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Writer's pictureHeather Robinson

Insights and Epiphanies from the 1st Annual Boomer Circle Summit

Our Boomer Circle members have returned to their firms after our first annual Boomer Circle Summit, which brought together members from all our Circle communities to foster collaboration, drive innovation, and cultivate meaningful connections in the accounting profession.


We enjoyed following the #BoomerCircleSummit hashtag on LinkedIn and Instagram and the conversations in the Cvent app to see the moments that resonated with our members, sponsors and team members. Here are a few of our favorites.


“Having a great time learning and networking at the Boomer Circle Summit!... Note the paper airplanes on the floor.”

Cathy Reed, Business Applications Manager at Blue & Co., LLC, attended a Managing the Innovation Process session facilitated by Marc Staut and Chris Rochford of Boomer Consulting, Inc.


During the session, Marc and Chris discussed why innovation isn’t just a buzzword in accounting firms—it’s a strategic imperative as firms need to constantly evolve, adapt and embrace innovation to stay competitive.


An exercise involving making and testing paper airplanes demonstrated just how messy innovation can be without a process for managing it.



 

“We have a lot of work to do in getting the most out of the communication tools we already use.”

Monday’s keynote speaker was Nick Sonnenberg, CEO and Founder at Leverage and best-selling author of the book, Come Up for Air, How Teams Can Leverage Systems and Tools to Stop Drowning in Work. Nick shared that one of the biggest wastes of time and money in an organization is how they use email.


According to Nick’s research, companies spend 15 hours per week per person (30% of a 50-hour workweek) on email. Email is a valuable tool, but it’s not the right tool for every type of communication. While everyone uses email, nobody has ever actually been trained on how to use it.


Nick recommends defining which communication tools we use for which purpose:

  • Texts are for personal communication

  • Email is for external communication (outside of the firm)

  • Instant messaging (Slack, Teams, Google Chat) is for internal communication


Nick’s message resonated with several attendees, including Peter Wesch, Principal at Smith Marion & Co., Ron Perry, Managing Partner at Mohle Adams LLP, and Jess Camp, Chief People Officer at AdamsBrown, LLC.



“Find your pit crew to help you meet your goals!!”

One of our favorite sayings at Boomer Consulting is, “Ask who, not how.” In other words, when faced with a goal or a problem, start by asking who has the expertise to help.

Tuesday’s keynote speaker was Diana Kander, an innovation consultant and New York Times bestselling author.


Diana shared the story of a children’s hospital that performed thousands of successful surgeries every year but still had children dying between the operating room and the ICU. After trying over and over again to solve the problem, the hospital brought in the pit crew from a Formula 1 team to watch them do the hand-off. The pit crew, who knew nothing about performing surgery on children, knew a lot about transitions, and they helped the hospital change its process, reducing errors in the hand-off by 66%, saving many lives.

Sometimes, having a different perspective in the room can help you identify problems and opportunities you can’t see. That’s why Diana recommends “Never goal alone.”



Diana’s message was a favorite takeaway for Korby Boswell, Marketing & Growth Manager at AdamsBrown LLC, and Melissa Fernandez, Recruiting and Retention Specialist at MSTiller.


These are just a few great moments resonating with our members. If you’d like to learn more about the Boomer Circle Communities, contact our Solutions Team!

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