The building of diverse teams/workforce is key for the future success of any business

‘There’s inherent value in a diversified workforce. Diversity gives you access to a greater range of talent and broader world-views that would otherwise be completely missed. This provides insight into the needs and motivations of your whole client base, not just a particular segment of it.’ Julie (Jules) Carman from the Sage The Practice of Now 2020 Report

There are no shortage of research that suggests #diversity of thought and opinion, or being around people who are from different cultures/backgrounds, empowers teams to be more creative, diligent and hard-working. The building of diverse teams/workforce is key for the future success of any business (particular for #accountingandaccountants and other professional service sectors) and this can only be achieved by having a clearly defined and lived to common purpose and hiring people who will thrive under the core values of the business.

Meetings for meetings sake – think before you schedule one!

Martin Luenendonk article published in Forbes last year stated that 37% of meetings are considered to be adding no value to the organization and that the average middle level manager spends around 35% of their time in meetings.

According to a study by Bain & Company organizations spend about 15% of their time in meetings.

Research by Infographic showed that 91% of employees have daydreamed during a meeting, 39% have reported sleeping during a meeting, 45% have felt overwhelmed by the number of meetings they had to attend, 73% have done other work during a meeting, and 47% of employees have complained that meetings are the number one time waster at the workplace.

The above were prior to Covid-19 and the associated changes in working practices and the en masse move to Zoom, MS Teams and other platforms.

Prompted by a Bob Harper post https://lnkd.in/dsCS_zU I do ask myself what these statistics would be today.

Clearly video conference resources have supported the continued connection and collaboration of teams. However, without a strategic approach to the new way of remote/flexible working and the continued use of these online communication tools, there is every chance that even more valuable time is being wasted in having meetings for meetings sake. #workingfromhome#strategy#yourjourneyahead

These are challenging times for business but they also offer a real opportunity for true leaders to shine.

Rachel Cutler theGrogroup Ltd. recently wrote: ‘We are not returning to what we know; we are departing from what we knew. If the message is conveyed without ambiguity, with honesty and with a sense that it will be a shared experience, they have a better chance to take everyone with them into this brave new world of work’.

All business leaders need to banish any talk of ‘Norm’ and look to take ownership of their respective new way. Don’t always look to rely on/blame others (i.e. governments) – this should just be seen as a source of guidance and validation that you’re on the right track! The last 6 or so months have radically impacted the way we live and work. Reality is that we are really only in the early stages of Covid-19. Recent news in the UK is that Government/scientists are predicting 3 times more than the current 45,000 Covid related deaths in the coming months. More lock-downs will come so businesses need to develop an agile workforce and working practices and look to new ways and opportunities for their market offering(s).

There is no denying that these are challenging times for business but they also offer a real opportunity for true leaders to shine and bring real value, purpose and support to those around them. #management#innovation#yourjourneyahead

The office as we know it is dead but not gone for ever

McKinsey research shows that 80% of people said they enjoyed working from home with 41% percent say they were more productive and a further 28% said that they were as productive.

Solutions such as Microsoft Teams, Slack and Zoom have been widely adopted by businesses after being forced into making workplace change in recent months. While technology has been instrumental in keeping businesses operational, it can only go so far. Key limitations include the loss of that chance conversation/overhearing of a call/discussion or that ‘I didn’t know we did that’ moment.

Businesses must use this moment to break from the inertia of te past by dispensing with suboptimal old habits and systems. A well-planned return to offices can use this moment to reinvent their role and create a better experience for talent, improve collaboration and productivity, and reduce costs.

The need of office space is not a thing of the past but it does need to be different. Workspaces need to provide an agile/change ready environment to be relevant to the changing needs of the new way of work