[IMGCAP(1)]I’m not sure who’s with me on this, but as a progressive accountant who wants to operate within a high-tech environment, I often feel isolated in my desire to transition to a cloud/mobile/social workspace. I also sometimes feel like I’m being disruptive in my determination to implement these changes—disruptive to colleagues as I lean on them for guidance, and disruptive to clients as I push them to adopt these changes. Then, after a meeting with one of my clients, my entire thought process changed.
Just last week I sat down with a client who is the deputy chief of police in a neighboring town. We also happened to attend the same high school, so our conversation was a bit more personal as we also talked about the changes we were both experiencing in our respective places of work.
We anguished a bit over the labor involved in implementing significant changes, as well as the effort required to get the “old timers” on board. Nonetheless, we are both making progress. I shared how some of my clients are resisting the changes I’m making in my firm. He shared with me how his clients, the criminals, were already more advanced than the systems his department had in place, so he had no choice but to upgrade. For him, it was all about winning the race…staying ahead of the offenders.
That made me think…he didn’t have a choice, but I do! I can choose to move forward and implement the solutions that I know will benefit my clients and my firm. Why should I feel disruptive? It’s my firm; I should run it my way. I also know that many clients are already there—they expect services based on advanced technology. They expect mobile, social, and “always-on” access.
It’s my choice to win the race and make sure my firm stays current to support my current client base and be ready to serve the next generation. With this in mind, it’s time the profession understood that it also needs to stay ahead. My hope is that many firms will choose to adopt change and not just fade into retirement because change feels too disruptive. Join me in the race. Are you ready to “run”?
Jody L. Padar, CPA, MST, is a Certified Public Accountant experienced with Complex Federal & State Income Tax Compliance for Business & Individuals. Jody is an adjunct professor at Oakton Community College, where she teaches Taxation and QuickBooks Courses. She is part of Intuit Trainer Writer Network and speaks nationally on various Technologies and Taxation. She can be reached at
