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‘Now is a really important time in the evolution of our profession’

CPA Amy Vetter, a keynote speaker at the National Technology Forum 2021, discusses how technology benefits accounting and why we need to create a positive work environment during COVID and beyond

Portrait of Amy VetterCPA Amy Vetter, CEO of The B3 Method Institute, is a keynote speaker at CPA Canada’s National Technology Forum 2021 (Image courtesy of Amy Vetter)

Businesses are reimagining the workplace during the pandemic, pivoting from their original plans. The collaboration of people, culture and technology is integral to business and organizational success. With remote work now an established way of life, the approach to leading effectively via change management must also adapt. 

“For many during COVID, there’s been a rush for change management out of pure survival,” says CPA Amy Vetter, CEO of The B3 Method Institute, which focuses on new technologies that are revolutionizing accounting and finance. “Right now is a really important time in the evolution of our profession to pause and assess what’s worked, what hasn’t worked and what do we need to do different going forward—what’s our vision?”

Vetter, who has spent her career analyzing technology and people through a mindfulness lens, sees this combination as a crucial element to success. The best way to achieve change management is to look at yourself and your business honestly, she says. This notion of being in tune with employee and business needs will be Vetter’s main focus in her keynote speech at CPA Canada’s National Technology Forum in January 2021. 

“It’s about becoming more aware about how we’re feeling in our workday or ourselves,” says Vetter. “How do we bring these leadership qualities into the workplace so people feel nurtured; that you personally care about their success; and come out on the other side with a culture that you’re proud of, maybe different than what it is today.”

According to the World Economic Forum, automation and the integration of human and artificial intelligence (AI) work will affect 85 million jobs globally within five years. That’s why including AI automation in accounting is a positive step, says Vetter. If accountants are able to use AI to analyze entire data sets within minutes, for example, it will free up their time to be more proactive in terms of managing and evaluating business

“You’re telling a story of why that’s occurring instead of just reporting out numbers … and you’re providing value that has been unmatched by any other accountant they’ve worked with before,” she says.

This changing landscape of the profession, with an emphasis on digitization and value creation, also impacts how businesses run. Analyzing company programs and culture within silos is no longer effective. Vetter sees a holistic organizational approach as necessary to understanding how change affects the success and culture of a workplace

It’s important to have a higher-level vision of what you want your company to look like in the current work environment, she says. “You don’t want to keep pushing against something that’s not working, you want to learn from it and find something better that would create the experience you want.”

Being agile and adapting to both the individual needs of employees and the organization collectively are what helps companies succeed. While historically change management comes from a top-down approach, Vetter insists on another way.

“It’s really nurturing your workforce on an individual basis, not a one-to-many-basis,” she says. “When people feel heard and seen, then you have a better chance of being successful through change management and keeping a really good culture.” 

With the blurring line between our work and home lives, maintaining boundaries is critical to being successful in both your career and personal life. For Vetter, who practices yoga and incorporates yogic teachings into her work life, mindfulness is at the heart of every interaction with technology. 

“We’re not living in a time where you put technology in place and then you walk away,” she says. “We have to be actively working on our processes and being very agile with the technology we put in place. And, as soon as we catch things that can make it better from a human standpoint, from an efficiency standpoint, then we keep making it better … And that’s really where the two come together is to make sure people are cared for, that the culture is taken care of, that long-term relationships are being cared for and that’s really the gift of technology.” 

EXPLORE NEW TECHNOLOGIES

Sign up for the National Technology Forum 2021 to hear more insights from Amy Vetter, explore new technologies that are revolutionizing the accounting profession and connect virtually with your peers and industry experts.

Plus, to stay up to date on the learnings emerging from CPA Canada’s strategic initiative to reshape the accounting profession, check out Foresight: Reimagining the Profession.