a more confident image when speaking with others.

6. Tackle difficult topics

Often we avoid those topics that need the most attention. It may be difficult to talk with an employee about objectionable behavior or address a team about their questionable approach. But in order to manage successfully you are required to tackle the difficult topics, to speak about that which most would want to avoid. It may sound ugly, but that’s why you’re the manager. That’s why you get paid the big bucks.

7. Practice presentation skills

Managers give presentations. They deliver proposals, reports, and even announcements in staff meeting. If you plan on becoming a manager you must practice your presentation skills. Perhaps this will require you take a class or practice in front of the mirror. Regardless of the method you choose you must become comfortable, or at least appear comfortable, presenting messages before groups of people.

8. Allow everyone the opportunity to voice opinions

Good managers make an effort to become familiar with their coworkers’ opinions. Not necessarily their political views or their food preferences, but what they think about the climate at work and how the company is handling projects and work flow. The manager who doesn’t listen to his/her coworkers is missing out on valuable information.

An Accountant’s Role

There are three business functions that must work well together in order to increase a company’s profitability. And you guessed it; accounting is one of these three functions. Accounting, marketing, and production are the three functions that must work well together to ensure success. If you would like to learn how to improve communication among these different functions while increasing your employer’s profitability you must read In the Black by Allen Bostrom, President and CEO of Universal Accounting Center.

This book will enable you to become a more valuable employee and, if you’re not already, a prime candidate for a managerial position. For less than twenty dollars you could advance your career while strengthening your employability. Order your copy of In the Black now!

How Good Managers Ensure Successful Communication with Employees

Whether you’re a manager or would like to be one at some point in your career, you must practice effective communication. Without it your company will experience higher turnover rates, less productivity, and decreased customer satisfaction. Not to mention, your employability lessens when you don’t possess key soft skills like effective communication.

Unfortunately, communication doesn’t come naturally to many accountants. Known as introverted “bean counters,” we often have a bad reputation for practicing ineffective communication with customers and coworkers alike. If you find yourself struggling to get your message across, consider the first of 8 tips on developing effective workplace communication skills:

1. Determine your message

First you must determine exactly what your message is. As a manager you must always be aware of office dynamics and employee performance in order to work closely with those you supervise and facilitate improvement. Take note of areas that need attention and then determine what your intended message should be.

After you’ve determined your message, ask yourself what you hope to accomplish by communicating this message? As you define your objectives and the intended audience, consider how to present the message so that it appeals to them. Your approach will greatly influence how the message is received.

2. Select the most appropriate communication method

Different communication methods include written correspondence like email and business letters and verbal correspondence like face-to-face meetings and group presentations. Each and every communication method can be effective if paired with the right message.

For example, if you need to place an employee on probation, email probably isn’t an appropriate communication method for that message. If you need to announce a departmental retreat, it probably wouldn’t be effective to schedule one-on-one meetings with each employee. Scrutinize your message and select the communication method that will most effectively communicate that message.

3. Ask for feedback

In order to truly know how your message has been received and whether or not it has been understood, you must ask for feedback. Provide a forum in which feedback can be safely communicated and received. Some employees may not feel comfortable sharing feedback in a public environment; in that case you might consider requesting feedback via email.

4. Listen with intent

If your only objective in communicating is to get your message across then chances are you are not communicating effectively. The majority of effective communication comes in listening with intent. If you’re not listening, you’re not learning. And if you’re not learning then your work as a manager is probably misguided and ill-informed.

When you listen with intent you focus on the speaker and their message. Consider what motivates them and what they may be thinking and not saying. If you are too busy constructing a response or refuting their message in your mind, you are not paying close enough attention.

Without effective communication skills a manager will not be successful. And if you want to earn a promotion, chances are your boss will be watching to see whether or not you practice effective communication techniques.

Return next week when we will be discussing the final four tips on developing effective communication skills:

5. Speak up!

6. Tackle difficult topics

7. Practice presentation skills

8. Allow everyone the opportunity to voice opinions

If you would like to learn more about how accountants can increase profitability by communicating effectively, visit our website Are You in the Black today!

Visualization is a technique used by athletes, politicians, CEO’s, and bank tellers alike to achieve greater success in their lives. In fact, you currently practice visualization yourself, although you may not be aware that you’re actually doing it.

