The Chartered Accountant

1. What are my professional objectives?
What do I really want to accomplish in my life-time?
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NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2008 THE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT
NOSTALGIA
A Peep into the Past
Continuing with our series of contents having nostalgic value, reproduced here-in-below is ‘A Self
Quiz’ published in the September 1965 issue of The Chartered Accountant, which holds merit
even in the current scenario, for the information of the members.
FOR A PRACTISING CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT
A SELF QUIZ
These questions are deliberately thought-provoking.
Answers to some of these will provide a
searching analysis of the non-technical qualities
required for a successful practice -
Have I ever defined my objectives and committed
them to writing?
Have I planned any objectives for my employees?
Will my employees help me to attain my real proposes?
2. Am I willing to work at becoming a successful
executive, or is it just wishful thinking?
Will I sacrifice short-run satisfaction to accomplish
my long range objectives?
Am I willing to live the integrity I profess?
Am I dedicated to the goals that I have set for myself
and my firm?
3. Have I set worthy objectives for my associates
and my employees?
Am I sufficiently clear in my own mind as to the functions
of my practice?
Have I allowed my associates and employees to share
in establishing the firm’s goals, or have I imposed my
own will on them?
Can my employee have faith in me and in our relationship?
4. Have I set sufficiently high standards of workmanship?
Does my staff have the reputation for being aggressive,
hard-hitting and maintaining high standards of
performance?
Can and does my staff take pride in being members
of the firm?
Do I insist on performance that gives everyone the
feeling that we are moving ahead and getting things
done?
Do I frustrate my staff with indecision, delay, doubts
and lack of faith in them?
Do I have confidence in the ability and willingness of
my staff to do a good job?
5. Do I try to develop the creative potential of
each individual in the firm?
Do I want to handle all the problems myself, or am
I willing to share the management function with my
subordinates?
Am I willing to delegate as much as I can, or do I hold
on to certain phases of my job to prove that I am
Indispensable?
Do I try to force my own decisions on my staff or do
I let them share in decision-making?
The above Shield was awarded to M/s Tata Iron
& Steel Co. Ltd for the year 1958-59 for the Best
Presented Accounts at the Annual Meeting held
in September 1960.