Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an “organisation’s obligation to maximize positive stakeholder benefits while minimizing the negative effects of its actions.”

It is the idea that businesses and other organisations occupy a significant space in society and that responsibilities are not owed only to shareholders.

The basic element of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

• Staff development via training and education
• Equal opportunities statements
• Written anti-discrimination policies
• Commitment to reporting on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
• Policies for restricting the use of child labour by suppliers
• Commitment to the protection of the local community.

Obviously laws must be obeyed (for example on employee safety and welfare), but proponents of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) go further and say that organisations should go further than prescribed by law so that they become good corporate citizens.

For example:

• Release less pollution and greenhouse gasses than permitted so that the local population and world resources are safeguarded.
• Offer enhanced welfare and training opportunities to employees.
• Support local charities.

Merits of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is claimed to offer the following advantages to businesses, all of which might lead to profit increases:

• Goodwill and reputational improvements
• Brand strengthening and protection
• Differentiation so as to attract particular customers, talented employees and high-class collaborators.
• Lower costs e.g. saving energy, less waste.

Corporate Social Responsibility Stances

These refer to the approaches that organisations take to CSR. Different organisations take very different stances on social responsibility, and their different stances will be reflected in how they manage such responsibilities.

JSW identify four CSR stances, these include:

1. Laissez Fair Stance – Short-term shareholder interest:
   Limit ethical stance to taking responsibility for short-term shareholder interest on the grounds that it is for government alone to impose wider constraints on corporate governance. It is a minimalist approach to respond to the demands of the law but would not undertake to comply with any less substantial rules of conduct. The ground here would be that going beyond it can challenge government authority.
2. Enlightened self- interest – Long-term shareholder interest:
   A wider view of ethical responsibilities enhances the organization’s image. The cost of undertaking such responsibilities may be justified as essentially promotional expenditure. This can prevent a build-up of social and political pressure for legal regulation
3. Multiple stakeholder obligations:
   Accepts the legitimacy of stakeholders other than shareholders and build those expectations into its stated purpose.
4. Shaper of society:
   Largely the concern of public sector organizations and charities. Accepts a wide responsibility to stakeholders.

Limits of corporate social responsibility:

Milton Friedman argued against CSR on the basis that “There is one and only one social responsibility of business — to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase its profits.”  That’s

• Businesses do not have responsibilities, only people have responsibilities. Managers in charge of corporations are responsible to the owners of the business, by whom they are employed.
• These employers may have charity as their aim, but generally, their aim is to make as much money as possible while conforming to the basic rules of the society, both those embodied in law and those embodied in ethical customs.
• When management as according to the definition of CSR, it means they act in some way that is not in the interest of the employee (shareholders).
• If management undertakes any CSR, then they are generally spending the employer’s money on purposes other than those they have been authorized.

A second argument against CSR is that maximization of wealth is the best way that society can benefit from a business’s activities. That’s

• Maximizing of wealth has the effect of increasing the tax revenue available to the state to disburse on socially desirable objectives.
• Maximising shareholder value has a ‘trickle-down’ effect on the other disadvantaged members of society.
• Many company shares are owned by pension funds, whose ultimate beneficiaries may not be the wealthy anyway.
• Approaches to Social Responsibility

SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING

Sustainability reporting has emerged as a common practice of 21st-century business. Where once sustainability disclosure was the province of a few unusually green or community-oriented companies, today it is a best practice employed by companies worldwide.

Sustainability: Involves developing strategies so that the company only uses resources at a rate that allows them to be replenished such that the needs of the current generation can be met without compromising the needs of future generations. At the same time, emissions of waste are confined to levels that do not exceed the capacity of the environment to absorb them.

The triple bottom line (TBL) is sometimes summarized as People, Planet, and Profit. It consists of:

• Social justice: fair and beneficial business practices towards labour and the community and the region in which a corporation conducts its business. A TBL company conceives a reciprocal social structure in which the wellbeing of corporate, labour and other stakeholders’ interests is interdependent.
• Environmental quality: a TBL company endeavours to benefit the natural order as much as possible, or at the least do no harm and curtail environmental impact.

In this way, the company tries to reduce its ecological footprint by, among other things, carefully managing its consumption of energy and non-renewable resources, and by reducing manufacturing waste, as well as rendering waste less toxic before disposing of it in a safe and legal manner.

