The best advice i’ve ever received

1. Chris Horne, Group CEO,  Azets

“The best advice I’ve had comes in three stages.

As a trainee: Pass your exams! It’s that simple. The CA qualification I studied for opened a wide range of options for me that simply wouldn’t have been available without the qualification.

As a manager: Understand how we succeed and take ownership of delivering that success. Understand the role that collaborating with colleagues, serving clients, and our business model play in making us successful and how I can continuously improve it. A desire for tomorrow to be better is not a criticism of today so always look for ways to improve things. If you have a great idea, it’s okay to ask for forgiveness and not approval if you’re determined. It’s okay to make mistakes.

As a leader: If I’m doing anything that someone in my team could do I’m not doing my job properly. It’s too easy to fall back into a comfort zone but as a leader we need to keep pushing out with that. The more time we spend outside our comfort zone the bigger it gets.

Generally, it’s all about people. Recognise their talent and successes, respect their attitude and points of view, and reward their great work.”

2. Lauren Graham, Audit and Assurance senior manager, Armstrong Watson 

2. Lauren Graham, Audit and Assurance senior manager, Armstrong Watson 

The best piece of advice: ‘better to be the one doing something and be criticised than be the critic who is doing nothing.’

This has helped me push out of my comfort zone, get involved in project work and deliver technical training to our whole service line. Whilst putting your work and words out into a service line full of qualified accountants can be daunting and opens yourself up to criticism from others with differing opinions, it has significantly upped my learning curve and boosted my confidence. I can now confidently present to big groups on technical guidance and take pleasure in contributing towards project work which is helping both the team and our audit clients.

It’s also taught me to be supportive and understanding to those doing something I’ve never done myself, and to offer assistance rather than criticism to others.

3. Amber Coombs, Digital Degree apprentice, UKI Assurance Automation

“Some of the best advice I’ve received is to adopt a growth mindset, which was introduced to me by a manager. This advice has encouraged me to understand that my current skills are not my limitations, and by asking questions and trying new opportunities I‘ve been able to develop in areas I never thought possible. Being in the early stages of my career, this advice has enabled me to explore what excites me and to discover new skills that I didn’t believe I had. It has also allowed me to overcome challenges and recognise that my mistakes are learning opportunities which enable growth.”

4. Dilip Singh Jungi, Tax associate director, Grant Thornton

“I’m very lucky that my father and his father before him have given me the values by which I try to live every day. My grandfather came over from India with nothing other than the clothes on his back. Both he and my father worked every hour available to create a decent quality of living. It was thanks to their efforts that I was the first member of my family to go to university and that I am lucky enough now to be working for a professional services firm. My father’s advice was simple “If you really want something in life, you have to go out there and get it”. I’ve tried to follow that advice ever since. After initial rejection from Grant Thornton, I redoubled my efforts, reapplied and seven years later, I am now an Associate Director. My father’s advice has given me the resilience and determination to succeed no matter what the barriers and for that I will be eternally grateful.”

5. Donald Boyd, UK head of Growth, Azets

I’ve had a lot of great mentors over the years and some of their tips have stood me in good stead. Always square your opening reserves” – was one lesson I learned as a trainee that I never forgot. Be nice to everyone in the office and make sure you know someone in each department, from the print room and mail office to the Partners PAs and IT team, as you will need these contacts at some point in your career.

“Face your issues” – if there is a mistake, don’t make it worse, admit to it, understand what the remedy is and deal with it. If you are thinking of calling your client, then just do it” – an unexpected phone to a client by an advisor about nothing is one of the joys of business.

6. Arleen Arnott, Edinburgh office senior partner and head of Financial Services, Scotland, KPMG

“Know yourself, be authentic, and have courage to show vulnerability. If you don’t, you’ll spend years trying to become the role you are playing, rather than the person you are and won’t become the leader you were meant to be”.

This was said to me by a strong female leader who had herself come from a similar working class background. I was still at the stage in my career where I wasn’t confident sharing my background and my story with others. This changed the game for me and allowed me to open up to my colleagues and my team in a way that then built more confidence and trust in me as a leader. I never looked back.

7. Peter Gallanagh, Regional CEO, Azets

I don’t just have one piece of advice – I have loads. But the best advice given to me was by my parents whenever I left the house as a child: be good, try your best, and be happy. It’s simple but powerful, and it’s what I say to my children, aged 17 and 19, now. I’ve applied it throughout my life and career, and I would encourage anyone else to do the same.

‘Be good’ is just treating other people how you want to be treated. Be nice; be kind; be generous. It’s true that charity starts at home and it’s important to consider what you can give.

‘Try your best’ is so personal. There is only ever you that knows if you’ve tried your best in any given situation, and you have to be able to look at yourself in the mirror.

And to ‘be happy’ you just need to find what you love and do that. At work, the office should be a place of fun and challenge. We spend a third of our life working, so we should spend it well and enjoy what we do.

Two other pieces of advice that have always stood me in good stead are well-known phrases but critical to success. ‘Go to where the puck is going, not where it is’ – particularly post-Covid and in the modern workplace, you have to be able to pivot. This applies to people and businesses.

And finally, ‘eat your frog’. Every day in life you will face something that’s difficult and you can’t shy away from it. It’s never bad decisions that break a business – but not taking decisions will.

8. Phil Goodstone, UKI head of EY Law

“Don’t just be a post box. Think about everything you do, and always think about how you can add value and focus on development. Since receiving this advice, it’s made me more inquisitive in work, always questioning the value I’m bringing. If I can no longer add value, I’m probably doing the wrong thing – or if someone less experienced than me can add the same value, then I need to delegate. Adding value depends on the given situation: sometimes it’s as simple as actively listening. Adding value over time means you have to learn continuously too. This simple piece of advice has kept me interested in what I do – much more than I ever imagined I would be.”

9.Richard Andrew, partner and head of Accounting, Armstrong Watson

I’ve had a variety of line managers and mentors over the years and the best piece of advice I received was very early in my career. It went along the lines of “when you have an issue which you need to discuss with me, I want you to present me with a suggested solution every time. I don’t mind if your solution is wrong, but this process will put you in good stead”.

Since that time, I’ve always tried to focus on providing solutions rather than a list of problems for someone else to fix. This has seen me progress in my career and led to great outcomes for clients, colleagues and Armstrong Watson over the years.

10. Martin Gadsby, accounts partner, PKF Smith Cooper

The best piece of advice I received when starting out was to make sure you listen to your clients. This is where many in our industry still go wrong – sometimes we think we know best but we are guilty of premeditating our advice based on our expectations of what clients want. In reality, every client is different. I like to think that I listen to what each client needs and then tailor my advice to meet their personal objectives. Ultimately, without our clients we don’t have a business, so their needs should always be priority.