CPA Mark Granger connected up with Sterling in Glendale, CA when he found himself doing his staff's jobs for them.

"Dissatisfied with the CPA practice in which I was a partner, I decided to open a practice of my own. I struck a deal with the firm and, for a fee, was able to leave with my own client book. In January 2000, I opened my own accounting practice. My wife, also a CPA, came on board six months later.

"We grew to the point where we had too many clients to deal with. Administratively, we could not keep track of them all and lacked a workable system for accomplishing this. As a result, we were experiencing a high level of stress on a daily basis.

"Additionally, too much work landed on my desk to review or deal with myself. Some of this work should have been researched and completed by my staff who were not trained or motivated. Other matters were trivial and should not have been passed to me in the first place. But both the staff and I had developed bad habits; by not insisting they do their jobs, I was doing their jobs for them.

"I had one employee who, despite a glossy social veneer, harbored disagreements and resentment. We had decided to switch to an improved client due date tracking system, and ran the old and new systems on a parallel basis for a short time. Convinced that she was losing some of her control, she intentionally allowed client return due dates to pass that were not set up in the new system. This was her way of proving to us that the new system would not work.

"Like most CPAs, I worked long hours during tax season. I didn’t mind the long hours until they carried on past tax season. As for our clients, not all were a good fit for the firm, but we took them on anyway although it was not advantageous for the practice.

"These were the problems we were struggling with in 2009 when I received a letter from another CPA telling me about Sterling. I requested a copy of Sterling’s management DVD. Watching it, I was struck by an explanation of different types of staff and the effects they have on the practice. I then received a practice consultation which finalized my decision to do the Sterling program.

"The Sterling program included management courses which taught me about managing groups and staff. I discovered people have fixed emotional states. Some are upbeat and seek to help the practice while others, no matter what they claim, do not. This restored my confidence in dealing with others as I realized that when in a conflict, I was not necessarily the one with the problem.

"I learned that the role of an executive is distinct and very difficult to carry out when the executive holds onto the work in the firm. It’s not only difficult, it’s also costly for the firm. An executive should spend time managing others to get the work done, rather than grabbing work to do himself.

"I received training and coaching in communication and how to get things done. I had a tendency to avert my glance when talking to others, particularly in an uncomfortable situation. I’ve since learned how to comfortably communicate even in unpleasant situations such as delivering bad news. Additionally, I learned how to maintain my focus and attention when talking, or listening, and can control the conversation, especially with talkative clients who would otherwise throw off my schedule. I know how to be very clear on something I want done and communicate that firmly, but not rudely. I can say it with the right amount of impact which helps get the staff member to get it done.

"As for my practice, Sterling guided us through many positive changes which put us back in control. We got better organized and dismissed the unproductive, negative staff. With Sterling’s guidance and personnel testing, we were able to find the right staff. We are implementing management by statistics, and have recently implemented performance-based compensation, both of which have added dramatically to our bottom line. The staff started to do their own jobs and I started to do mine. The stress of running the practice has diminished. We are accomplishing more than ever before.

"We began the Sterling program a little over three years ago. During that time, our billings and collections have increased by 41% and profitability by an average of 90% per year. Last month, we reached our highest-ever numbers for billings and collections.

"The consulting, training and other steps of the Sterling program dovetail into a highly effective management system. I’ve been able to work less hours during and after tax season. I have the freedom and flexibility to do the other things I love. A few years ago, I had to put aside my favorite form of recreation, marathon running, due to long hours in the practice. Since starting with Sterling, I’ve already run two marathons and am in training for three marathons this year. Life is fun again."