• Economic prosperity: the economic benefit enjoyed by the host society. It is the lasting economic impact the organisation has on its economic environment.

Importantly, however, this is not as narrow as the internal profit made by a company or organisation.

A focus on sustainability helps organizations manage their social and environmental impacts and improve operating efficiency and natural resource stewardship, and it remains a vital component of shareholder, employee, and stakeholder relations.

Sustainability reporting requires companies to gather information about processes and impacts that they may not have measured before. This new data, in addition to creating greater transparency about firm performance, can provide firms with the knowledge necessary to reduce their use of natural resources, increase efficiency and improve their operational performance.

 The Value of Sustainability Reporting

Sustainability disclosure can serve as a differentiator in competitive industries and foster investor confidence, trust and employee loyalty. Analysts often consider a company’s sustainability disclosures in their assessment of management quality and efficiency, and reporting may provide firms with better access to capital.

The benefits of reporting include:

• Better reputation
• Meeting the expectations of employees
• Improved access to capital
• Increased efficiency and waste reduction

A sustainability report is an organizational report that gives information about economic, environmental, social and governance performance.

 Other reads

Building A Business, Wikipedia, 

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Because the Institution where you choose will affect how you study, prepare for the examination and ultimately pass the examination.

My Millionaire Mentor Dan Lok said and I quote “Who you learn from is more important than what you learn”. The ” WHO” represents both the Institution as well as the Lecturers.

Many a times, you make this decision based on factors such as the nearness to your residence, how much it cost and whether you know someone who attends that school.

However, you need to understand that even though the above factors are good indicators when making such decisions, you have to understand that that’s not what will give you the results you are looking for.

At the end of the day, you are there because you want to write your exams, pass excellently and become a Chartered Accountant as soon as humanly possible thereby avoid taking some papers twice or more times.

If the ultimate objective is to become a Business Leader as soon as possible which is also my goal, then you need to look beyond nearness to your residence, how much it cost or whether someone you know attends that school. Why I am saying this? Does that mean you have to ignore these factors when making this decision?

No, that’s not what I am saying. You shouldn’t totally ignore these factors. However, you have to understand that there are three major differences between the successful and unsuccessful, the rich and the poor & and those who make it and those who don’t.

These differences are:

1. The rich/successful people don’t consider COMFORT, they want RESULTS while the poor/unsuccessful consider comfort and not results. This is why successful people go the EXTRA MILE as compared to the poor who remain in their comfort zone.
2. The rich/successful don’t look at COST/PRICE tags, they consider ROI (Return On Investment) while the unsuccessful people are always concern about how much it cost. You cannot become successful living “broke”. You need to understand and always ask yourself, ” What is the benefit or return for this money I am spending? “. Once you begin to ask this question, then you will shift your mindset from LIMITED to ABUNDANCE.
3. The rich/successful people take advice from EXPERTS and are WILLING to pay whatever it cost to achieve results while the poor/unsuccessful take advice from friends & family members who are just like them and are not willing to spend to acquire the best.  You cannot become successful taking advice and surrounding yourself with people at your level or just like you. You must REACH UP above you and find out who can take you HIGHER and more importantly FASTER!!!

So, this is my question to you now, “WHO DO YOU SEE YOURSELF TO BE?” WHICH PART OF THE SPECTRUM OF THESE THREE DIFFERENCES DO YOU SEE YOURSELF AT? ARE YOU HAVING THE MINDSET OF THE RICH/SUCCESSFUL OR POOR/UNSUCCESSFUL?

Pause a moment my friend and THINK CONSCIOUSLY about these questions.

Wait……… Can you see the reason (s) why you are where you are and why your life is the way it is today? Yes, you are who you are NOW because of the way you think about these questions.

Maybe you are wondering and asking ……… “What does all these got to do with choosing a Tuition Centre?”.

It has everything to do with it. If you will be honest to yourself, you will realise that unconsciously you have been literally “running” your life like this. If you can change your mindset, then you will understand the Five Factors I am about to share with you.

I want you to approach life and every decision you make in life by paraphrasing and using these factors I will share with you because these are what the rich and successful people consider when they are making every single decision. And if you want to become successful, you have to begin and live your life as one.

