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By Michelle Golden - I was talking with Liz Gold who is the associate editor of Accounting Today and a key author, editor & co-founder of the excellent Where It's AT, Accounting Tomorrow blog.
We got on the subject of policies firms seem to feel a need to impose, restricting the use of newer technologies, technologies they often don't take the time to investigate and understand before squelching!
Internally, bad will is created by forbidding tools used frequently by under-35s (eg IMing or texting) tools that are akin to our desk-top telephones or cars for us over-35s. Further, these tools can be enormously advantageous for our effectiveness in performing our work and marketing ourselves.
I shared with her the story of a recent managing partner conference at which I was invited to speak, where I facilitated the group in awakening to the realization that they were, essentially, cutting off their noses to spite their faces.
Liz posted on her blog about an aspect of that session that I shared with her: iPods Aren't the Enemy. She did an exceptional job illustrating the ah-ha moment of the story. I couldn't be more delighted with this write-up--Liz, thank you for 1) "totally getting it" and 2) feeling impacted enough to write about it.
The managing partner conference session mentioned was, without a doubt, the most enjoyable session I've had the pleasure of leading and there will soon be a more detailed article about it in another SourceMedia publication, Practical Accountant (will share when it is published).
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time for an open mind and good questions
Hi Shane! Great to see you on AccountingWEB!
Hate to break it to you but, actually, banning radios has been a topic of discussion in more than one firm! :)
Always a fun conversation. Look for a more detailed article in June's Practical Accountant on the session with the managing partners that I referred to. It is part of a much more intense discussion on social media policies in general. Hope it makes even a tiny dent.
The great news is that social media is finally catching on in accounting. This is terrific! But with the booming use of the new tools, expect to see tremendous misunderstanding about the value (or lack thereof) in their application, and with that, a great deal of presumption about these tools being more evil than good.
Partners keeping an open mind and asking employees to help them and the rest of management understand how these "new things" can help business will go along way to smoothing the transition!
Business Development or Time Wasters
I think one of the challenges here is to communicate in an effective way to the partners and managers that these things aren't all time wasters.
Social media in all its various forms may be a more legitimate business development forum than a client golf outing.
Some of the other things are no more harmful than someone who keeps a radio on in their office or a little chat in the breakroom (have either of those come up for banning?).
These things need to be put in perspective, not banned, and people that have problems should be addressed. However, when a firm staff says this it reeks of "excuse" but when you say this it is a legitimate professional opinion that they may listen to, so I am glad you are saying this.