PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE STACY WEIGHT, CPA
I
have had time to reflect over the past year, and I am humbled and honored that I had the incredible opportunity to serve as the president of the UACPA. And what a year it has been! It has been a year filled with many changes, continued uncertainty and fear about the future. A year filled with disappointment that we never got “back to normal;” and the pandemic rages on. But it has also been a year of growth and the opportunity to refocus my priorities. It has been a year that challenged the status quo of what “work” looks like. I have enjoyed getting to know many of the members as I visited the chapter meetings this year. It has been reassuring to me to see how similar we are — and how our challenges over this past year are, in many ways, the same. One of the most urgent issues facing many of you today is the struggle with an ever-shrinking talent pool. Like many of you, I too, have struggled this year to keep and retain incredible employees. It has caused me to reevaluate my expectations and how I work with those around me. I wonder what the future workforce will look like? How can I impact change? How can I create long-term sustainability in my organization? What part can I play in helping others see what an incredible career it is to be an accountant?
In an environment where we know the incoming workforce is shrinking, we all need to more carefully understand the reasons why our current staff are leaving. As we are right in the middle of the Great Resignation, it is important to do everything we can to help our staff feel valued. If they are anything like mine, they have been tasked with an increased workload that has grown exponentially over the past two years. It is important to watch for signs that your staff is burning out before they get to a breaking point. Consider alternative work arrangements that may meet productivity goals, but look different than the traditional work week. It will take a different mindset and seismic changes in the way we “work,” as the current state of work is not sustainable longterm. I hope, within this issue of The Journal Entry, you will find some helpful ideas to build and sustain your staff and find ways to help increase the accounintg pipeline. Please use this as a tool to create the ideal environment for you to grow and build your team! As we look forward to whatever 2022 will bring, there continues to be a sense of uncertainty. The world around us is rapidly changing and will continue to change for the foreseeable future. The way we work and interact will continue to evolve. The way we build and maintain relationships will look differently than it ever has before. Abraham Lincoln once said, “the most reliable way to predict the future is to create it.” I hope that as we embark on this new year, you will take the opportunity to create YOUR future. n
THE JOURNAL ENTRY |
WINTER 2022
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