So now you are saying……”Alright Nhyira, I am ready now!!! Share with me these factors because I want to transform my life, become successful as soon as humanly possible legitimately and I want to know how to make it happen for me”

Now that I have your permission and you are in the right framework to receive, let’s go into the FIVE FACTORS to consider when making Tuition Provider decision.

However, before I go ahead let me WARN you; NEVER STUDY ON YOUR OWN because that’s a disastrous decision and will make your journey longer, stressful and most importantly wastage of resources (time, money, relationship & pleasures).

Ready?…………

Let’s do this:

1. Institution:

This is always the starting point. In deciding the Institution, you need to look at a couple of things and answer some basic questions.

So, the big question is, what should you look for when choosing the Institution?

Among other things, the Institution has to be Accredited and Licensed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana, have a faculty of Qualified Lecturers, their track record and have some presence online.

In addressing the issue of online presence, you need ask yourself certain questions like the following:

What’s their website? Do they have lecture videos on Facebook? Does the school provide any value upfront that you can benefit from prior to enrolling?

These questions should be answered honestly and guide you when choosing the Institution. As I mentioned earlier, don’t choose a school just because it’s closer to your residence or because it’s the cheapest. Consider more significant factors taking into consideration the fact that you want to PASS the Examination and become a Business Leader and avoid wastage of resources.

2. The Lecturers:

The Lecturers are the “OIL” that run the Institution and get you to where you want to be. Remember my earlier quote from my Millionaire Mentor Dan Lok?

“Who you learn from is more important than what you learn”.

I always recommend you have an experience with the Lecturer(s) going to teach the subject (s) you intend to study. You must see them in action doing what they claim they are good at. Why is this important?

This is so important because, I have met hundreds of students who say this “…..I registered to attend lectures but the Lecturer (s) is not ” good”…. When you ask a question, the reply isn’t the answer I expected….. ”

I know you have heard that experience before because I have had that several times before reaching where I am today.

So, what do you look for when “auditing” the Lecturers?

Among other things, I think you have to look at the following:

• What’s their qualification and Lecturing experience in that subject (s)?
• What’s their track record in the field?
• Do they have PUBLISHED book (s) on the subject they are teaching?
• Do they have blog for business leaders or students?
• Are they having a YouTube channel with valuable lecture videos?
• Can you find them anywhere online doing what they claim to be doing?
• Are they part time or full-time lecturers?
• What Techniques are they using to Teach?

All of these and many others should be your ultimate concern because remember again what I said earlier. The rich/successful people expect RESULTS and seek for the BEST in the industry because they don’t want to waste the most expensive and precious commodity on earth called TIME.

Don’t be blindfolded my friend. You must have an experience with the so-called lecturers of the Institution even before you enroll. Sometimes you can find recommendations, customers/student reviews, what you have heard about them, among others.

Remember, WHO YOU LEARN FROM IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT YOU LEARN!!!!!

3. FLEXIBILITY:

This is another critical factor you don’t want to overlook when choosing an institution. Flexibility has to do with how lectures are structured to suit every individual.

I know you will ask, “Nhyira, how can they structure lectures to suit everyone?”

The answer is YES, they can and they should. You will agree with me that there were times you missed lectures maybe because you were sick, traveled, busy in the office, among others. The question is, what happened to you when you returned?

Did you get access to the lectures either through videos pre – recorded or assistance from the Lecturers or institution for those periods you missed?

I can guarantee you didn’t get anything like that (or maybe you did once). Maybe the Institution or Lecturers didn’t even know you missed a class because of the class size and you relied on your own efforts and assistance of colleagues who couldn’t even explain to you lessons you missed in a manner you could understand.

This is my question, why should you pay money and not get access to lectures and lecturers to assist you? Why do you have to be worried and full of anxiety when exam is approaching because you missed lectures?

This is why we do it different here at Premium Education Hub. All On – Campus students are directly enrolled for FREE on our Study Portal. This means, you can study everywhere, anytime and not worry about what will be taught in class because all lectures are hosted on the study portal.

This what I mean by FLEXIBILITY. Where you have time to do what you are passionate about and at the same time, have access to the best lectures and Lecturers who will assist you One – On – One on the journey.

