The Case for Flexibility: Rethinking the Systems That Shape Our Work
Like many of you, I get a steady stream of daily and weekly newsletters in my inbox. I'm struck by a recurring theme that has surfaced across industries and roles: flexibility.
It’s everywhere—firms acquiring outside their specialties, shifting client needs, new practice structures, and evolving definitions of roles, teams, and pricing. We’re in the middle of a quiet revolution—not mandated, but demanded by the world around us.
Flexibility Is a Skill—and a Systemic Challenge
Flexibility isn’t just trendy—it’s essential. It's right up there with communication and critical thinking on job postings.
Yet ironically, the very systems we rely on in our work are often the least flexible part of our operations.
Why? Because systems are typically built for linear, rule-based workflows. They’re optimized for standardization and scale—which works well until it doesn’t. One exception, and the cracks show. Over-standardization limits people, businesses and ideas and those things don’t deserve to be forced into boxes.
What If Systems Were Built for Flexibility?
Imagine a system designed not to fear exceptions, but to accommodate them. That lets users choose the level of structure they need. Where flexibility is the baseline, not the workaround.
That kind of design prioritizes experience over just compliance. For accountants, it’s a mindset shift—from “rules first” to “goals first.”
Advisory professionals have mastered this when serving their clients. It’s time we view internal employees as customers deserving of the same approach.
When Systems Feel Like Partners
Most tools don’t inspire joy—they’re just necessary. But when a system adapts with you, it starts to feel like a partner.
When choosing a new tool or process, ask:
Can it evolve with us?
In programming, we use the term polymorphic—many forms. Shouldn’t our tech and businesses aim for the same?
In a world of constant change, flexible systems aren’t a luxury—they’re how we stay ready. Flexibility isn’t anti-structure; it’s structure designed for real life. That’s the kind of thinking that drives meaningful change and gives permission for firms to begin challenging historical assumptions that might be holding them back.
