By Maureen Renzi, vice president - communications
Sometimes you need to step away from a problem or challenge to find a resolution. Often, an innovative idea or creative solution is hatched when you take the time to step back and look at the broader picture. PICPA’s Leadership Conference, developed for active PICPA volunteers, is designed to help participants take a wider view of professional and economic issues and to help them succeed – not only in their volunteer capacity with the PICPA, but also in their workplaces. So, even if you missed the program, you can benefit from some of the great programming offered that day by viewing the videos we streamed via Facebook Live.
AICPA CEO Barry Melancon, PICPA President Steve Christian, CPA, and PICPA CEO Mike Colgan sit down during the Leadership Conference and talk about the big issues in the profession. |
The program started with an interactive session on communication styles, with an emphasis on interaction. Right out of the gate, members had to share “grateful stories” with newly met colleagues, long-time friends, and professional contacts they reconnected with. There were individual assessment tests to identify personal communication styles (direct, spirited, considerate, and systemic) and a discussion and exercises to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of each style. By the end of the session, participants were developing new strategies to help guide a direct report or to influence a boss based on a better understanding of how people with different communication styles respond to messages. If you want a quick summary of the program, check out my interview with the speaker, Erica Mahady from Illumination Consulting Partners.
There are many changes influencing the accounting profession that directly and indirectly impact CPAs across all fields. Barry Melancon, AICPA’s CEO, provided insight into what is happening in the United States and globally, and how CPAs can prepare for the future. Mike Colgan, PICPA’s CEO, invited Melancon and Steve Christian, CPA, PICPA president, to sit down during the conference and talk about some of the big issues in the profession. This discussion ran on Facebook Live.
A Leadership Conference isn’t complete without recognizing PICPA’s young leaders. You can read about their accomplishments and get some personal insight on PICPA’s website, but if you want to know what really influenced their development check out this fun video on what their favorite cartoon or TV show was growing up.
Culture is an important element of employee retention, and we all appreciate the cost of losing valued employees. After lunch there was a panel discussion on how to earn a “best places to work” designation, and the value of this effort. There was quite a bit of discussion on staff and client support of a positive and productive workplace. You can view the entire panel discussion on PICPA’s Facebook page.
Who says a discussion of the economy can’t be fun? Anirban Basu of Sage Policy Group is one of those rare economists who is both informative and entertaining. His session, “Rockin the Economic Data,” was a hit with the participants who were pleasantly surprised by his engaging and enlightening presentation. If you are a Rolling Stones fan, this session should be particularly interesting. To find out what was covered, you can view his video here.
The final session of the day was on teamwork. Don Yaeger, a sports journalist and motivational speaker, provided an inside view of how professional athletes build, or damage, team performance. He explained how some of the same basic principles apply to business. It was a perfect way to end a day for PICPA leaders who donate their time to make their association and their profession stronger.
While the videos in mentioned in this blog highlight some of the day’s events, this is a program where the personal interactions are truly invaluable. If you are an active PICPA volunteer, don’t miss this important member benefit next year. If you didn’t get an invitation, consider joining a committee so that you can attend this program for free, earn some CPE, and get inspired by a program designed to widen your perspective and inspire you to lead your organization and advance your career. You can find out more about PICPA volunteer opportunities in the Get Involved section of PICPA’s website.
Hope to see you next year!
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