sarah dobek foresees new leaders, new services, new clients.
by rick telberg
the rosenberg survey: national study of cpa firm statistics
it may seem too obvious to bother mentioning, but the accounting industry, from audit firms to tax prep to corporate finance, is in the process of transition. but too many managers think that just means technological transition.
more from the map survey: 2019: more focused training | 2019: expect more alliances | 2019 trends: client service changes | 2019: shifts in hiring & office space | 2019: firms grapple with change | staff policies improve, but not mentoring
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technology may be behind a lot of the transition, but technology itself is not the transition. it’s the enabler of transition.
sarah dobek, president and founder of inovautus consulting, has identified numerous interwoven transitions in process, some already peaked and passing, others coming down the pike.
last year it was leadership, she says in the latest rosenberg map survey. with baby boomer partners getting a little creaky in the joints, they are finally getting their replacements prepared to transit into leadership.
the leadership transition is more than a matter of getting ducks in a row.
- the ducks need to be transitioned from accounting skills into management, communication, and business development skills.
- the ducks need to see owner agreements that reflect the realities of today’s and tomorrow’s accounting industry.
- the ducks need to understand that change is the new constant.
the transition isn’t a problem
dobek also points out that transition isn’t the problem. it’s the opportunity. as the new generation settles onto the leadership bench, their transition can help the firm itself in its transition to the future.
- transitions in staff training can lead to new non-compliance service.
- transitions in partner-track staff can facilitate changes in governance.
- transitions in skills and orientation can open new niches of expertise.
transitions in technology are an opportunity for transition in personnel and office models.
- transitions in technology enable fewer staffers to get more done.
- transitions in technology enable staff to get more kinds of things done.
- fewer staffeers and more remote staff enable transitions in physical office models.
- transitions in technology and office models enable transitions in collaboration processes.
as the transition in technology automates more technology-based services, upcoming leaders in transit will be able to use new skills in communication and business development to deepen their relationships with clients. by understanding clients and their businesses better, firms can transition into services aligned with the needs of the client.
dobek says firms are already transitioning to new clients bases.
“[firms] are re-evaluating who they are serving and being highly intentional about the work being performed across the firm,” she says in the rosenberg survey. “we are watching as firms evaluate their clients’ bases to determine who is an ideal fit and what kind of clients they want to serve going forward.”
in other words, they aren’t just going forward. they are transitioning into a new firm with new leaders offering new services to new clients.
dare we call it a brave new world for accountancy?