■ Workspaces Reimagined
Continued From Page 46 advisor , is usually in the area of business consulting . The good news is that advisory services , which rely intensely on personal conversations and interactions , can be conducted over the phone , via Zoom or Teams , or even over a socially distant , outside patio lunch meeting between CPAs and their clients .
For the profession as a whole , this means that long-standing relationships with clients and other colleagues continue to be enthusiastically fostered through proactive outreach , pre-emptive conversations , and the sharing of critical resources and information . Now , more than ever , leaders in the business community are looking to their professional services providers for cashflow projections , “ what if ” scenarios and financial forecasts to assist them in making smart decisions . In addition , most of the companies needed some help interpreting all the options and learning how to take full advantage of the available opportunities that were pouring out of Washington , D . C ., early on in the crisis .
Q . Are the new normal and lessons learned good or bad for women looking to get ahead ? A . Perhaps a major economic shake-up of this kind may result in greater opportunities for more diversity in the workplace , including looking for greater generational and cultural diversity as well as gender . One advantage for women going forward may be based on the fact
that over the years , many research studies have shown that women have earned a well-deserved reputation for working well on teams and for embracing a leadership style that encourages camaraderie and collaboration .
Today these traits may provide a competitive edge for women as they are more likely to help their employees stay connected to each other while also remaining committed to the company .
Women are often applauded for being good mentors and coaches and empathetic listeners . These are valuable characteristics that are essential for those who are charged with reinforcing the culture in spite of the physical separation we are all enduring . All in all , women may be better equipped to address some of the challenges that we are all facing .
Q . Will work-from-home help women more than men ? Who are the winners in this new setup ? A . I am not sure if there are any winners in the COVID‐19 world , but it is possible that a more flexible , work-from-home schedule has benefited women who up until now have had to juggle both professional and personal responsibilities .
Scheduling dentist appointments , helping with school projects or performing household tasks are a mere handful of the many tasks that have traditionally fallen onto women ’ s shoulders more than onto those of their male partners . According to statistics shared by Pew
COVID‐19 changed in-person business meetings , with some allowance for people who could not attend , to meetings held completely online . Will in-person meetings ever return , or has technology eliminated the necessity for group gatherings ?
Continued On Page 50
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