When you imagine yourself sitting in that corner office with your name on the door, you’re visualizing greater success. And when you imagine yourself getting fired for a series of mistakes, you’re visualizing failure. So as long as you’re visualizing, you might as well do it right.

The brain can’t tell the difference between reality and your imagination. If you imagine yourself earning a promotion or getting a stellar job, you’ve tricked the brain into believing you’ve done that already, paving the way for reality. And the more you visualize it, the more the subconscious begins thinking and doing those things that will prepare you to actually accomplish what you’re visualizing.

The truth is we’ve spent years convincing our brains of one thing or another. If you’re a highly optimistic, successful person, chances are you think many positive thoughts. On the other hand, if you’re a pessimistic, downtrodden person, chances are you think negative ones. The great thing about visualization, however, is that by changing your thoughts you can begin to change your experiences, immediately.

Visualization

Visualization can be a fabulous tool for enhancing your career. But it first requires you to determine what, specifically, you want. Is it a promotion? A bigger and better job? Your own accounting practice? Once you decide what you desire you can begin visualizing your way to success.

The important thing about visualization is that you produce a clear picture in your mind of you achieving your goals. What does it look like? What does it feel like? What are you saying and thinking throughout? The more clarity you bring to your “visions” the more real they appear to your brain which can begin helping you manifest that vision into a reality.

And while visualizing what you desire one time is a good start, it’s not enough to bring that vision to life. Remember, you’ve probably been processing negative, self-defeating thoughts for a long time. It will take daily and focused visualization in order to combat those thoughts and develop new and improved habits of the mind.

Schedule 20 to 30 minutes a day when you can relax and visualize your desires. Select a quiet and undisturbed location so you won’t be interrupted or distracted. And while it may feel silly at first, concentrate and imagine your desires becoming part of your life, filling in all the details to make your vision as specific as possible. Each day add to these details and try to conjure those feelings you would have realizing your dreams.

Affirmations

In addition to visualizations, practice positive affirmations. Affirmations also help bring more positive things into your life as you convince your brain that you are indeed a competent and successful person. These affirmations should be in present tense and only accentuate the positive. For example, if you want to lose weight, rather than say, “I am losing weight,” you should say, “I am healthy and slender.” The first statement focuses on the weight that you’re trying so hard to lose while the second only focuses on the end result you’re trying to achieve.

Make a list of affirmations you could repeat throughout your day. It’s not a bad idea to carry them around with you until you have memorized them and they become part of the audio track that entertains your brain. You’ll find that after a few days of repeating these affirmations you’re feeling more positive and confident.

Change Your Path Today!

Every day you can take steps that will bring you closer to the realization of your dream. Take one step today!

If you wish to enhance your skills or prepare yourself for self-employment as a contract accountant, you should consider UAC’s Professional Bookkeeper Program. Designed to train individuals in small business accounting, this course will enable you to boost your employability, your chances for promotion, all while preparing you to start your own bookkeeping service, if that’s what you desire.

Begin visualizing today. Order our DVD “Introduction to the Professional Bookkeeper Program” now and see just how much this course can enhance your career. Or watch it online and begin changing the course of your professional future.

Moving up the Corporate Ladder

Perhaps you’ve been working in your current position for awhile and are ready for a change including new challenges, an increase in responsibility and a higher salary. If so, it may be time for you to prepare for promotion.

While asking your boss to promote you is a great step, it shouldn’t be the first one you take to advance your career. Here are some things to consider before asking for that promotion:

1. Talk to your boss

It’s important that you know what your boss expects of you. Schedule a one-on-one meeting where you can ask him/her how you might improve your performance and prepare for new responsibilities. Not only will this provide you with valuable information, and from the individual who has the power to promote you, but it also demonstrates your interest in advancing your career while contributing more to your employer’s success.

2. Act professionally

Promotions are often lost around the water cooler. While you may be a fine candidate in your cubicle, your social behavior can cost you your career. Act professionally. This means you should avoid gossip, petty squabbles with coworkers, and loud, raucous behavior in the office.

Also be sure your attire complies with the office dress code and projects a promotion-worthy image. And never be late or develop a habit of leaving early. In fact, when possible you should arrive early and leave late-your boss will notice and attribute the long hours to a strong work ethic.