You can check out our Online Courses HERE

This is very important because definitely something will happen to prevent you from attending lectures regularly. Things beyond your wildest imagination and control. That’s why flexibility is a significant factor necessary to be considered when making your decision.

4. VALUE:

In making this very important decision, you need to consider the VALUE. Now, I didn’t say price/cost; instead I said VALUE.

You have to ask yourself this question: Is this WORTH IT? What VALUE will this add to me? How can this assist me in becoming a Chartered Accountant?

The answer to this question is what is called by the rich and highly successful as Return On Investment (ROI) and Return On Time Invested (ROTI).

When attending lectures, it is not about HOW MUCH you are paying or spending rather it’s the VALUE you are getting from the Institution, Lecturers and how Lessons at structured.

Let me illustrate value to you as it’s done here at Premium Education Hub:

Let’s say you are writing a paper in level two. The cost is GHS 400 per paper.

This includes the following:

• On – Campus Lectures (which is what you are paying for)
• Direct enrollment on Our Study Portal (Which is GHS 450 per paper)
• Access to eBooks by lecturers as well as examination kits from various sources especially from ACCA-UK (which cost GHS 100 on average)
• Dedicated Lecturer to assist you with questions anytime either on Campus or Online via Skype (which cost GHS 40 per thirty minutes)
• Access to Examination Analysis Document (which provides you Key) (this is absolutely PRICELESS)

So, what does this mean? It means you are paying GHS 400 to get services valued over GHS 1000.

Do you understand now what VALUE means to the highly successful people in the world? So, when you hear cost per paper is GHS 400 and you say “Hey, that’s expensive”, that means you don’t know the value you are getting. And after you look at the other benefits you are getting from that, you will now say ” YES, it’s really WORTH IT”.

So, the next time you ask for the fees from an institution, don’t say it’s cheap or expensive. Instead, ask yourself “What VALUE I’m I getting?” and “Is it WORTH the price?”

5. LOCATION:

My friend, the last and final factor worth considering is the Location.

When we talk about location, there are a couple of questions you need to ask and consciously answer them to better assist you plan your schedules for the year.

Some of these questions include the following:

• Where is the Tuition Centre Located?
• What’s the environment like?
• What’s the security especially at night?
• How safe is the location?
• How long will it take on average to get there for lectures from home/office and return?
• What’s the traffic conditions in that area?

Remember, don’t choose a class because it is closer to you or because your friend attends lectures there. Be conscious of your life and make decisions by giving it great thoughts.

This year will certainly be great and full of surprises. You need to position yourself strategically to optimize your time and the money you spend on everything.

If you can consider these FIVE (5) incredible factors before making your next decision, I can guarantee you will become successful and achieve your dreams with less stress, anxiety and most importantly avoid wastage of your resources.

Your Friend, Nhyira Premium

Please send comments and questions to EMAIL

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The post FIVE (5) THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A SCHOOL | Nhyira Premium appeared first on Nhyira Premium University.

Do you know that between sixty (60) to seventy (70) percent of candidates who sit for the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG – GH)’s professional qualification examination FAIL?

Do you also know that about seventy (70) percent of EVERYTHING you are studying now may not be examined?

Do you know that COMPLACENCY is the key reason of FAILURE and having the RIGHT PSYCHOLOGY empowers you to PASS an examination EXCELLENTLY?

What are your RESPONSES to the above question?

Let me also tell you this:

If on the average, only THIRTY PERCENTAGE (30%) of candidates PASS each examination sitting, then it means these people did something SIGNIFICANT, EXCEPTIONAL & UNCOMMON.

So, what did they REALLY DO RIGHT?

Is it LUCK? NO! I don’t think so

Are they having TWO HEAD? I bet that’s not possible

Did they “CHEAT” their way through? That’s also not acceptable or true; YOU KNOW THAT!!!!!

Are they more “RIGHTEUOS” than you? I think that’s not true

If none of the above did the “MAGIC” and caused them to pass, then what’s THE SECRET? What really made the difference?

You see, with many years of experience as a Professional Educator (Lecturer, Author & Tuition Provider), I have realized each student/individual learns in diverse ways. What does this mean? It simple means something that works for you may not work for me or someone else, it is called the PSYCHOLOGY STRUCTURE of INDIVIDUALS.

