Few professions have changed as much as accounting in the last decade. Technology advancements, cloud computing, globalised economy, an increased automation of compliance, the introduction of a new generation to the workforce, and changing demands of clients have reshaped what we know.
So of course, accounting firms need be evolving as well, or run the risk of being left behind.
Often, change will come from the introduction of a new system. But the time between introduction and the point where the team is comfortable and adept using the system is often longer than you expect. It’s a period that I can be fraught with challenges.
This is why it’s vital your team have the instructions they need and can learn at their own pace and in the way that suits them. Here are some strategies that will help your practice make any transition smoothly.
Define and communicate ‘why’
You should always start by defining and communicating why something your team is doing today, needs to change. Whether it will ultimately make a process more efficient, boost the quality of your firm’s output, or make managing your team easier, you should communicate this across your entire firm.
You need to help everyone understand their part in the current process, and how it will change for them. Whether or not they agree to it is not the most important thing. The primary consideration is to give everyone a chance to be heard and ensure their individual issues are addressed.
Appoint a change champion
Choose someone from the team, other than yourself or another manager, to help steer the introduction of a new system—a ‘change champion’. They can be a volunteer, someone quick at picking up new technology, someone who could benefit from the extra responsibility, or maybe the team member who suggested the change in the first place. Depending on your firm’s size you may want to pick one Change Champion per department or team.
The role of the change champion is to make sure everyone is progressing well, be the go-to person for queries and issues from the team, and be the link to external support (if that is applicable).
Make sure everyone knows their responsibilities
To present a new system to your team and, just as importantly, explain how they will learn to use it, hold a group onboarding session. This is when you address the high-level issues: What does the new system do? Why are you introducing it? What are the expected outcomes?
Never assume that something is so obvious that everyone should just know how to do it - start from the very beginning. Your change champion can run this part of the session if they are confident enough with the system and have been involved from the beginning.
Devise some tasks everyone should complete to master the new system, starting with the simplest, and progressively getting more advanced. The idea is that once someone completes all their items, they should be a proficient user of new system.
Share progress along the way
When learning anything new, it is important that the team has somewhere to discuss their progress, share issues they face, and ask questions. Make sure your team has an appropriate channel for this.
It is inevitable that your staff will progress and learn at different speeds, so it's important that those who need extra assistance, receive it. If anyone is particularly struggling, you can ask a staff member who is further forward to help them out with a one-on-one training session.
Change is all about communication - it’s not just telling people what to do, but also reiterating the whole story of why it's happening, what will change, what their contribution is, how it's going to be implemented, and what the outcomes are going to be.
Celebrate when the goals are met
When a change is successfully adopted, make sure you appreciate the fruits of the team’s labour. Celebrating as a team will set you up well for future changes, and will foster a greater willingness to move forward and do it all over again when the next change inevitably comes.
Change is tough, but it’s necessary if you want to grow your accounting practice. The ultimate outcome a new system brings to your accounting firm is a positive one, but the road to get there is often rocky. It’s up to you to map out a route to help your team master a new system as quickly as possible.
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With over 25 years of experience in technology and over 15 years of leadership experience in the accounting industry at Karbon, Xero, and Intuit, Ian is passionate about helping accounting professionals be as successful as possible in order to positively impact the small businesses that they serve.