Ep. 297: Mike Straza - Building Strong Accounting Teams through Effective Leadership

Mike also highlights the benefits of open communication, strategic role alignment, and the evolving office environment, including the shift towards remote work. Get ready for actionable insights and thought provoking strategies that can lead to both immediate and long term success for your organization. Let's jump right in.

Well, Mike, we're really excited to have you on the Count Me In podcast today. Today, we're gonna be talking really about teams and, strengthening our teams. And, all of us know that it's a huge struggle right now with so many different, things happening with the markets and, teams having to tighten their belts. I mean, a lot of times, you know, we have to focus on the numbers, especially in the accounting team. But understanding that the supporting supporting the people behind the numbers who are doing that for we especially with our accounting teams that are our organizations.

How do you how do we balance that? Because it's it's really difficult.

You have all the other parts of the business that are very important that make it go to bring in sales and everything else. But the thing is, is the heart of it is I look at as finance and looking at that is how do you support Good question. How do you support the people that are taking care of the numbers or making sure that the numbers are correct, making sure things are being paid. People are, you know, from payroll to bills to everything. And so it is something that you really have to have a way about leading a group and helping them through those that process.

And you've gotta kinda find that balance within your teams.

It's more of like, what can we build? What can we learn? What education, what other things could we do to build you up? But also too, I look at it as why are you here? We all have our why, you know, you always hear about that. What is your why? And you're trying to look at that and understand is why am I in this position? Why do I like this? Do I like the organization? I like to pay.

There's a lot of factors that for reasons that people are in jobs that they're in. And a lot of times I've always told people that if you're not happy in this position, because for whatever reason, fill in the blank, then let's find out where you're best suited. You love the organization. Okay. Maybe there's somewhere else in the organization that would fit the type of person you are.

Personality, skillsets, things like that. So I always try to look at that and kind of break that down and put them in almost at us, not a grid system, but a thing that said, okay, you like these things, you're strong in these things. Here are the opportunities here are not the opportunities. And really being honest to say, here's how I can help you. And that's where the making sure they understand us.

Like I'm here for you. I'm I'm want to help you be a better at who you are. And I think if you're, if you make them the best person they are in that organization, then they're going to thrive. The business is going to thrive. And that's where everyone wins on this is by saying, Hey, I love this place.

I love working here. Or I maybe I should be here, but I do, I do have an evaluation. There's a lot of different types of evaluations. You can do some tasks. You can do, you know, some like string finder or something out there that basically says, Hey, this is where you, your personality, this is where you fit.

And that's what I, I do with pretty much everybody. It's like, I look through it and see, how do we do that? And then also to look at the communication maybe it's just a misunderstanding or something that they're having a hard time with. And I just helped try to help them walk them through that.

What can we do to help you on your next, your next part of your journey, your next part of your life? If it's not here, if we can't find a thing in this organization, let me, I have resources out there. I had contacts. Let's find you something that is better and we're not, and we're not giving you a timeline, so you gotta be out of here, but let's, let's push for that. Let's try to find you a place to land.

That's going to be better for you. And that's what I do is I reach out to people I know or help them put things together, almost like an HR type thing, working with them. Redo their resume and things like that. And I think that's where it's like, they feel like, oh, wait, you're, you're really for me. You're not trying to kick me out of here right this second, but you're, you're giving me X amount of time to find something and that's, and I think that's better for everybody.

And, it just depends on the personality, how people take that. And I think that's where it's just trying to really make them understand that like, Hey, what I'm doing here is for the betterment of you, We will find our replacement, but first we're going to find you a place to be so you can be the best you can be.

How do we keep ourselves both focused? Because we at times will then be less. You won't be as patient with people. We will be a little bit more quick to be on them. And I think it was both ways.

So it's trying to have that more open discussion and really looking as a, what is the best. And I think that truly will help people both the organization and the person to continue without having these big drops in productivity and issues and then having to find someone else to retrain. Cause it does cost money to retrain somebody or get somebody else in that position. So, yeah, it's, you're trying to figure out what the limit, the amount of stress on either person. I that's how I feel.

Each of us don't know each other's what's going on and we have to be, you know, step back a little bit and say, okay, something's going on here. We don't know what it is, but trying to, it's, it's trying to get them, everyone motivated. Everyone has their inspiration on what motivates them to do.

