Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.
Issue link: https://cpapracticeadvisor.epubxp.com/i/160971
COVER STORY step outside the box in solving customers' problems. When they need to take that extra step, frms also have more access to vendors and consultants that can take them to the next level in servicing their customers. Commanding Change in a Profession Reluctant to Change Change is a word that evokes anxiety among even the best and the brightest. Tere's a constant tug-of-war between the old-school mentality that says, "but we've always done it that way" and a new régime that insists that there's a beter way. Te key is fnding that middle ground where change can be embraced rather than feared. SHAYNA: Te accounting profession has historically not been seen as agents for change. With acronyms like SALY (same as last year), we appear as if we're taking two giant steps back instead of looking forward. Te difculty lies within the size of the frm and the age of the staf and partners. While college graduates come out of school ready to use technology to trade in their pens and paper, older partners who have been doing things the same way for years do not want to change the way they conduct business. While "if it ain't broke, don't fx it" may seem like a viable solution, history has proven there are always ways to improve to be faster and beter. MICHELLE: While a lot of frms talk 8 about making change, it's ofen that only one or two partners are willing to stomach it and, without the support of their remaining colleagues, they simply can't succeed. Change is hard enough without active resisters. Unfortunately, democratically led frms (most frms) end up stuck in status quo. To be able to afect change in our profession, I work with frms who insist on looking ahead—who September 2013 • www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com are philosophically opposed to adhering to old ideals. Characteristics of these frms are more corporate (less committee) leadership models, a culture of innovation with viewing change as healthy and constant, and higher-than-average trust and autonomy versus command-andcontrol environments. Talk about change! You didn't see many frms like this even ten years ago. Te profession is shaking up and it's wonderful to see practitioners, vendors, consultants, and the industry's membership organizations all encouraging and supporting the behaviors that change requires: collaboration, learning, and strong leadership. KIM: We're seeing this determination to change frst hand in industry groups such as the Information Technology Alliance (ITA). Afer 15 years as a premier IT-focused organization creating a sturdy bridge between technology providers and frms, today's ITA is chock full of new, young faces who are calling out for change and bringing new ideas to the table. Tat's just one example, but the issue around succession planning is critical to long-term viability. Growing pains are tough, but when an organization does nothing and decides, instead, to remain complacent, it will cease to exist. However, if the group identifies and encourages forward thinking, and continues growing and feeding talent, that organization will ultimately usher in a new wave of leadership. When we fast forward 10 or 20 years fom now, it's tough to say exactly who or what will be the breaking news in the accounting profession. Yet, history has taught us that the industry will always need a healthy mix of stability and change. Surely there will be new communication platforms, more advanced technology solutions, and infuencers we haven't yet heard of – that's human nature. Perhaps more than anything, our profession will experience the continued evolution of the community – and the heightened collaboration that comes with it - that will ultimately drive the success of tomorrow's accounting world.