The PSYCHOLOGY STRUCTURE of INDIVIDUALS is what separates the successful from the unsuccessful. Something that someone told you or you experienced in the past can negatively impact your PSYCHOLOGY STRUCTURE which effects your ability to excel in everything you do.

I have also realized that you don’t have to KNOW or MASTER EVERYTHING to pass an examination.

“So, Nhyira what will enable me to pass?” – You are asking

All you need is the RIGHT MENTORSHIP on the specific topical and sub – topical areas to FOCUS on DELIBRATELY and CONSCIOUSLY to pass the exams once and for all.

SO, LET ME ASK YOU THIS;

How prepared are you for the exams? How confident are you of passing? Which areas do you know you NEED to MASTER and pass the exams with EASE? How many times have you already written that subject?

Are you going to WASTE your RESOURCES (money, time, energy, family life, pleasure, etc.) again?

DON’T PANIC!!!!! You see I didn’t make those assertions to put fear in you. I am only presenting you with the FACTS, the Truth, the HARD TRUTH which nobody ever told you about since you began this journey of becoming a BUSINESS LEADER.

THE CHIEF EXAMINER’S REPORT REVEALS ALL THESE!!!!!!

I don’t know who you are or your responses so far, but if you are still reading, it means you WANT TO CHANGE your career/life prospect. It means you DESIRE to be among the average THIRTY PERCENT (30%) who will pass the examination this semester.

Yes, it means you want to progress and become a BUSINESS LEADERS as soon as HUMANLY POSSIBLE.

RIGHT! So, you are asking “How can this be possible since I have no one or know anybody who will show me EXACTLY the HOW to pass this exam?”

This is where I come in with my SIGNATURE MASTERCLASS. During this revision session, I attempt to first transform your PSYCHOLOGY STRUCTURE using the TECHNIQUE I have been using over the years for my high profile private students/mentees called “THE SUCCESS TRIANGLE”.

This is where I explain the three stages of becoming successful in each examination sitting. You can read the entire article on this HERE

After this, the main components of the REVISION MASTERCLASS follow.

I CANNOT PROMISE OR GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL PASS THE EXAMS BY ATTENDING MY REVISION MASTERCLASS, BUT IF YOU ARE READY TO DISCIPLINE YOURSELF, “BE LIKE A CHILD” & WORK HARD DURING THIS TWO WEEKS, THEN YOU WILL EASILY PASS THE EXAMINATION.

HOW DO I KNOW THIS? BECAUSE I WILL SHOW YOU, MENTOR YOU, AND GIVE YOU EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AND DO TO PASS THE EXAMINATION!!!!!

BECAUSE WE (MY TEAM AND I) HAVE BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS AND UNDERSTAND HOW THIS WORKS!!!!!

SO, WHAT DO YOU SAY? DOES THIS SOUND FAVOURABLE TO YOU? WILL YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH THIS TWO WEEKS EXECUTIVE REVISION MASTERCLASS?

IF YES, THEN CONTINUE READING……

PACKAGE DETAILS: Participants of this Executive Revision Masterclass for the November 2018 Examination will get the following:

1. Examination Analysis Document (This suggest highly possible topics & areas examinable in NOVEMBER 2018)
2. Direct enrollment on our Study Portal and have access to ALL lecture videos on all subjects
3. Direct access to our eBook catalog for assignments, mock questions and question banks/kit
4. Revision, mock examination (which will be marked) and mock discussions
5. On – one sessions with Nhyira Premium to address “difficult/challenging” areas/subjects/topics by all participants throughout both online (Skype) & on – campus

NOTE: ALL THE MASTERCLASS SESSIONS WILL BE STREAMING LIVE ONLINE VIA SKYPE

PACKAGE COST:

GHS 125 PER PAPER – LEVEL TWO

GHS 150 PER PAPER – LEVEL THREE

NOTE: LIMITED SEATS AVAILABLE, SO REGISTER NOW!!!!!!!

REGISTER HERE

TIME TABLE FOR THE REVISION MASTERCLASS

So, maybe you are asking “WHO IS NHYIRA PREMIUM?”

I am a Professional Educator (Lecturer, Author & Entrepreneur), the Managing Partner of Premium Education Hub and NhyiraPremiumUniversity.Com, an Online Study Portal for ACCA-UK & ICAG Professional Qualification Examination Courses. I am also a Published Author of TEN (10) Pragmatic Business Books all listed and sol-d Globally on Amazon.

