We have to banish complacency and embrace change so we can awaken the power of women in our firms, according to Rita Keller, president and founder of Keller Advisors in Beavercreek, Ohio. Keller was facilitating a session called A New Day for Women in Public Accounting at the Forum for Women in Accounting in Las Vegas.
Imagine if we replaced the word women in that statement with people. Where do you think the accounting profession would be today?
Keller offered ways firms can help women overcome obstacles for those seeking higher leadership positions - and I dont think anyone would argue that they could be helpful to anyone, regardless of gender and age:
* Provide flexibility.
* Provide part-time positions (both permanent and temporary).
* Dont ask for 40-plus hours in a cubicle.
* Focus on mentoring.
* Be open about opportunities.
* Set realistic goals.
* Provide trainers.
* Leaders learn by leading.
* Increase responsibility.
In other Accounting Tomorrow news:
* Plante & Moran has started training its entry-level staff on popular business networking site LinkedIn. The course is taught by chief marketing officer Jeff Antaya, who said that the goal was to teach basic business development skills in a medium that Millennials understand.
* In the war of social media, Facebook has got a leg up on Twitter. In the month of July, Facebook attracted 87.7 million unique visitors in the U.S., according to estimates by comScore. Twitter only saw 21 million unique U.S. visitors to its Web site.
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