BY MARK H . FOWLER , CPA ( Inactive )

Over the last several years , every aspect of our businesses , careers and personal and public lives changed . All businesses are adapting , pivoting and course-correcting to create new environments and more effective ways to operate . And COVID , one of the more prominent factors , is not the only factor that led to these changes . The world changed and so did we .

Technology Steps Up Technology came to the rescue and provided more effective throughput for tax preparation , more creative ways to manage information through group education and individual responsibility . Plus , clients became more comfortable with

Zoom and other video platforms . In some cases , firms were connecting with clients they had not seen for some time — a bonus for all .

Along with connecting with clients , there came a new challenge of blending remote and in-person interactions to move forward effectively in the new ways people were working . Going from a fluid , more interactive in-person culture to trying to collaborate successfully in a remote environment had its wrinkles .

As time moved forward , a more blended culture evolved where more came back to work in the office , while others stayed remote or partially remote .

8 CALIFORNIA CPA JULY 2023 www . calcpa . org