We are part of a global community. Our resources encourage collaboration, our successes celebrate improvement, and our failures inspire innovation, but none would be possible without the connections we form as a community.
One of the opportunities for members to develop these connections is at the annual MSNA Fall Conference. This year’s conference was held in New Orleans and brought together over 100 participants from ten countries. Following the theme, “Transformation for Relevance,” attendees were encouraged to discuss the disruption our profession faces and challenge each other to respond with urgency.
Our keynote speaker, Ron Baker, offered insights from other industries on the dangers of complacency and ignorance. Both could lead competitors from outside the profession to take our coveted “trusted advisor” status with the clients we value and enjoy serving. Our future is limited by how we see ourselves today, or rather how we have seen ourselves historically, and the best way to advance is acceptance.
We need to accept the disruption and break free from the bonds of who we have been to get to who we can become.
This is where our global community comes into play. Breakout sessions separated attendees -- by service line and level -- to share and identify what they can (or should) be doing now to prepare for the disruptions we face. While each group brought a unique view to the matter at hand, the consensus opinion is that our opportunities are great if we make the tough decisions, commit to being different and changing our trajectory.
The Moore Stephens Fall Conference is just one example of the opportunities to engage, establish, and expand connections across our global community. Over the past few months, North America has been represented in conferences both near – United States, Canada, and Mexico – and as far as Costa Rica, South Korea, China, and Australia. This international representation has provided many members with new and flourishing connections, leading to several opportunities to better serve current and future clients.
These opportunities to connect and grow should be a priority within firms. As year-end approaches, client and talent demands will take precedence, but don’t let them halt the momentum of the Fall Conference. If you attended, share your insights and learnings with your team. Ask others to commit to accepting disruption and challenge complacency. Encourage others to change one thing about your firm, your practice, or even yourself to break free of where you’ve been to get to where you’re going. If you did not attend, find someone who did and ask them about their experience. Keep connecting with our community.
Thank you for your continued support of the MSNA and MSIL communities. We hope your year-end season is productive, and we look forward to seeing you in Chicago at the May 2018 conference!
