Change is Scary, but Can Inspire Progress
Earlier this year, the AICPA decided to phase out the “free/no CPE” option for attending section-sponsored webcasts. This “mixed model” was creating CPE compliance concerns so it was replaced with a selection of free events with CPE while maintaining the event archives for viewing content without CPE.
When the Taxation Team learned that the change would also apply to the Tax Power Hour (TPH), a monthly practice management webcast series, we were concerned about the impact it might have on our members. However, the team quickly came to realize this change was a blessing in disguise.
We had become complacent and had not really followed our own advice: always spend time working on your business, not just working in your business. We had stopped working on our business and were completely consumed with working in our business of serving members with new fresh resources. I’m falling on my sword with a public ‘mea culpa’ in the hopes that our members can learn from our mistakes with this valuable resource. As writer Phyllis Theroux said, “Mistakes are the usual bridge between inexperience and wisdom.”
- Many attendees were “regulars” who engaged with the speakers throughout the presentations – create a dialogue? Check.
- Often we ran out of time to answer questions – inspire members to consider new ideas? Check.
- Members regularly asked for related tools and resources to take their learning further – help members increase practice efficiency? Check.
The mission of the AICPA Taxation Team is to assist AICPA members to be the most trusted professional providers of tax services. Our business is to develop relevant guidance, create practice resources and provide timely information and updates for CPAs who run, manage or work in a tax practice. We realized that the TPH only offered value in one of those three areas: providing information and updates on practice management issues. Our “Aha!” moment resulted in expanding the “Power Hour” concept beyond the webcast into a broader and deeper experience in which practitioners can set aside time (their chosen Power Hour) to focus on practice management using resources and inspiration we now provide. We were focused on different projects and daily fires and, as a result, had failed to evolve and grow the TPH as well as we could have.
So there it is: the mistake we made, but learned from – and you can too! By taking the time to revisit the vision and mission of our team, we have turned an initial negative into a mega positive. The result is the new TPH resource page that offers guidance and resources (the two missing areas I refered to above) to support and reinforce the continuing webcast series.
We encourage our members to do the same. In his article Models of Success?, Jeff Drew explored a number of different business models for CPA firms. After reading it, I asked myself: When it comes to changing core processes and adopting a paperless, cloud-based, technology driven practice…as a profession, are we there yet?
The good news is that CPA firms are starting to adapt and change. No single methodology, process, structure or workflow is “the” right way, but firms (especially small firms) must remain open to, and recognize the importance of, shifting direction to stay relevant. Follow our lead and commit one “Hour” each month to working on your practice, not just in your practice. After all, that is what is most important: that you are never standing still.
Jina Etienne, CPA, CGMA, served as Director of Taxation, American Institute of CPAs from 2010 until September 2015; during her tenure, she created the Tax Power Hour. Previously, she owned a tax practice in Maryland that focused on the needs of small businesses and their owners.
Mistake courtesy of Shutterstock.
Posted by Jina Etienne, CPA on Sep 14, 2015
in Jina Etienne, CPA, Tax
