by Sandra Wiley, Shareholder, President
In the past several years, the global workforce has been continually evolving. We’re dealing with an increasingly competitive business landscape and new technologies that are reshaping the skills we need in our firms. The need to reskill and upskill has never been greater, and this trend has elevated the importance of learning and development across the profession.
Recently, we held a Learning & Development Workshop for members of our Boomer Communities. During the workshop, participants reflected on what they accomplished in the past year, what they’ve learned and what gets in the way. They also identified 5 Big Commitments: what they want to be, do, create, experience and have for the coming year.
The discussion was so insightful. I thought I would share a few of the highlights here.
L&D strategy
Not too long ago, learning and development in a CPA firm focused on fulfilling CPE requirements and mostly revolved around technical skills. Today, we know people can be brilliant when it comes to technical skills, but if they can’t listen to and understand clients and communicate effectively, they’ll have a difficult time using their skills to solve clients’ problems.
Rather than taking a haphazard approach to L&D, firms are linking their L&D strategies to the firm’s overall strategic plan and being proactive in the opportunities offered to their professionals. To accomplish this, firms are establishing career profiles for each level of the firm (CPAs and non-CPAs) and implementing new learning platforms.
Participation in remote training programs is essential
Many of the traditional ways we train people just weren’t available to us in 2020. In-person coaching, getting everyone together in a conference room, and attending workshops, classes and conferences wasn’t as easy this past year as it has been in the past. While we’re hopeful that much of that will return in the coming year, we also know that remote work is here to stay, so our L&D programs have to adapt.
There’s no shortage of webinars and virtual conferences to attend, but it’s not easy to move in-person events online and keep the same level of participation and engagement. This is a lesson many of our member firms learned in the past year, so they’re taking steps to make their remote training opportunities more interactive, encouraging people to participate actively.
You’re not in it alone!
Talent professionals in CPA firms may face a number of challenges in the coming year: reduced budgets, getting buy-in from firm leadership, finding the right L&D resources, and helping team members find the capacity to commit to learning and development when there is competition with billable hours.
But the good news is you don’t have to face these challenges alone! Our Boomer Talent Circle Members know they don’t have to learn the hard way. They have a peer network of talent professionals from other forward-thinking firms who share resources, best practices and lessons learned so we can all go farther together.
Do you want to connect with other talent professionals in the accounting profession?
The new Leadership & Development Circle can help you become a more confident leader, and help you connect with other Leadership & Development leaders in the Accounting Profession. Apply today to get plugged into the Circle and start connecting with other top L&D professionals.
Sandra Wiley, Shareholder, President of Boomer Consulting, Inc., is a leader in the accounting profession with a passion for helping firms grow, adapt and thrive. She is regularly recognized by Accounting Today as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Accounting as a result of her expertise in leadership, management, collaboration, culture building, talent and training.
Sandra’s role at Boomer Consulting, Inc. includes serving as co-director of the P3 Leadership Academy as well as the Boomer Managing Partner Circle , the Boomer Talent Circle and the Boomer NextGen Leader Circle . Her years of experience and influence as a management and strategic planning consultant make her a sought-after resource among the best and brightest firms in the country.