Guidance for a Better Year

LOOKING FORWARD WITH LEADERSHIP

As many of us see an opportunity to rise like a phoenix from the ashes of 2020, it is equally important to provide a guiding light to others. In a time when leadership and guidance is needed most, the Leadership Academy alumni came together to inspire as we reimagine and reinvent ourselves in a new era.

Eric Greene, CPA, CMA, CIA, CFE Director, Financial Reporting ZAGG Brands

I was recently reminded of a story about a man who promised his kids they could go to the circus. But the father, being a busy businessman, received an urgent business call the same day as the circus that needed his attention downtown. The children braced for disappointment. But the father said, “No, I won’t be down. It’ll have to wait.” The mother smiled and noted, “The circus keeps coming back, you know,” and the father responded, “I know, but childhood doesn’t.”

As a busy father of three, this story hits home. It is so easy to be caught up in the busy-ness of work, family, house, and life. I feel like most days I am treading to keep my head above water, with the many demands thrown from several directions. But I remind myself the words of Thomas S. Monson: "The tiny fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will disappear all too soon and that you will — to your surprise — miss them profoundly.”

Stress and responsibility, especially in our profession, is ever present. But we shouldn’t let them get in the way of what is most important in our lives.

The advice I give myself is to act, to be more present, and to enjoy every day with my family, remembering to focus on the journey, not just the destination.

Kandice Lambert, CPA Corporate Controller Lucid

Have you ever heard that feedback is a gift? Have you ever received feedback that felt like the exact opposite of a gift? Well, you’re not alone. While feedback can be incredibly beneficial, it’s worthless if not met with an open mind, humility and action. This year, I became especially aware of how essential feedback was to the success of my team. With the sudden switch to remote work, we found ourselves on countless Zoom calls and feeling uncomfortably isolated.

Thanks to all in-person interactions disappearing overnight, I quickly realized all our Zoom calls were like looking into a mirror (literally), and I found many of us struggled to communicate freely. I often provided feedback to my team, but was I giving them the same opportunity? Was I taking a vested interest in what mattered to them? Was I asking them what they wanted me to stop, start and continue doing? The answer was, “not really,” so I made an adjustment. I started asking more about their lives, soliciting feedback, and thanking anyone who gave it to me. Little by little, I saw a door open by which people shared more and more with me. One employee fully embraced the opportunity, giving me feedback that hurt in the moment, but instantly opened my eyes to why I often felt like I was hitting a wall when trying to relate to my team. I thanked her, apologized, and made the adjustment. Appreciation for feedback has spread throughout my team, and now my direct reports employ this openness to feedback with their sub-teams.

We work better together and are happier and more committed, even as the team grows and we are still fully remote. I have seen it in action long enough that I can honestly say, feedback is a gift.

Dave Peaden, CPA Audit Senior Manager Eide Bailly LLP

My wife and I were at a store in November and saw New Year’s party decorations already out and available for sale. We’ve never seen New Year’s decorations at the store so early! It is quite clear that everyone is ready for the end of 2020, and what may be the largest (socially distanced) New Year’s party ever. However, many of us are realizing that turning the clock to 2021 won’t just make life turn back to normal. 2021 is sure to bring many of the same challenges as 2020 and it will likely bring a few new ones as well.

Here are three pieces of advice to anyone who wants to make 2021 a better year.

Try something new in 2021: Find a new hobby, activity, game or book genre in 2021. If that sounds too ambitious, try a new recipe or restaurant.

Don’t wait to get back to “normal.” Focus on the things that you enjoy and are grateful for instead of the things that are hard. Don’t worry about the trip you don’t get to take or the events you might miss out on. Instead, focus on the things you enjoy and can do. Spend more time doing those in 2021.

Spend 30 minutes each month (just six hours a year) thinking about your career and what career goals you have. It is easy to be so busy with the next task that we don’t take the time to plan where we want to take our own career and what skills we want to improve or develop.

Stephen Millet Controller ARUP Laboratories

The pandemic has pushed our community, country and world to live differently. In the course of changing our lives, we were forced to make changes we didn’t want to, weren’t convenient or that we hadn’t even considered would work. Ultimately, lessons learned from these changes can give us an opportunity to face our future with confidence.

I believe there is always positives that can be found, even during the uncertainties we’ve faced. It is important to add, an effort to find the positive is not meant to diminish the hardships and difficult career changes that some did not want to make in the midst of the pandemic. Other unwanted changes, like limited contact with friends and family, we are eagerly anticipating to end.

Retail and food service companies had to find a way to fulfill an order while not allowing people into their store. This was, no doubt, an inconvenience. But now many locations have curbside pickup and more sales derived from online. The increased accessibility will likely benefit them into the future.

Working from home wasn’t even a possibility for some companies, but because of the pandemic, there are some companies who will likely never return to the office, even after the pandemic has ended. This can offer workers more flexibility in their schedules and encourages more efficient utilization of modern technology.

In 2021, let us not require a pandemic to force us to innovate or think outside the box. It is hard to ignore the positive benefits we have gained in challenging conventional ways of doing business. We would do well to more readily consider alternative perspectives to the challenges we face in the future. May we continue to have creative ideas that we are more proactive to discover in the future.

Amy Anholt, CPA CFO DentalSelect As we reflect on 2020, we each have a unique story to share. For many, our story will include the notes of heartbreak from a loss or losses, a difficult challenge or challenges, and/or postponing or transforming certain events due to the pandemic. From a professional perspective, the impact has been felt across the board. Thankfully, for most office professionals, we have found ways via technology to continue operating within our organizations.

Office professionals were forced to engage a remote workplace. We are well aware of the pros and cons of a remote workplace. As a leader, it has been more difficult to promote and engage in collaborative and strategic discussions with others. These discussions are often invaluable. Beyond that, I miss being together with other professionals, co-workers and leaders in-person. There are certain experiences that cannot be replaced with a virtual connection. However, there are some professionals that have found the ability to continue these types of collaborative discussions and strategy sessions virtually — and I say to you, kudos! They certainly can happen, but it is much more difficult to do so virtually.

As I look ahead, my attitude will be geared to expect the unexpected! We continue to hear things getting back to “normal.” I am sure that when things return to “normal,” there will continue to be an aspect of this pandemic that will remain. For me, I look forward to a continued workfrom-home opportunity which will be offered to our employees as a result of the pandemic. Additionally, if I’m being honest, I’m most excited about the aspect of seeing Imagine Dragons in concert again!