Want to know more…………?

CLICK ANY OF THE LINKS BELOW

My Books on Amazon

My Online Masterclass

My YouTube Channel

Facebook Business Page

Instagram Page

Book a Call with Me

Skype ID: Nhyira Premium

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1. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

If you don’t believe that you will pass the exam you won’t, you will be defeated before you even start. If you believe in yourself, you are committed to doing your best both in your preparation and in the exam session.

2. INVEST IN YOURSELF

Qualification as a professional accountant costs money, but the return on investment is worth it. Becoming a qualified accountant opens the door to a wealth of career opportunities and the financial rewards that come with them. You must invest in the study materials; the e-books, recommended reading and Lectures, if you can, but the most important investment is your time. If you put the work in, then you have the best chance of success, carry your notes wherever you go and read them whenever you have the opportunity.

3. PUT THEORY INTO PRACTICE

The underpinning principle of the ICAG qualification is the application of theory to practical situations, relating what you’re learning to the real world. Look for practical ways to apply the knowledge you’re acquiring, this will greatly benefit your understanding of the topics and make it easier for you to tackle case studies in the exam.

4. UNDERSTAND THE SYLLABUS AND EXAM STRUCTURE

Your first step in your studies should be to read and understand the structure of the exam you’re going to sit, this will give you a structure for your revision and will help you grasp how all the topics fit together. The syllabus explains how the marks are allocated and how each of the topics within the paper are weighted.

5. PRACTICE PAST EXAM QUESTIONS

“Practice makes perfect” and you should practice as many past exam papers as you can. Papers from the last four sessions are available to download from the ICAG page and you should attempt at least one of these papers, as a mock exam, under conditions as close to the actual exam as possible.

6. MAKE SUMMARY NOTES

To assist your recall when the exam comes around, make notes from your study materials and books, this can help embed the information in your mind, and gives you something to revise from as the exam approaches, rather than going back to the full book. Write bullet points for important concepts and key ideas which you need to remember

7. REMEMBER KEY INFORMATION

Aid your memory of key information and formulas by making use of mnemonics (like SWOT) or by making posters that you can stick up around your home. You could even post it at the bottom of your bed, so it’s the last thing you see at night or the first thing you see in the morning.

8. MAKE USE OF YOUR NETWORK

If you’re studying at a tuition center, consider forming a small study group to help you with topics you don’t understand. If you don’t have any other students living near you, you can connect with other students through WhatsApp group. Not only will this help your studying, you can start to build your professional network, which in the future can refer you to job opportunities.

9. PLAN YOUR EXAM STRATEGY

You have months to study but just over three hours to pass your exam, so it’s vital you know how you’re going to approach the exam and make the best use of that precious time. Know how you’re going to allocate your time before you get in the exam hall. You should allot some time at the beginning to read the paper through before you begin and then again at the end to check through your answers. The mark allocation indicated in the syllabus will also give you an idea of how long to spend on a question. If you get stuck on a question, don’t panic, move onto the next question and if you have time you can go back to it. The examiner can’t allocate you any marks if you haven’t even attempted a question.

10. MAKE THE EXAMINER’S JOB EASY

Examiners will only mark what they can understand and read clearly, so it’s vital that you write clearly and legibly, and that you check your spelling and that what you’ve written makes sense. Examiners have a limited amount of time to mark exams, so it helps if you make your paper as examiner friendly as possible.

Guest Author:

Stephen Adu (CA, CCFA, MBA, BED)

Other reads

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The increasing demand of the services of the Professional Accountant or what has become known as a Business Leader with the less number of Chartered Accountants availability has made the profession a lucrative and honoured one which has lately inspired young graduates and even mature students to pursue a career in the field.

However, the journey of becoming a Business Leader and successfully being gainfully employed in one of the big firms in the world hasn’t been easy and will continue to be challenging. This is partly because of the fact that, about ninety – eight percent of the individuals pursuing the professional qualification course especially in Ghana are employees, family people, key players in various institutions such as churches or other endeavours.

