It’s All About the Madness!
Madness is a precarious yet relevant word, especially given our country’s (and the world’s) current state of affairs. One of the politically correct definitions of madness is “extremely foolish behavior.” Tweet, tweet, tweet. I think you know where I’d like to go with this…
Not to disappoint, but I say “not so fast,” to quote former Indiana University Football Coach Lee Corso.
With spring in the air, the definition of madness I prefer is “enthusiasm and excitement.” This aptly describes the feelings of many who are caught up in March Madness. The NCAA basketball tournament for the national championship is considered by many enthusiasts to be the ultimate team sporting event. Since anything can happen at any time, the emotional highs and lows are unparalleled. March Madness gives the words bracket, braketology, and bracket busters more relevance than at any other time of the year. To cite a Duke University (wa-wa) professor, the odds of picking the perfect bracket are 1 in 2.4 trillion. Regardless, many of us spend countless hours, days and weeks on analysis and team selection. Which brings us to another definition of madness (supposedly from Einstein): doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
During this month, we are in the midst of our own version of March Madness here at Marcum. Historically, the month of March is our busiest of the year. Be it tax filings, financial statements or just plain old business advice, our Marcum team members are in a frenzy working countless hours including most evenings and, in many cases, six or seven days a week. The pressure to meet the various governmental and institutionally imposed deadlines is at its peak. The word bracket takes on a totally different meaning as it relates to income taxes. During this time, the hustle and bustle permeates our offices across the country. Marcum Madness impacts and requires the efforts of every single person in our firm. The role that our administrative and other support team members play cannot be overstated. As technology touches every facet of our business, I want to commend our national IT group, which is among the best in the business.
I’m amazed at the enthusiasm and excitement exhibited during the annual Marcum Madness season. We all put it on the line, and that’s what makes us perennial champions in achieving our goal of exceeding our clients’ expectations.
Good luck to your team in reaching the pinnacle of cutting down the nets.
Cary Buxbaum contributed to this column.
