Growing our turnover every year since we started in 1991 has taken us from a small start-up company to the UK’s largest independent business and accounting software house in our sector. But success in turnover, profitability, and intellectual property is really a by-product of building a successful team and culture.
We began to recognise the need to adjust the way we operated at Access Accounting about four years ago. The culture had changed considerably from when we first started out in business - lots of rules had been introduced in order to create structure, which actually resulted in stifling our productivity and was starting to hold us back.
In true management style, we bought in some (very good) training and ran a whole series of courses. Sorted! Now we can move onto the next item on our ever larger ‘to do lists’. Shame on us.
It took a further two years before we recognised that the real change needed was in our thinking as a management team. Yes - we were the ones holding the business back by clinging onto our ‘small business / owner management’ style. If we could get some of the shackles off - that we ourselves put on - then maybe we could release more of the huge potential energy stored in our amazing Access staff.
The biggest challenge was admitting what stage we were really at – that was really tough, but at least we’ve started the journey....
John Beech, MD for Access Accounting
Anyone that's read Jim Collins' business book "Good to Great" will recognise distinctive Level 5 leadership characteristics in Mr Beech's blog above. They are disciplined people with disciplined thought taking disciplined action. I've been tracking this firm for well over 10 years and am convinced they are fast approaching breakthough point.
Posted by: KJ Spear | November 16, 2007 at 01:10 PM