Press Room
4 October | 2005
Rachlin Partner, Kim Lamplough, Featured in Sun Sentinel's Manager Minute

Fort Lauderdale, FL – Kim Lamplough's family moved from her native Chatham, England, to Canada, and then to Florida when she was about 13 years old. At first, Lamplough aspired to be a cosmetologist. As a teenager, wanting to earn money for a high school band trip, Lamplough worked at a cafeteria as a bread server. All through college she stayed with the company, eventually working as a manger/bookkeeper.

Then Lamplough worked for an accounting firm. After, that she joined a private firm, which enabled her to travel around the world extensively. When Lamplough started her family, she looked for a job where traveling was not required. She joined accounting firm that later merged with her current company. In 1997, Lamplough was named a partner.

Lamplough, 48, and her husband, Ed Hazen, live in Plantation with two of their children: a 14-year-old daughter and an 18-year-old son. Their oldest daughter attends college away from home.

The job: Kim Lamplough is a partner in the Fort Lauderdale office of Miami based Rachlin Cohen & Holtz and director of the firm's Commercial/SEC assurance group. She oversees a staff of about 25 people spread throughout their Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach offices.

A management lesson learned: In the past, I waited too long to address conflict and that turned out to be a bad idea. Don't ignore conflict.

A manager's role: Is to provide the team with the tools and guidance to be successful; to monitor but not to take on the tasks of the team.

Communicating effectively to bosses: If you communicate verbally, not all of what is said is heard; if you write a long, drawn-out memo, not all of what is written is read. Bullet-point the issues keeping it short and direct.

Measuring employee performance: Through a structured process, employees and teams review the interaction they had with the client and all the process involved. We also have annual self-evaluation and review with bosses as well as constant face-to-face feedback.

Favorite part of my job: The people I work with.

Waste of time: Meetings lasting longer than 15 minutes, and meetings that have no agenda.

What makes a lasting impression: Integrity - doing the right thing when no one is watching; honesty.

Team-building practice: Commingle learning with fun - having retreats at entertainment centers that have rides and putt-putt golf; holiday parties; picnics; and an annual firm wide meeting catering in meals for the day. Also, hosting seminars and goal-strategy sessions.

Conflict-resolution tip: If the parties involved cannot resolve the issues, there should be another person there to act as a mediator. Often, perception is 90 percent of the problem.

How do you encourage employee development: By encouraging attendance at continuing education and technical and non-technical workshops, and by creating a culture of teamwork and mentoring.

Employee retention tip: Create an atmosphere where people like to come to work, where they are challenged and paid fairly for the job they do. In addition, if possible, structure internal divisions that tap employees' strengths and allow them to make choices based on their knowledge, skills and personal priorities.

Career-building advice: Keep close to you values of honesty and integrity. Success will follow.

In the desk junk drawer: A can of peach/mango tea, vitamins, a pack of peanuts from an airline flight, a nail file and highlighters in six different colors.

On the bookshelf: A variety of technical manuals and books in the series of Don't Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson.

What I look for in a job candidate: Aside from the skill set required in this industry, it's the passion and integrity that sets one apart from the rest.

Advice: If you do what you believe is the right thing, and you are honest about it, you will be respected.

Rachlin LLP is one of the nation's 100 largest public accounting firms, and one of the largest independent accounting and advisory firms in the Southeast. For 50 years, Rachlin has been offering traditional audit and tax services and a wide range of specialized business advisory services. The firm has nearly 200 employees in three locations; Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Rachlin provides services to the public and private sectors, including publicly traded companies, closely held businesses, governmental entities, local municipalities and not-for-profit organizations.