As an Educator, I have come across people from all walks of life who have the dream, aspiration, desire or whatsoever you want to call it to become Chartered Accountants and work in big companies, take home better salaries and help their families to live better life and improve their Standard of living. But almost always, greater percentage of these people don’t really understand what they have decided to do. They don’t have an idea how an individual can “survive in this jungle”. Why I’m I saying all these? Because, you can truly see in their eyes that yes, they want to become Business Leaders but after listening to them, considering their attitudes or behaviour patterns, there’s only one thing that I can say, “They don’t know or understand what they are saying”.

There were people I had to speak with and hold several discussions with just to help them to bring them into the Perfect Psychology (state of being) of what this journey actually is about and how they can become successful and achieve their dream. Today, I am always full of joy when I see them because, they now understand the journey and what they must do CONSCIOUSLY and DELIBERATELY to become who they have always desired to be.

SO WHY THIS ARTICLE?

That’s a brilliant question to ask. The reason I wrote this article is to share the same secrets that I have used to help numerous individuals from all walks of life in private with the rising Chartered Accountants across the globe (I mean people like you) so that you become aware of what is really at stake and what must be done to achieve that aspiration.

I am going to tell you right in your face what nobody has told you, challenge you to become CONSCIOUS of yourself and your environment and then tell you exactly what you have to do to become a Business Leader as soon as legitimately possible.

SO, WHAT MUST I DO TO BECOME A BUSINESS LEADER?

The key word here is MUST. It means what you have to consciously and deliberately do if you want to become a Chartered Accountant. It implies, there’s no alternative, second guess or excuses. Once you decide you want to become a Business Leader, then there’s no option of looking back, you have to do whatever humanly and legitimately possible to make it HAPPEN!!!!

There are a lot of ideas I could share with you but let me tell you the FIVE best advises I have received from my Mentors which I have used personally over the years and also used to help others.

1. Decide You want to be THE BEST:

This is where it all starts. When you decided to become a Chartered Accountant by either studying the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants – United Kingdom (ACCA – UK) or Institute of Chartered Accountants – Ghana (ICA – GH), what did you tell yourself? Did you say things like “Oh, I also want to become a Chartered Accountant”, “Charley, becoming a Business Leader is the key” or did you tell yourself things like “Hey, I want to become one of the BEST Business Leaders in the world” or “I want to become the one of top three Consultants in this country”. Listen carefully, you cannot become a Chartered Accountant without deciding from day one that you want to become the best Chartered Accountant. To make the journey easy and not waste resources (money, time and energy), you have to consciously condition yourself that you to become one of the best if not the best in this industry. That is the mindset that can get you started on the right path. Desire you want to be outstanding, spectacular, work with the Big 4 Accountancy Firms (KPMG, Deloitte and Touche, PwC & Ernest and Young), the multinational companies across the globe or run your own Accountancy Firm or business. This is the fundamental Mindset that will get you started and get you moving through all the changing scenes.

2. Determine THE PRICE you have to pay:

This is what most people are not willing to hear and do. Becoming a Business Leader has a huge price which everyone must pay. This is not the financial cost alone. This is the SACRIFICES that must be made by YOURSELF on this journey. You cannot behave anyhow, do thing anyhow, or think anyhow you will if you have to become a Chartered Accountant. When you decide to become THE BEST, then you have to ask yourself, “WHAT MUST I DO TO BECOME THE BEST?” This require a lot thinking which about nine – six percent of people in the world don’t do. Because, thinking is a difficult thing which requires discipline when you want to become successful. I hope you will take the time and become a conscious thinker.

So, what are some the sacrifices?

1. Cutting your sleep
2. Cutting some social gathering
3. Reducing time spent on Social media networks
4. Reducing or postponing some expenditure or personal satisfaction or self – gratification
5. Avoid drugs (Alcohol, smoking or excessive intake of energy drinks)

These are some the things that you will have to sacrifice to enable to make the journey interesting and most importantly avoid wasting resources.

3. Determined WHAT YOU NEED to Become the best:

What do you actually need to become a Chartered Accountant? This also a very important aspect of the journey. A lot of the challenges and frustrations encountered by a lot of students comes from this point. This is usually the tangible resources and valuably intangible assets that is required by each person to achieve their aspiration.

