How Volunteering Can Shape Your Career
Michael R. Wood is a Business Process Improvement & IT Strategist Independent Consultant. He is creator of the business process-improvement methodology called HELIX and founder of The Natural Intelligence Group, a strategy, process improvement and technology consulting company. He is also a CPA, has served as an Adjunct Professor in Pepperdine's Management MBA program, an Associate Professor at California Lutheran University, and on the boards of numerous professional organizations. Mr. Wood is a sought after presenter of HELIX workshops and seminars in both the U.S. and Europe.
During the holiday season, I often take time to reflect on aspects of my life where I made a difference in the lives of others and the welfare of organizations. This year, my focus is on my volunteer efforts and the impact those efforts made throughout my professional life. A number of memories stood out, and here I focus on three efforts in particular.
1. Developing Client Management & Client Accounting Systems for CPA Firms
This volunteer experience started in the mid-1970s and lasted through the end of the decade. It’s a story about how I helped an up-and-coming software company seeking to develop and market software that helped CPA firms better perform their client management system (CMS) and client accounting system (CAS) functions.
The journey was not just about implementing technology; it was about understanding CPA firm business models, the people, the workflows, and how the products could enhance their practices.
At the time, I was a manager at a CPA firm in charge of the client accounting area of the practice. Back then, client accounting records were maintained by hand or via a bookkeeping machine. Monthly financial statements were produced via a typewriter. The process was labor intensive.
I also managed our local governmental services practice, which was automated. I wanted to introduce similar automation to the client accounting department, …
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