In fact, believe it or not accountancy is a very challenging role in the modern environment. I have worked for a range of industries during my career and whilst the KPI’s may change, the underlying business basics and procedures are all largely the same.

The modern challenge for a corporate accountant is to show how they can continue to remain relevant by not just producing the monthly reports and controlling cash flow, but to add value to the organisation by two main means.

Firstly by ensuring the management team is aware of good corporate practice and to contribute to the development of these systems throughout the organisation. Secondly by being the company’s intelligence officer by implementing business intelligence skills across the organisation that allow for quick timely analysis of data from a range of sources that show where bottlenecks or opportunities could lie to allow the organisation respond quickly to these identified opportunities.

I was once asked in a job interview many many years ago as a young graduate  ‘what is more important, timeliness or accuracy in the accounting process’. This of course was a trick question, as the correct answer is that one is useless without the other. Luckliy I was clued into this!

So the message in this column is to get the message across that accountants are spending a lot of time retraining and upskilling to ensure their fundamental knowledge can be applied to ensure they are the premier drivers of good practice (as good practice drives increase efficiencies and therefore improves the value of the business) and to be the first professional to be turned to for the big strategy decisions faced by the organisation.

Good luck in your future endeavours and I hope this information helps guide you negotiating the challenges ahead of you.

Greg Harrison - B.Bus, Dip S.Dev, C.A

From left: Janelle McClintock (Reservations Manager), Niluka Gebalanage (Reservations Agent) and Inez Hiku (Telephonist/Reservations)

I was trawling the internet, and came across this interesting article about why people REALLY work out. Written by 'Editor in Chief, Pick the Brain' makes this observation about his life pattern which strangely enough resembles my own, and probably many people:

• Get a bit fat
• Start to hate the way I look
• Hit the gym with a vengeance for a few weeks
• Start to look noticeably better
• Smugly enjoy my new found vanity
• Lose motivation and stop working out for a few weeks
• Repeat from beginning

Mangere Mountain is one of the largest volcanic cones of Auckland

Mangere Mountain erupted approximately 18,000 years ago, and is one of the best preserved of Auckland's many volcanic cones. The mountain is a place for solitude, recreation and exploration. These features, and the unique character of Te Pane o Mataoho, make the mountain a treasure chest of learning for people of all ages. The title for the place was taken from the Maori words ‘hau mangere’ which means lazy winds.