As the employee, how do we invest? How do we continue to have you grow and hopefully grow and stay with the company. But if it's not then grow and be something else. But I look at it as you keep on paying it forward and getting people to do something, it's gonna be contagious to, or through the whole organization. And also for future people, because people talk like, well, how, how do you like working for so and so?

Or how do you like working for this organization? And if they're saying, well, wow, they really want to prepare you to be the best you can be in your, in your role and, and be part of this company, or they're going to send you on to something else in, you know, it's just, again, I think it's, we all want people to work hard to do well. And companies are looking at bottom line, of course. But I think there's a little bit, you're not sacrificing by being kind into actually helping people. Just increase their knowledge or be better at their jobs.

I just think that's, it's just trying to look at how each person's motivated is the key thing.

I want this. And so there's this aggressiveness and stuff like that. But I was thinking, again, there's nothing wrong with striving to be at this level. It's just like, how do you, but how do you, who is your, who are you? Who's your character and how do you treat others around you?

You can still do the things. You can still hit the numbers. You can still be able to do what your hopes and dreams are, but you don't have to degrade or to do something that would be not appropriate in a work setting. So again, it's just trying to say, how do we, activate that thing that says, this is, I'm going to be an amazing, whatever it is in your.

You know, what advice do you have for managers, especially when they're trying to help their employees navigate these scenarios? Because that can cause lack of motivation, that can cause burnout. So there's a lot of things you have to tell.

And we're going to say, by the way, we removed these people, but you have to take it over. We'll flatten management or we'll flatten this area. And then we're going to add, everyone's going to have all these extra responsibilities and change is hard. And it's like, okay, are they, are they equipped to take on those extra roles? Is that, you know, do they have the time?

Do they have the knowledge? Because sometimes you're like, Hey, we're going to combine everything, but they don't have the skillsets to do it. And that's the thing is, is like, you're hurting yourself as a company is like, you're saving money on a, line item. But then is it really saving you because it's, there's some unforeseen costs. You're not seeing, that's not out right there that you notice.

And you're like, oh, well, this is costing us over time. Money people could people leave because we're like, I'm not doing this because, you know, I'm do have too much responsibility. So I think that's where you have to look at it as like, what is the true benefit? And I know we've seen it recently in the last so many years of this up and down where people are moving because they can, they have opportunities. So employees are leaving.

Companies are cutting back because they're either have to deal with the bottom line because they have board members to answer to, they have stockholders to answer to. There's so many reasons why. And I think it's more of trying to understand how do you communicate that? And then also too, is like truly understanding who are the people you need to make sure that you're getting the full, you know, what they're able to do in a daily basis. And sometimes the evaluation, I don't, I'm not sure.

I mean, I think a lot of times people evaluate based off, oh, I like that person. They don't really do it. They're not really good at their job, but I really like them. So I'm going to keep them versus really good. It's like, ah, I don't get along.

We don't hang out. We don't talk, tell stories. So I'm gonna get rid of that person. And it's like, okay, you really kind of mess the dynamic of what really needs to happen for the business. So it's not as so cut and drive this looking at a name and a position and, dollar amounts.

It's sometimes you've got to look at all those things and determine what that matrix looks like to determine are you going to adjust? And that's kind of what I've been doing with some of the clients I have is really looking at some other departments and saying, okay, how do we re rethink the finance department? How do we look at who we have right now, who we need. And then do we change some roles? Not just saying, Hey, you get everything now.

We're going to say, how do we, maybe you take this and this that someone else did, and we're going to bring someone else in and say, we're going to hire a person for this area only because this is what we need the most. And you're great at this, but we need someone else to do these things. So that's trying to be just open to the employees, but also to telling the C level people, like here's why we're doing it. And this is what's going to be most effective. Long term not short term.

It's going to be a little crazy. Long term is gonna be be great.

Like, how do you balance that? Like, how do you get that in transparency communication to help people keep going?

And you obviously like being here. You do a great job. You've over the years, I've noticed, you know, I've from what you've told me from kind of interviewing, basically as I'm coming in and they're inter I'm interviewing them is like, you really like this area and you don't like this area. Here's some opportunities that we're looking to actually grow this area. And it's like, this seems like something you'd be interested in.

Here's the job description. Here's what the range is, pay range. Here's everything. And it's like, what do you think? I mean, just kind of get a feel for that.

It's like, here's how we are going to divide these things up. And we want you since you've been here the longest, we'd like you to know what is the area that you see. And then usually it's pretty much on with what I've already evaluated and said, okay, this is something. This is really where they're going to their sweet spot, where they're going to thrive. And generally that's what they pick.

