"The biggest challenge is getting people on board in the change process"
'Conversation about Growth' with Steef Visser, partner and CEO of Visser & Visser
What is the vision and approach of Visser & Visser accountants and tax advisors when it comes to growth? Talked about this Steef Visser, partner and CEO of Fisherman & Fisherman, with Rob Meijers, partner at 4Future.
This conversation is part of the series 'Conversation about Growth', an initiative of 4Future where we talk to business service providers about growth: what is their vision, what are the challenges, how do they deal with this, and what are their priorities for the future?
Growth through cell division
"We have had the discussion about 'geographic growth is no longer up to date, because growth is done digitally and where you sit does not matter that much.' However, we notice that you will realize growth the moment you sit between a group of clients or potential clients. Otherwise it will not happen. So we are going to start the discussion again in the very short term about how many branches should be added to achieve our growth objectives. "
"Nevertheless, we notice that you will realize growth the moment you sit between a group of clients or potential clients. ”
Geographic growth in a world that is digitizing
“So we have grown geographically. But you can also grow in quality and in differentiation. Because we go for growth, we always take a step different than is usual in the industry. "
“When you digitize, you have to do it completely, and not just a little bit”
“For example, we asked ourselves the question: could there be another way to create annual accounts that are completely online and that are easily accessible to the customer? What added value can we still offer for the customer? We said, "Yes, we believe in that." I think we were the first office to really get started. And we said rücksichtslos: the whole office is about. If you digitize, if you organize a process differently, then you have to do it completely, and not just a little bit. ”
Growth in quality and in differentiation
We have therefore called this year 'the year of the employee'. We work on this in many ways. I will mention one thing: we have a big kick-off of 'Innovation Lab' in Rotterdam tomorrow. We challenged people through videos distributed internally. We ask them questions such as: "Where do you want to go? What do you want to change? What is good for the customer? What is good for the employees? What is good for the process? What are you good at? ” Tomorrow there will be presentations on various subjects. One is talking about process, another about customer approach, yet another about digitization. ”
“We ask our employees questions such as: where do you want to go? What do you want to change? What are you good at? ”
About Visser & Visser accountants and advisors
Visser & Visser was founded 29 years ago and has since grown to nearly 300 employees. The accountants and consultants work from eleven branches, close to the clients, so that they always know what lives and plays in the region. Visser & Visser not only wants to deliver figures, but also wants to ensure that these customers deliver something. With strategic advice, management information and coaching, always based on the conviction that cooperation is the best way to move forward.
Satisfied, passionate and committed employees
The DNA of Visser & Visser
I think that is the biggest challenge for the coming period: getting people to participate in the change. I think we are in the bottom part of the hockey stick. And that the real change that we can realize based on data is yet to come. I think it is sometimes overestimated what will change in five years while underestimated what will change in 10 years.
And can people come along? We will have to invest a great deal of time and energy in this. If that succeeds, then the organization will be doing great. "
"I think the real change we can make from data is yet to come. ”
About 'Conversation about Growth'
Even now that business services are doing well, growth is still high on the agenda. It is becoming increasingly difficult to attract (and retain) good people. Or the growth is not going fast enough, or insufficient in the desired (future-proof) areas. In addition, professionals often lack the commercial skills and drive to make the most of growth opportunities. In addition, the sector is faced with many new developments in areas such as technology and revenue models, shortages on the labor market and changing wishes of 'millennials'.
'Conversation about Growth' is an initiative of 4Future in which we talk to directors of accountancy firms, consultancy firms and law firms about growth: what is their vision, what are the challenges, how do they deal with this, and what are their priorities for the future?