3. Go beyond the call of duty

Employees who fulfill their obligations, just barely, rarely receive promotions. Those who move quickly up the corporate ladder are proactive and do more than is required. Read through your job description and determine how you might excel at each of those requirements. Take the initiative and go beyond the call of duty.

4. Take on additional responsibilities

You’ll attract positive attention when you volunteer for additional responsibilities. This may be as simple as joining a committee, giving a short presentation at staff meeting, or acting as a liaison with another department. Whatever it is, volunteer wholeheartedly and fulfill the responsibility completely. Not only will this show your willingness to contribute to the company’s success but it will demonstrate your ability to manage additional responsibilities with ease.

5. Be a team-player

Never degrade a coworker. While you may view some as competition for certain positions, talking negatively about your peers will only make you look bad. Willingly join teams and contribute to the team’s success, even if that means praising a teammate for a job well done. Never try to commandeer a team, but when possible lead the team to success. Your positive role on a winning team will help you earn that promotion.

6. Acquire new skills

This is one tip where you can’t go wrong. Not only will acquiring new skills increase your value with a current employer, but it will make you more appealing to prospective employers. Acquiring new skills is a personal investment that will produce big returns in your career. It also displays a continual interest in self-improvement for yourself and your employer. What boss wouldn’t be impressed by the proactive employee improving his/her skill set?

If you’re interested in improving your skills and earning a professional certificate to go along with it, enroll in Universal Accounting Center’s Professional Bookkeeper’s Guide to QuickBooks. Not only could you earn a QuickBooks Specialist designation, but you will master a software program used by more than 85% of small businesses today. Talk about a resume-enhancing skill! Add QuickBooks Specialist and see what a difference it makes in your career.

We teach you how to do the basic transactions, how to reconcile accounts, where the data goes, and a basic understanding of fundamental accounting principles. We have also included about 18 hours of bookkeeping instruction and a complete, detailed presentation of QuickBooks fundamentals. You may as well call it a lifesaver. The newly released 2008 version of the PBG beats out other QuickBooks training programs by offering the following:

• Training targeted for all user types
• 16 CDs with over 30 hours of training
• 4 full-color manuals with over 800 pages of instruction
• Six months of follow-up email support
• Accounting 101 Review
• 30 hours of Continuing Professional Education (CPE) in most states
• An iron-clad guarantee

A bright career is full of possibilities. Increase your possibilities now by enrolling in our PBG program!

When searching for a job it’s important to have everything you need to succeed, like a toolkit with all those items prepared that will enable you to secure the perfect position. That way, you’re never taken off-guard and required to throw something together for a potential employee. And everything from your resume to your email address communicates a level of professionalism and dedication. So you can’t wait until the opportunity presents itself to get your toolkit together. Now is the time to gather your job search gear.

1. Resume

It’s important that you update your resume periodically. If you wait too long, you will forget significant achievements and responsibilities that will appeal to potential employers. And while you should revise your resume to cater to the position for which you are applying, it helps to have current information to work with.

2. Application-at-the-ready

While filling out a job application isn’t rocket science, it does take a certain amount of time, energy, and recall ability to complete successfully. Depending on the application, this may require you to sort through old documents listing previous addresses, employers and their corresponding contact information, as well as starting and ending salaries. Save yourself some time by making copies of old applications to keep on file. That way completing an application becomes a matter of copying information from one form to another.

3. Cover letter template

Most jobs require you to submit an application package which requires a thoughtful cover letter stating your intentions. While each cover letter you write should be unique to the job for which you are applying, having a standard template will help you compose the letter more quickly.

4. Elevator speech

An elevator speech is like a quick infomercial about you and your abilities that can be delivered in the time it takes an elevator to carry its occupants to their floor. An elevator speech is something you hone and practice so that at opportune moments you can network effectively, explaining what you do and why you do it so well that everyone deserves to hear about it.

5. Portfolio

Most professionals can demonstrate their expertise with samples of their work or specialized certification. All these things should be collected in one place for easy access. Then you have a portfolio prepared should a potential employer ask to see it.

6. Professional email address

While you may think smartdude28@email.com is a great email address, it doesn’t say much for your professionalism. When selecting an email address for the purpose of a job search it’s important the you choose one that will project a positive, professional image.