1. Funding: This is very important because the cost of becoming a Chartered Accountant is expensive and you need to have a Financial Plan of how you intend to finance your education. What is your budget for this journey? Sometimes this may mean you have to cut – down on some personal expenditures and/or postpone some spending.
2. Best Tuition Centre or Lecturers: Where you study and who teaches you are also very important to the journey of becoming a Business Leader. You have to be taught by Professionals with track record because this will help you to easily comprehend the various subjects, get guidelines in every examination sitting and make the journey an interesting one.
3. Study Materials: In as much as financing and Tuition Centre plays a key role on the journey, the study materials you buy, use and study with are equal important. These may include Study Texts, Question Banks, Lecture videos, Mock Examination Books and other study materials.

In my opinion, these are the key things you need to become a Business Leader. However, there could others depending on your situation.

4. Study Approach/Alternatives:

The journey of becoming a Chartered Accountant has in recent years gone through different faces. With the introduction of Technology and Internet, people have become Business Leaders across the world from the comfort of their home or go to the Tuition Centre weekly. As you determine how you want to study, one of the things to decide is to determine whether you want to study online or on – campus.

Let me share with you some pros and cons of each of these:

1. Studying Online: This option is available to the “Busy bees” or individuals living in towns or located in areas where there are no approved Tuition Centres. Studying Online is more expensive than studying On – campus but also more flexible because, you can study anytime, anywhere, anyhow with access to lecture videos, books, Lecturers, among other privileges.
2. Studying On – Campus: This is the transitional alternatives that almost ninety – eight percent (98%) of students choose. It is mostly less expensive than studying online but very stressful with the distance between work or home to the Tuition Centre, the traffic involve, the impossibility of deciding when to go for lectures as in the case of studying online.
3. Combination of the Two: This is the best option in my opinion as an Educator. This is because, you have the options of going for lectures at the same time, you have access to lecture videos that you can watch over and over again to help you well understand the various subjects. There are only a few Tuition Centres across the globe that provide these two options at the same time. Here in Ghana, one of such Tuition Centres is Premium Education Hub.

The decision you make in relation this particular point has a great effect or if you want consequences on you pass rate. As such, I recommend you think about this carefully before making any decision.

5. Learning Psychology:

My friend, the journey of becoming a Chartered Accountant is not luxurious, it’s fancy, it’s not easy. Let me be really frank with you here, it’s very challenging. But why is that so? It is because, you are engaged or involved in a lot of things at the same time. You may be working, have a family, children, looking at your parents, running your business or doing other personal things. Along with all these, you want to upgrade yourself and become a Business Leader; this means you have to work each day of your life managing the most important ASSET you have as a human being called your MIND.

Your MIND is the greatest asset you have as an individual. Until you learn to Consciously Manage You Mind, discipline yourself and stay focus, you will give up on this journey and never become a Chartered Accountant.

I have heard and met people (and you know you also have) who took ten (10) to become Business Leaders, others took three (5) years while some others took between three to five years to become Chartered Accountants.

On the other hand, I have meet people who also have failed some subjects over four times and felt like giving up on their dreams but still encouraged themselves and became Chartered Accountants through all the changing scenes.

This is the big question, WHAT KEPT THESE PEOPLE GOING?

The answer is simple; THEY HAD A LASER – BEAM FOCUS!!!! They have decided to become successful and nothing will ever stop them. Whether they fail five times or whether they cannot attend lectures, they still kept moving until finally they achieved their desire.

That’s what I call MIND MANAGEMENT. It is being focused on something that you are ready to do everything legitimately possible to enable you achieve.

WHY PEOPLE FAIL PROFESSIONAL EXAMINATION

1. Preparation- Self – management, Self – discipline & Challenges.
2. Mindset- “pass mark is 50%…with little effort, I can pass….”.
3.  Complacency- because you have the mindset of 50% pass mark in your mind, you even don’t dare to challenge yourself studying or even in the Examination hall to answer all the questions. Self – satisfaction!!!
4. Psychology: how you see Professional Examination, how to manage your EMOTIONS, FEELING, CHALLENGES & THE EXAMINATION. – when you feel overwhelmed with life, your family, work schedules and others, then you aren’t in the right framework of mind to study and pass the exams.
5. Learning / Studying style:  What is your STYLE? What works for you? How do you absorb, remember, and retain information? This is KEY if you are going to become a Chartered Accountant.

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