By Randa Niederhauser, CMA

Randa Niederhauser

“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” —Albert Einstein, attributed

It’s that time of year again, and here in the Accounting Department at CMA we’re doing lots of counting. We’re counting up the year’s financial performance. We’re counting how well we deployed our staff, and how well we met our budgets. As we close out 2011, we’re also preparing for 2012 by planning projects and estimating our income and expenses. We use numbers to measure many aspects of the business. But as Albert reminded us, not everything that can be counted counts. So we are constantly asking ourselves if we’re counting the right things. We want to make sure that our measurements result in information that helps us make the right decisions for the business.

At the same time, we are mindful of the things that can’t be counted.  We can’t put a value on the confidence that our clients have in us to help them achieve their goals or on the dedication and teamwork that we have among the staff at CMA. We are also grateful for the opportunity to make a difference in the food system that people all over the world rely on every day.

Whatever religious or cultural traditions you observed during the holiday season, I hope you took a few moments to appreciate the important things in your life that can’t be counted. For me that was having extended family home for the holidays and some time off to spend with my kids.  But who’s counting?