7. Power suit

When interacting with significant contacts and potential employers it’s important that you dress the part. You should have at least one power outfit to wear for interviews and networking occasions.

Add Universal’s DVD 4-Pack to Your Toolkit

Included in your toolkit should be strategies to increase your skills and expertise. Universal’s DVD 4-Pack is designed to introduce you to all the valuable programs we offer, each and every one of them intended to enhance your accounting career. This power pack includes:

Introduction to the Professional Bookkeeper Program

Learn how becoming a Professional Bookkeeper will improve your accounting skills, enabling you to expand your business and become a full-service financial provider.

Introduction to the Professional Tax Preparer Program

Learn how becoming a Professional Tax Preparer will improve your tax skills and help you earn a professional designation that will evidence your expertise.

Start Today and Have Your Own Bookkeeping Service

Learn how to make over $80,000 per year working from home while getting more clients than you can handle. Know how to charge your client so you can afford to take that next vacation while they get such a great deal they will be telling all their friends about you.

The Art and Science of Getting Clients

Learn how to get more clients by using our proven methods.

Not only will these programs enable you to bolster your resume and enhance your career, but if you’ve ever considered starting your own accounting and tax practice, these DVD’s will help you get started. Order now and complete your job search toolkit!

6 Tips in Taking Charge of Your Professional Future

How many individuals lose sight of their career goals because they became “stuck” in a position they don’t enjoy, working for an employer they don’t like. Many take jobs they view as a transitional position, a placeholder that will pay the bills while they get their real career on track. Some anticipate working up the ladder to greater success, responsibility, and fulfillment. Others expect to gain education or skills that will help them find a better job elsewhere. While others still aren’t exactly sure where they’d like to end up ultimately and take positions that will buy them some time while they sort things out.

Unfortunately, too many individuals find that these transitional positions become their permanent positions, and the thought of finding something new becomes overwhelming and tiresome. Don’t let that happen to you. As stuck as you may feel, you can always devise a strategy that will enable you to get where you would really like to be. Here are 6 tips that may help:

1. Fulfill your position

Regardless of how much you may dislike your current job, the truth is it may determine whether or not you get a better one. Nothing looks worse than getting fired, but the runner up gets a poor review from a former employer. If you apply for other jobs you want your current supervisor to have nothing but good things to say about you. With this said, it might be a good idea to approach your employer and ask if you’re fulfilling the position as intended. Once you discover what your employer expects, you can prepare to receive glowing reviews by meeting those expectations.

2. Learn as much as possible

You may not realize it, but your current position is a training ground for the next one. Learning as much as possible from this job will only help you become a better applicant. So look at your current challenges and determine how you can grow from them. If you’re experiencing problems with your coworkers, how might you approach that challenge so that you grow and become a better employee for your next job? If you’re struggling with the workload, what can you do in order to better manage that workload so you can proudly share what you’ve learned from the experience in a future job interview?

3. Identify your “dream job”

In Lewis Carroll’s classic tale Through the Looking Glass, the Cheshire Cat informs Alice, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.” The same applies to your career. If you’re uncertain where you want to go, you can pick any path. There’s just no guarantee that you’ll like the final destination. That’s why it’s important that you decide exactly what it is you would like to do. That will enable you to take the path that get you there.

4. Advance your skills and knowledge

Just because you want to do something, doesn’t mean you’re qualified to do it. Once you have identified your “dream job,” take action to become the most qualified person available. If that means furthering your education, attending conferences and workshops, or earning certification, the best time to do those things is now.

5. Build your network

The best opportunities will most likely present themselves through your professional network. The larger your network, the greater the possibilities. And building a network will take time and attention; join professional organizations, attend community events, and frequent other businesses.

6. Research the possibilities

As you work to advance your career you must always research your options in order to discover new and exciting opportunities. When you become too absorbed in your “transitional” job, your career will quickly stall.

It’s important for every career-minded professional to know what their options are and how they might achieve true success. If you’ve been wondering what steps you might take to reach your goals, visit Universal Accounting Center and take our tour to see how we can help. From gaining professional certification to providing valuable training, Universal Accounting Center is interested in helping you succeed. Visit UAC today!

Baby boomers still struggle to balance work and family

By Eileen Alt Powell — AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Some baby boomers, who have struggled for years to try to balance work loads and family responsibilities, are advocating a new solution: working less.

