This week’s curator, Lee Bryant, looks at the future of the firm in professional services, shares some updates on Shift*Base activity and picks 5 recommended links from things we have read this week.
The Future of the Professions
One sector that faces great change over the coming years is that of professional services such as law, accounting and consulting. We have been working with this sector to adopt social collaboration and knowledge sharing tools for over a decade, and somewhat paradoxically I have come to see their slow adoption of new ways of working as evidence that a tipping point is coming that will see the sector transformed faster that it currently anticipates.
We are working on some very interesting projects in this area that are looking at how external market dynamics are creating a need for organisational change, and how new technology can support different new structures and business models from basic ideas like the firm as a platform, through more fluid, agile structures towards bigger changes like the role of data science and AI. There is so much potential in this sector for imaginative players to change the game and create new hybrid professional services offerings that it is worth being patient for a while yet.
> See The Future of the Firm in Professional Services
Shift*Base Updates
The Shift*Base guides to techniques and methods for new ways of working continues to develop, and we are open to suggestions for new ideas or theories we should cover.
Meanwhile, we started working with the Institute for Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) on a fascinating research project looking at the future of accounting firms. The project is developing a multi-dimensional model of the elements that make up a firm so that we can consult with members of the profession and related academics to understand how they think each will change, and show how various different views of the future firm might play out.
Shift*Groups Update
Our (free) invitation-only community for change agents and internal practitioners of social business, collaboration and digital transformation remains open for new members, whilst we conduct a review of the site and look at how to improve its user experience and utility and consult on how we can better support the community.
Weekly Linklog
- Social Media Today and IBM present a conversation with Lee Bryant on #NewWayToWork: #NewWayToWork Featuring Lee Bryant – YouTube
- Transitioning existing large orgs is harder than building new startups… How to Transform a Traditional Giant into a Digital One
- … but this is one way to help both: Big Companies Should Collaborate with Startups
- It is not the corporation that is in the center, but the intentions and choices of individuals: Esko Kilpi on the Architecture of Work — Work Futures Institute — Medium
- Unlock Your Organization’s Potential to Change the World: The Future of Organizations is Responsive — 21st Century Organizational Development — Medium
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