David M. Katz, CFO.com | US
November 6, 2007

Living the Difference

As part of the "new crop" of accounting professionals I experience this generational gap on an almost daily basis. Although I started my career much younger then some of my colleagues I still fall prey to the stereotype of "You're young and don't know what you're talking about." How about an article on how the older generation of CFOs are more resistant to change, something that is necessary to survive in today's business world?? Or an article on how the older generation of CFOs can learn something from the new generation? Yes, we do understand that you have had much more experience with accounting and finance then we have and with that experience comes knowledge but let us show you how to use this technology or this method as a short cut.
I think the biggest gap comes in the fact that the new breed of accountants have grown up with technology. I can remember my computer class in kindergarten and now my pre-school aged son is affluent with his WebKinz website. Growing up in our world of everyday change has taught us that nothing is the same for very long. Look how fast computers and technology have changed in the past ten years! We have learned to evolve with this change. I can tell you how to use the technology of five years ago just as well as I can show you how to manuever around an iPhone. We learn to learn things quickly because it'll probably change in another month or two but we need it while it's here. The older generation of executives with their rigid, tight tie outlook on American business has become ghastly afraid of the technology that is being incorporated into this field. We have so much at our fingertips to make our lives so much easier!! Our global world has been blurred with the help of the internet. I can ask someone an ocean away now how they do things in their company and while the rules may be different the concepts are the same.
So yes, we may be looking for an occasional pat on the back, we grew up learning the benefits of teamworke and appreciation. We are not yet sure about what we are doing and we are looking to you and your experience to teach us these things, but give us a chance, we know more then you may think or give us credit for. Can you imagine that your predecessors probably viewed you the same way?

Posted by Ann Losito | Nov 7, 2007 10:02 AM ET