And then you are now looking for people to take over the things they were doing and adding another job or a different description. And I think that's where you just have to know that you're, they have to know that you're really trying to work with them and trying to figure out where where it's best for them and where it's best for the company and why. And other than it's a cost savings, I don't like you. You know, one of those things like those are good things that like start off with that, that does not go well. Yeah.

So, yeah.

And I think that's what it is, is trying to truly try to understand. And sometimes you're off and I'm off at times, but a lot of times it's like, okay, am I focused on truly helping them and truly helping the company out of why can those two coexist? And I think that can, it takes sometimes more work, but in the long run, it will be less work, less time. Less money spent on trying to force something or trying to do something that's just it's, you know, the employees aren't bought into it. Management's okay with it.

And then they get frustrated and this whole thing you want to make a change real quick. It's like, you're a, you're a coach or something like that. And you're trying to coach somebody and you know, it takes time, nothing in sports or any other type of thing that you're coaching. It's like, it takes time. You can't just say, go out there and, do this.

I want you to be the best free throw shooter. I need you to be the best, you know, whatever in football, best running back best, whatever. It's like, they might be nationally talented, but it's like, if you don't help them instruct them, same thing in business, if you don't help them instruct them how to do their job, the best way, then it's, it's gonna fall flat, but you have to tell people this takes time. We're developing you. We're developing muscle memory and all these other things.

These things develop, figure out how to look at it. How do you see things and try to track? And that's where sometimes when you're dealing with numbers, it's like there's patterns with numbers. Can they figure out patterns or is it something that's just, they're not good at? And if they're okay, what can they do?

That's not this type of, you know, piece of accounting. So there are places you just have to be a little bit more creative. And sometimes I think we get stuck in this box of thinking. This is the only way you can do things. And I think there's so many other options you can do.

The job is being done, but it's just not the way it needs to be. And they bring me in and there's like, Hey, we're we need an evaluation. We just need you to come in and do an evaluation of our organization. And sometimes it's mostly finances and, but it also trickles out into all the other departments because finance might be the heart of it as I'm looking at it. But there are also communications is happening outside of that.

They're coming in or out. And you have to look at that and say, okay, what is that about? And trying to figure that out too. So one of the groups I, like I said, as I went in there and I was like, okay, there's a communication problem. And it's like, it's so simple. We talk about it forever. I've talked about this all my life and I've heard it all my life. Communication, communication, communication. But the sad part of it is we're bad communicators. We think we know what we're talking about.

And that's the thing is it's almost like a translation. It's like a foreign language or something different that we're not used to. We say it. And we're like, well, you know what this means. And you expect them to say, or re you know, come back and they're like, I don't, and they don't feel a little hesitant of saying, I didn't understand what you said, or I thought you meant this.

So I did this. So, really communicating well with the groups. And that's what I do. I come in there and help them figure out how to communicate, like saying, Hey, there's a translation issue here. They know what they're doing.

This employee knows what they're doing. They are just aren't understanding what you were saying or what you're asking. So changing that, getting that narrative change and saying, okay, how do we fix that? So working on that with the different groups, so. You know, top down up, you know, everything is say, okay, how do we make this better?

And then looking at that and what I've done is done that and it's improved communication is like, okay, this needs to be communicated with this group. And this means communicate with this group and it's worked and it's, and people are like, oh my gosh, now we're not spending hours and emails back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. We're simplifying it. Or reduce the amount of people on these emails because there was way too much where people are just like, I just I'm on this email chain and there's like 30 responses with several different people and it's just, it gets lost. So that has been one of the successes, turned around their finance area where the numbers are correct.

They're they're confident in their numbers. They're able to then take that and say, okay, now we can look at the future and our vision of what we really want to do here. And we can do so much more. We can, we can help more people. And that was one area that I've worked with some nonprofits where I can help more people and what their services are doing.

And also I've helped in groups where it's a for profit where they're like, we can expand and truly scale our company in a way that we haven't before, because we actually are. Have a handle on our finances. We have a handle on how we are communicating back and forth between departments. And I've seen that. And this happened multiple times in the last five plus years for me, working with groups, that have been around for a long time.

These aren't like just startups. These are people that have been doing this for, you know, twenty, fifty years. Of been in business. And it's like, you would think by then fifty years, like you gotta have it all figured out. You're still in business because most people are out by five to seven.