Americans traditionally have sought to get better organized by buying day planners and personal digital assistants, or by hiring time management consultants. But there’s a boomer-led movement now toward cutting work hours — even if it means collecting a reduced salary — to free more time for family, friends and volunteer activities.

John de Graaf, 57, a Seattle freelance television producer and writer, is among the organizers of Take Back Your Time day on Friday. He calls it “a national conscious-raising event” that will include teach-ins and other events around the country to discuss ways to balance work and life. (Events are posted at www.timeday.org.)

“The date comes nine weeks before the end of the year, and that symbolizes the fact that we Americans now work an average of nine full weeks more each year than do our peers in Western Europe.”

Americans may be richer, de Graaf acknowledges, “but they’re overworked, overscheduled and overwhelmed — in short, just stressed out.”

There are some baby boomers who have made big changes in their lives to try to create more balance.

Don Silver, 54, gave up his law practice in Los Angeles four years ago to become an author and freelance financial writer.

He and his wife, Susan, a 52-year-old management consultant, now work from home so they can concentrate on projects they enjoy, set their own hours and home-school their son Charlie.

“I thought we would take a big hit in income, but I was willing to take that chance,” Silver said. “It may have been that I lucked out, getting dot-com work in 1999 and 2000 when I was starting out. Now I’m able to work in many venues — online, hard copy, creating computer manuals, ‘evergreen’ content for financial sites.”

After writing seven personal finance books, he recent wrote his first fiction book, “Cookin’ the Book$.”

Silver says that even people who work at home can get overwhelmed by it “unless you put up barriers.”

He encourages others to try to understand that life is about choices. In “The Generation Y Money Book,” for example, “I tried to make it clear that you’re trading your life energy for money. … So it’s important, regardless of your age, to ask basic questions: ‘Are you killing yourself doing this?’ “Are you enjoying this?’ ‘What’s the trade-off?”‘

For Diane Wood, 52, getting more time to spend with her teenage daughters meant cutting her work hours and earning less.

She moved earlier this year from a management position at a national environmental group that required long hours and a lot of travel to her current job as executive director of the Center for a New American Dream in Takoma Park, Md.

The center operates Monday through Thursday and pays its employees for a 32-hour work week. They may earn less, but they have Fridays off for walks in the woods or baking cookies with their children, Wood said.

“I made a conscious decision for a balanced life,” Wood said.

Others apparently are interested in the same thing. Traffic doubled this summer at the center’s Web site at www.newdream.org, which offers tips on lowering consumption and finding nonmaterial joys in life, Wood said.

“I think more and more people are stressed, especially boomers,” she said. “I worry that they’re so stressed they’re not pausing at all — and you have to pause if you want to redefine who you want to be.”

Elizabeth Rhodes, 55, stopped practicing law in 1995 and became a librarian at the University of Baltimore law library. The move has reduced stress in her life and given her more time to read and write poetry, she said.

“I’m convinced that what I’ve done is to arrange my life to be as pleasant as I can make it,” she said. “I have a congenial work environment, I’m working more things into my job that I like and I’m working at a place where, if I want to take a class, say in writing poetry, I just have to walk across the street.”

She also takes advantage of the library’s generous vacation policy, she said, “compared to practicing law, where there was hardly ever a down day, it’s incredible.”

Still, she said, the effort to get more balance in her life was an ongoing process.

“It’s always a conscious decision,” she said. “It’s about focusing.”

Benjamin Hunnicutt, a professor of leisure studies at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, agrees that many Americans are “time hungry.” But he’s not convinced most people will change their habits anytime soon.

“Work is the central value of our culture, and that’s especially true for boomers,” Hunnicutt said. “Work has become something like a modern religion, a way we establish our identity and find meaning and purpose.”

And while some countries, including France and Germany, have chosen to work less and play more, “Americans have chosen luxuries rather than leisure.”

Still Hunnicutt supports Take Back Your Time day activities “if only to raise the notion that there are trade-offs.”

There are various reasons why employers hire new employees. Regardless of the reason, many new employees are charged with the responsibility of making the changes necessary to increase the company’s profitability and success. If you’ve recently been hired as a bookkeeper or accountant, you may find yourself in that tricky predicament, one that can make it difficult to accomplish your objectives without first winning colleague support. So how do you move forward and fulfill your job description without stepping on too many toes? Here are six simple steps.

