Cpa Ontario Future Forward

For small- to medium-sized firms, auditing is still a very manual, time-consuming process. But, with today’s technology, and with transformation happening in almost every industry, the financial audit is ripe for disruption. With the rise of blockchain, artificial intelligence, automation, and the proliferation of data, it’s just a matter of time. Most large audit firms already have advanced technologies and systems that help streamline the audit process. But, what about small- to medium-sized firms? Current solutions only digitize some parts of the process. Many firms are looking for ways to provide value to their clients beyond the audit. Join Pete Myers and Liz West as they discuss the current state of the audit industry, how technology can empower these firms and lift up the entire profession, as well as the new growth opportunities being opened up by new technologies.

As many writers would attest, the hardest part of writing a book isn’t getting published, it’s the actual writing. For some, writing happens in fits and starts over months and years. For others, it can be a quicker, more streamlined process. Join Helen Wilkie and Liz West as they discuss how to get started and how to stay motivated on your book writing journey. 

Many people refrain from writing their books because they are intimidated by the idea of publishing their thoughts. On this episode of Future Forward, Helen Wilkie and Liz West compare and contrast various publishing options, including self-publishing.

Business people write all the time — correspondences, reports, blog posts, articles — and maybe books. The quality of our writing says a great deal about us as professionals, and we are behooved to write as well as possible. When it comes to books, editing is essential. Helen Wilkie and Liz West discuss how and why professional writers use editors to make their books the best they can be.

Can keynote talks be converted to books easily? Is writing easy for certain types of personalities? Do you need to be a good writer before you can write professionally and get published? Join Helen Wilkie and Liz West as they address some of the most prominent myths about writing.

The idea of writing a book can be intimidating, and yes, it is a big undertaking. In this podcast, Helen Wilkie and Liz West discuss a seven-step process that makes book-writing more achievable. These steps will guide you through to the point where you have a first draft, after which, the book will need to be edited.

Although it is said that 80% of Americans have a book inside of them, and that’s probably true of Canada too, only a small percentage follow through and actually write their book. Some don’t think they have an interesting topic to write about; some don’t see the business value; some think they could never find the time. Join Liz West and Helen Wilkie as they discuss the benefits of publishing a book and how to overcome some of the biggest self-imposed hurdles.

The workforce is becoming an increasingly competitive space. As companies move to more fluid employment models, careers are becoming more precarious. It’s no longer good enough to just be good enough. Like companies, we need to stay competitive at the personal career level. Join digital entrepreneur and innovator Martin Byrne and host Liz West as they discuss practical tips for becoming skilled at staying skilled.

Small business is big business in Canada. There is less and less association between the number of employees in a company and its revenue potential. The driver is talent, including how companies, find it, enable it and accelerate it. Large enterprise organizations can afford dedicated HR staff, expensive platforms and premium custom training content and programs. Smaller businesses, however, have just as much need to enable and accelerate the abilities of the talent they work so hard to find and recruit. Join digital entrepreneur and innovator Martin Byrne and host Liz West as they explore what small businesses can do with limited budgets and resources.

Changing business models are impacting jobs and skills. The enormous economic, technological and social shifts we are seeing demand that workplaces evolve to meet new challenges and opportunities. Even companies who offer their employees learning opportunities and individual development plans, must heighten their efforts to implement cultures where the value of learning is not only highly regarded, but seen as a strategic business tool. Join learning and development visionary Shveta Malhan and host Liz West as they discuss how a learning and development (L&D) team can help their organization gain a competitive advantage, increase productivity, improve communication and cooperation across the organization, and unlock the potential of its employees.

Economic, technological and business models are changing globally due to rapid advancements in technology. Some are calling this a Digital Age. Due to this transition, organizations, the nature of work, and the skills required for thriving at work are also evolving at a rapid pace. It is important for professionals to understand that the shift that is happening is not going to stop anytime soon. Join learning and development visionary Shveta Malhan and host Liz West as they discuss practical steps you can take to stay in control of your learning journey.

Are you posting on LinkedIn and Twitter and expecting your clients to stay in the know about the latest developments in your business? The only person excited about those posts may be you. Seasoned digital marketer, technologist and thought leader Anuj Rastogi explains that in today’s digitally connected world, creating exemplary client experiences is essential to an organization’s long-term success. Listening to your clients and communicating with them via their preferred modes helps organizations build rapport and forge stronger client relationships. Join Anuj Rastogi and Liz West as they explore strategies and tools sole proprietors and SMB accountants can leverage to build smarter relationships with clients in a constantly evolving, competitive market.

Millennials are entering the workforce at a time of fast-paced change and often, feel unprepared. Meanwhile, Baby Boomers and Generation Xers are trying to figure out how to stay ahead of the curve and relevant in a world that’s moving faster than they’ve ever seen. Join Yenza3 founder and managing partner Anuj Rastogi and host Liz West as they discuss how millennials can get a career leg up and how older professionals can stay relevant.

Organizational change is often met with tension and resistance. The merger of disparate entities, automation of manual processes and new technological infrastructure are just a few examples of changes that may lead to disengagement, or in some cases, heighten employee turnover. In many cases, however, the added turmoil is not caused by the change itself, but rather, by failure on the part of leadership to motivate and properly onboard employees to new processes. Join Brett Knowles and Liz West as they discuss the core tenants of change and what leaders can do to help their employees embrace and quickly adapt to change.

Research (and experience) tells us that over 80% of strategies fail. This high failure rate is not necessarily due to judgement errors or miscalculations – the culprit may be improper execution. Is what your employees are doing on a day-to-day basis well-aligned with your company’s broader strategy? Join Brett Knowles and Liz West as they discuss how to take initiatives from high-level strategy to action.

You’ve spent weeks honing a strategy, documenting that strategy in a comprehensive map or business plan and creating a balanced scorecard. You’ve even devised a solid communications plan for disseminating your thoughts and expectations across your organization, but there is little enthusiasm and even less uptake. Leaders who assume that employees will automatically be as invested in a new initiative may be setting themselves up for disappointment. Join Brett Knowles and Liz West as they discuss how to deliberately involve groups of stakeholder and entire organizations in contributing to strategy each and every day.

It has long been observed that Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials and Xennials have different priorities, attitudes, communication styles and approaches to work. These differences are influencing organizational culture and impacting performance. Businesses can leverage unifying commonalities across generations to engage employees and achieve new efficiencies. Join Brett Knowles and Liz West as they discuss employee outlooks, expectations and motivations across generations.

According to a recent Forbes article, it’s almost 10 times harder to get a job at Google than it is to be accepted into Harvard, yet Google receives more than two million applications each year. Why does everyone want to work at giants like Google and Amazon and what are these companies doing to ensure top talent stays? Join Brett Knowles and Liz West as they discuss effective strategies for engaging employees.

Today’s businesses need to be able to respond to change in a quick, agile manner. Having a culture that is resistant to change is no longer an option for businesses across industries. According to Future Forward guest, Brett Knowles, the best way to solve the problem of complacency is to dissolve it. Join Brett and Liz as they explore how to transform an organization’s corporate culture from one that struggles to maintain the status quo to one that craves change and takes advantage of opportunities. 

Harassment in the workplace, whether of a sexual nature or otherwise, has been in the headlines recently. A company’s response to complaints of harassment may be scrutinized by victims, their counsel and in some cases, the media. Join Liz West and Chris Mathers as they explore what constitutes harassment and how to best address specific instances.