If they're starting a new business. That is, some of the success for me has been, I've seen that in two organizations, for profit and a nonprofit where I've come in there and really help them focus and really help educate the people and have them learn more about their area. And that's even not just the, you know, it's middle management on up too. It's not just saying, oh, it's the day to day worker that's doing AP or AR or this it's like, no, it's C level is like, you're doing a great job. You've been doing this.

You're an expert. That's why you're hired here. But here are some things that will help you as a leader to be better, to empower the people that you have working for you and to help them understand where you're coming from.

They are able to move forward and continue and grow. You know, next so many years. And they have a plan, they have a strategic plan to get them to where they need to go. And I think that's what excites me is I can walk away from it or come back later and say, how's everything going? And it's just like, people have grown and done. They've, you you know, you love to see, you know, companies just doing amazing things.

Or you have people that have been with you long term and they're like, yeah, I found something I like. Cause it fits my, you know, my work skin, you know, my work life balance. And that's trying to figure that out. And sometimes you can do well, to retain, but then there's also two, it's just like knowing that there is any time you're going to have to possibly find someone else. And that's where I go the point of making sure whoever leaves, no matter whose job it is, you have all the information about what they do and how they do it and make sure it's in a, in a, basically in a playbook that basically you're saying if this person, unfortunately doesn't come back to work because of some unfortunate circumstances or they decided to leave in on their own.

We have something that says, this gives us a pretty close idea, everything they do, their context, their how they do these functions, that type of thing. And a lot you'd be surprised how many companies don't have that. And I think that saves you time. So it does help prevent if people do leave, you do have this thing that you, you can say for each, each area has this playbook to say, this is how you run, do this job to one to cover it in that short time. A lot of it is again, relooking at the way businesses are, how we do business.

I mean, you know, I've been, or been doing, this work for twenty five plus years and way people work internally, externally, it couple of years because they figure, Hey, there's something better. Or now I can work from home and I can have a job that's somewhere not in the place I live in my city. I can work from anywhere and it's fine. And some people are like, I like doing that. And it's just like, okay, so knowing you have those possibilities, but, and also to some of your companies, like you have to be here.

So that makes people, you know, so it is a, it's a balancing act. I think what it all comes down to is it's a balancing act and sometimes you'll have it right. Then sometimes just not. And just knowing that now we're in that age of, you know, people can change jobs at a moment's notice and knowing that you're going to, when you, the people you have treat them well as much as you can and be, you know, communicate well. And then the ones that's the decide to move on, just like, okay, learn from it, figure out why.

And then from there, try to improve that.

And they've got kids things, and their their lives are pretty much set in a certain way. And if you say to your employees, you all have to come to the office every day, you know, you're gonna have some turnover. It's gonna cause some turmoil in the organization. And and how do you how do you keep that? Say, Hey, we, we think work life balance is important, but yet we're changing all this time. You all have to say, Yeah.

It's not just the younger generation everyone's talking about. I was like, oh, they just don't wanna go to work. And it's like, no, it's all the generations. I've talked to people at different stages of their life. And like, oh man, I really like working from home.

I don't have to get ready right away. I don't have to drive X amount of time or take the train or do what all these things. And then I can be more responsive to my kids if they're in that age range of kids. So that's the tough thing is like, it's now not the standard that it used to be that I grew up in where it's like, you go into work at a certain time you leave and it's just like, you do that and you repeat that for the next thirty, forty years. It's like, it has, it has changed a lot.

And I think that's where you have to figure out, okay, what type of business do you have? What does it require? The thing I always think is sacrificing is truly the dynamics about learning and from your men, your, your having mentors, having people that you're learning from when you're you're in an office space. Yeah. Time is wasted by talking about who knows what.

But that's part of life, but the how you watch people learn and understand things. And I think that's, I think it's helpful to be around somebody. Yes. You can watch it on YouTube or do whatever. Learn from it.

Talk to someone on zoom or whatever the platform you're using, but you still are missing out on something, not being connected in an office situation. But yeah, it's, it's a new age. It's not changing. It's some things where we adjust, but not everyone's going back to not as supposed to go into a physical office anymore. It's just not going to, so we have to figure it out.

So that's why I always tell people, well, we just got to figure it out. And when things go a certain way, it's like, well, some people are gonna rise out of it and some people are just gonna fall flat. And it's just, you just gotta continue to figure out what's gonna work best for your company.