Perspective
Planning to Succeed
Regardless of the field of endeavour — politics, sports, business, or humanitarianism — a clearly formulated set of strategic goals is what separates overachievers from underachievers. A strategic vision ignites an organization. It points the way through challenges to opportunities. It makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts.
CGA-Canada recently launched its new strategic plan, Leveraging our Success and Opening the Door to Opportunity. I am confident it will serve as a blueprint for continued growth over the coming years.
As Canada's fastest growing accounting designation, we must continually revisit and refine our plans if we are to maintain a leading role. Are our goals still relevant? Are we on track to achieving them? Are there new developments within our organization, the profession, and the wider community that we must respond to? These are the guideposts of our strategic planning process and our outlook has never been brighter.
The new strategic plan is visionary yet practical, comprehensive yet focused, and driven by three key themes:
- We must deliver high value to our members.
- We must play a leading role in our profession.
- We must protect the public trust.
In a continuously evolving environment, CGA-Canada, as a federation of national and provincial bodies, will have no shortage of challenges — and opportunities — as we move forward. The accounting community faces increasing regulatory pressure, a push towards standards harmonization and greater oversight, all of which have grown out of a demand for the restoration of accountability in the face of high-profile corporate and government scandals.
The competitive dynamics within our profession are also evolving. All designations are reconsidering their positioning strategies as the demand for financial professionals grows in terms of absolute numbers, as well as expertise and skills. The scope and rigorousness of our educational and certification models must reflect the changing role for accountants in Canada.
Add to the mix changing demographics, a more sophisticated client base, and the ceaseless demands of globalization and technology, and setting the right strategic framework becomes imperative.
We welcome these challenges. By focusing on six strategic goals we can be sure to succeed:
- Ensure full professional equity for CGAs
- Be the fastest growing accounting designation
- Be a value provider to the profession and the public
- Protect and enhance our leadership position in the delivery of education, certification, and continuing professional development
- Increase our visibility and achieve high brand recognition and value
- Ensure the health of the association
This is an exciting time for our profession. A time of upheaval, abundant with opportunity. And the CGA federation is well-positioned to take advantage of the opportunities before us. This plan ensures that we build on our shared strengths. It recognizes that we possess a collective will that seeks to advance our profession. And, most importantly it acknowledges the great team we have assembled around the board table and across the country.
Nietzsche said that the "future influences the present as much as the past." One hundred years later Drucker added that "the best way to predict the future is to create it." The CGA federation has an opportunity to do just that; to carve its own path into the future and breathe life into our new strategic plan with clarity, determination, and purposefulness. Together we can make it happen.
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