1. Research your new employer
First it’s important to know more about the company and the position you’re walking into. Often you can ask your new employer a few key questions before you start. Is the company currently experiencing success? Are they unsuccessful and looking for ways to change that? What was your predecessor’s temperament and approach? Was it appreciated? How much change is your supervisor expecting you to initiate? How does the staff respond to change? Are your colleagues sophomore or senior employees? The more you know before entering the situation, the better prepared you’ll be to succeed.

2. Determine which colleagues are resistors
Perhaps your supervisor will let you know which coworkers will demonstrate resistance at your proposed changes. If not, you should take some time to determine which, if any, colleagues may prove problematic. Study their demeanor and determine how you might win their support (see below) or at least deter them from causing too many waves.

3. Consider your delivery
The last thing your new colleagues want is a long diatribe on how bad the company was before you arrived and how your arrival marks glorious changes. In her article “How to Earn Support from New Colleagues,” Joan Lublin discusses the importance of dealing with colleagues diplomatically. She quotes Ben Dattner, a New York psychologist, who cautions new employees against being the cocky and bossy newbie. He says, “They push too hard, too fast and do it in a non-diplomatic way.” You need to sit back and get a feel for office dynamics and politics.

4. Find an influential mentor
You can gain support and receive helpful advice from an influential mentor. Find someone within the company who can help you acclimate to your new work environment. This individual should be a knowledgeable employee who is respected by coworkers.

5. Win over coworkers
Once you’ve determined who the resistors are you can start winning them over. Some just need to be involved in order to feel invested in your planned changes and provide their support. You may need to communicate regularly with others while others still may need evidence that the boss has requested you make these changes.

6. Renew your boss’s support
Depending on how things progress, you may request that your boss publicly renew his support of your plans. This may calm the naysayers and remind your colleagues of the company’s intentions to support you in your endeavors.

It is possible to win colleague support in a new work environment. Avoid being pushy or arrogant about your new position; take the time to study your colleagues and your responsibilities before proposing any changes. And as you involve your coworkers you may be surprised at just how quickly you become one of the gang.

References
Lublin, Joann. “How to Earn Support from New Colleagues.” CareerJournal.com.

Moving Forward After Losing a Job

That which does not kill me makes me stronger. - Nietzsche

Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors. - African Proverb

You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you. - Walt Disney

Whether you get fired, laid off or are forced to resign, losing a job is difficult. It can cause an enormous amount of stress and a considerable financial burden if you don’t move through it quickly. But is it really possible to turn your stumbling blocks into stepping stones? Can a kick in the teeth really, as Walt Disney once said, “be the best thing in the world for you?” While it may not seem so initially, you can turn this obstacle into an opportunity and make your life better because of it. Here are some things you should consider if you find yourself in this trying situation.

Take care of the basics
First of all, find out what your options are. Depending on the circumstance you do have rights and can and should take advantage of unemployment benefits. Contact the HR department and see what their policy is regarding severance pay, accrued vacation, sick leave, pension, benefits, and unemployment insurance. Also remember that in some cases the employer is responsible for giving you resources through which you can find new employment; often this includes access to a computer, printer, fax machine, and long distance phone services.

Achieve a positive outlook
This might be the most difficult thing to do once you’ve lost a job. But we assure you that it will make your journey much easier and enable you to adjust your career path more quickly, finding a destination that is pleasant and favorable.

You’ve probably heard the hype about “The Secret,” a DVD that talks about how to achieve success in every aspect of your life by thinking positively. “The Secret,” while inspiring, is not much of a secret. It’s simply the Law of Attraction, a concept that’s been around for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Like the Law of Gravity, it influences your life whether or not you believe in it. Plainly stated it goes something like this: your life is a reflection of what you think, what you focus on, and what you expect to happen. Take this opportunity to imagine a positive future filled with everything you desire, including the career of your dreams.

Assess your goals
Now is a good time to ask yourself what you really want from your career. Perhaps this job loss is simply the chance for you to readjust your journey and get back on the right path. Did you enjoy that job much in the first place? Had you been imagining a different future with a different company? Or had you been considering furthering your education and training? This is your chance to pursue goals that align with your true aspirations.

