CPA Gone Mad Issue 4: December 26, 2016
No finance today. Time to give thanks!
I usually write these newsletters on Sunday evenings. Yesterday was Christmas, and the last thing I wanted to discuss was finance. So for this week we’re going to take a different path. And I’m going to give a lesson on how I’ve made my life better by making the lives of others better.
If you want to listen to my investing and economics talk only, then ignore my newsletter for the next two weeks. Because next week we’re going to talk about making your life better through health. And not through a New Year’s resolution. Through making a change in mentality.
I give and give and give. Not material things or charitable donations. Yes, I love to do what I can to help children’s hospitals. But the focus of this newsletter is on giving information to try to help others become more successful. I don’t do this because I’m a selfless person but because I’m a self-full person. I used to say I give because I’m selfish. Then I was taught it’s not being selfish; it’s being self-full.
You see, when you give it has enormous benefit to you. Making those around you better makes you better.
I first learned this at work. I was successful as an individual contributor. After time, this led me to managing a team and ultimately wanting to become a better leader. It was then I realized, as a leader it’s not about what you individually contribute but more about what the team collectively contributes.
As a leader, I didn’t do the work. I only understood what work needed to be done, guided people in the correct direction, and listened to what they were doing and what their problems were. Then I was the voice upward and outward for the group of people.
I gave my time. I would spend as much time as the team needed to help them understand why we were doing what we were doing. How it connected to the overall company and business. And would roll up my sleeves and help them out if they had too much work to do. Yes, this caused me to work a lot of hours. But my team was working hard to do their job. They deserved to know the importance of their job and why we were in this together.
I gave my attention. Most managers sit facing the door, with their computer screens in front of them. When someone comes in to talk to them, the computer screen is between them and the person they’re having a meeting with. During the conversation, you can see the manager’s eyes constantly looking at every email that comes through or instant message that pops up. A lot of managers will even respond to some of these messages and emails while they’re having a meeting with their employee. I could not stand this as an employee myself. My time is just as valuable as my boss’s is. They are paid more than I am and work at a higher level than I do, but that doesn’t make their time more valuable than mine. They were wasting my time.
I sit with my back to the door. My computer screen faces the door. When someone comes in to meet with me, I turn around and have nothing between me and them. My computer screen is behind me. If an email or instant message comes through, I don’t know. And frankly, I don’t care. This meeting is the other person’s time. And their time is just as important as mine. It doesn’t matter what level they are at. I focus on them and their topic at hand. Giving them my undivided attention.
I gave my knowledge and insight. I don’t keep anything I know a secret and over-explain things. At my position, I have better insight into and knowledge about more of the business than the rest of the team. This allowed me to connect ideas together to understand more of what the business was doing. The entire team has a right to understand this. Just because their specific role keeps them focused on one area doesn’t mean they don’t deserve to know more. Yes, some people may not want to know. But I think it benefits everyone to know. The more you know about how what you do impacts other areas, the better you can do your job.
I gave credit and thanks. If the team succeeded, I made sure everyone knew it was the team or the specific individuals on the team who made us successful. Anytime someone in management or even my peers would give me positive feedback on something the team accomplished, I immediately deflected the credit to the team. I told them I was only the voice. The team did the hard work that allowed me to share the positive results with them. I don’t need people to think I’m doing a good job. I know I am. I wanted to make sure everyone knew the reason I was doing a good job was that I had a great team.
Regarding the team itself, I constantly thanked everyone. I made sure they knew I was grateful for their hard work. For everything they did that allowed the team and me to be successful. I shared the praise from others with the team. I made sure they knew it was praise of them and thanked them again and again for what they did.
I helped develop others. My experience allowed me to get promoted and learn a lot. I struggled along the way. But I pushed through it. When I identified strong and motivated employees, I did everything in my power to help them succeed. I shared my struggles. I tried to understand their struggles and give them advice and guidance on how to overcome them. I prepared them for what other struggles they may have. I pushed them to succeed. I pulled them forward. And I fought and fought for them to get promoted when they were ready.
I gave happiness. Every day I show up to work, I smile. I say hello to and smile at everyone who walks by me. No matter what is going on in my life, I smile and display happiness at work. My problems are not and should not be other people’s problems. Other people have their own problems. So for the 8-10 hours we spend together every day, I want them to have every opportunity to be happy. I smile and display happiness to them and give them every opportunity to allow that happiness to reflect onto them. If you don’t believe you can give happiness, read The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor.
Oh, and there was one thing I took. I always took the blame. If we made an error or missed something, or something totally went wrong, it was my fault. I didn’t ever single out an individual to my management or peers as being the cause of something going wrong. The team succeeded; I failed. If something was done incorrectly, it was due to my not explaining correctly or paying close enough attention. I took the blame and then went back to the team or individual to discuss the issue. But I didn’t get upset with them. I made sure they knew mistakes were okay as long as we learn from them, grow from them, and implement ways to prevent them in the future.
This is how I gave. Now, why did I consider this selfish? Because through all that giving, I had a team that worked harder for me. Did whatever I asked them to do. They made me look better in the eyes of management and got me promoted. The team was working hard to outperform all other teams.
And by over-explaining, teaching, helping explain how things connect together, and guiding others by sharing my mistakes, I brought more clarity into everything I was doing. By giving all of this information away, I helped myself identify the flaws in what I was and wasn’t doing so I could become a better person. Nobody ever had to give me feedback. Because I figured out what I was doing wrong by being able to see it when I shared things with others.
This made me feel selfish. Even though I was helping others, I felt selfish because I knew deep down the reason I did it was because it had positive impacts on me.
Then I learned that it was not selfish; it was self-full. It made me fuller and better. Giving makes you better. I tell people all the time, you may think you know something. But when you can teach someone else to do it well, then you really know it.
I created Coast 2 Coast Financial and CPA Gone Mad for these same giving and self-full reasons. I love reading, learning, thinking, and talking about finance, accounting, and investing. I know most people don’t.
So I want to help them understand and learn how to help themselves improve financially. By doing so and trying to teach you what I already know, I allow myself to know it even better. It brings more clarity to the ideas and will make me better at preparing myself financially.
This is why this is a journey we’re on together. Why my products don’t cost you much. I want you to fork over a little money so you actually read and take seriously the information provided. But I’m getting enough from you by having a set of ears to explain things to, so I don’t need to profit off you.
And when you send feedback, ask questions, and challenge my ideas, you force me to think and learn even more. By helping you, I’m helping myself and ultimately helping you even more.
This is why I give. And you should too.
Thank you to everyone who has been a part of a team with me and led to the success I’ve had in my career.
Thank you to my friends, family, and colleagues that have listened to all my strategies and views on finance, accounting, investing, and economics. It has allowed me to bring clarity over my ideas and finally write my book so I can help others succeed financially.
To your health, wealth, and personal freedom,
Chad A. Walker, CPA, MBA