Consider self-employment
On that same note, if running your own accounting practice has been something you’ve wanted to eventually pursue, maybe now is a good time to look into that a bit more. Consider what you may need to do in order to accomplish that dream. Perhaps it includes continued training, certification, and marketing help, all of which Universal Accounting Center is happy to help you with.

Take action
Wallowing in your own pity won’t get you anywhere. Whenever faced with difficulty it’s important to do the following: appraise the situation, make a decision, and act on that decision. Once you’ve determined the best course of action, take it.

Of course in situations like this, it’s always easier to give advice than it is to take it. We recognize that suffering a job loss can be extremely difficult and taxing on you and your family. But we hope that you can hold yourself up and see that regardless of where you might currently be, the future is open, wide and full of possibility. And consider where you may be years from now looking back on what was potentially the best thing that ever happened to you.

Reroute your career before hitting a breaking point

By Carol Kleiman

From 1995 to 1998, when Mary Lou Quinlan was chief executive officer of a major advertising agency, she used to dream about breaking a leg. Today Quinlan, 51, is founder and CEO of Just Ask a Woman, a New York-based marketing consulting firm — and she’s not a masochist:

She simply used to fantasize about a way to get a break from the “cutthroat” ad world and her demanding job.

“My work schedule had gotten out of control and I didn’t have a life,” said Quinlan, who supervised a staff of 400 people and earned in the six figures. “I was working 15 hours days and traveling a lot — I even took off my heels and ran barefoot through an airport to make a flight — and I was overwhelmed. I was a human FedEx package.

“Dreaming of breaking a leg was really my way of trying to think of something temporary that I could survive and that would give me a few weeks away from work. After 23 years, I was exhausted.”

And she’s not alone. “According to my research, almost seven in 10 people who make $40,000 or more a year fantasize about taking at least several months off, and one in five 35- to 40-year-olds fantasize about it daily,” said Quinlan, who has an MBA and who has also worked in public relations and in fund raising. She quotes this statistic in her new book, “Time Off for Good Behavior: How Hardworking Women Can Take a Break and Change Their Lives” (Broadway Books).

In 1998, Quinlan, who is married to Joe Quinlan, an independent television new producer, asked for five weeks off to focus on herself. “I combined my vacation and time due me, so it was paid leave,” she said. “I fully expected to return to work.”

The weeks of time she claimed for herself were better than healing from a broken leg: “I lived my life for the first time,” said Quinlan, “I took walks in my neighborhood, I met friends for lunch, I took salsa lessons, I kept a journal — and the big thing was that I was relaxed and thought about my life for the first time. Did I have a life? No, I worked.”

She soon realized she wanted to do research and create strategies for companies that wanted to build their business with female customers. She also wanted to write and give talks and be in control of her life.

“I went back to work and quit the first day,” Quinlan said. “I couldn’t get back to that life after I once had seen the other side of the fence. It opened my eyes to what life can be.”

Fortunately, the agency’s holding company liked her idea and provided funding for Just Ask a Woman, which she started in 1999 and bought in 2002. The marketing firm has three employees and, she says, “is very profitable.” She works normal hours and has reduced her travel.

Because she at first remained under the aegis of her employer, Quinlan’s leaving her job was not a financial hardship and her benefits were maintained. But she does has specific advice for others who must take a break before they break.

“Don’t do it just on the spur of the moment,” the executive advised. “Plan ahead. Figure out how much time you’ll need. Make a financial plan, an escape hatch to bide you over in case your leave is unpaid. Get support from friends and family who might pitch in on child care, if you need it, and give you space and time to get a rest for the first time in your life.”

Then, negotiate with your boss for what you need, she adds. “Suggest how work might be covered in your absence. Discuss your plans to return to work — and assure them you will. If you’re really miserable you should just quit. Don’t lie.”

And use your time off wisely, as she did. “Reflect,” Quinlan urged. “Start to draw some boundaries at work so that you have time for yourself, too.” The executive believes it is possible to reduce stress by setting a new schedule at work.

But first you need the time to do it: “Don’t break a leg when you’re at that serious breaking point,” Quinlan said. “Do something about your situation. It’s scary to take the risk of a leave of absence, but the alternative is worse.”

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