Punit Renjen: Discovering the thinking behind Deloitte chief's demotivating new year email [Independent]
If you haven't had enough Punit Renjen takedowns over his vapid email from last week, then here's another:
Writing such mumbo jumbo can surely be barely any more enjoyable than reading it. And if it is meant to motivate staff to work harder – staff who, it is safe to assume, are not afforded the time to compose such absurdly empty platitudes – it can only possibly have the opposite effect. At the end of his note, he promises to “achieve a bit more work-life balance.” If something’s got to give, make it the emails.
I'm not sure what it was about this particular email that got people so worked up. Empty, cliched emails from corporate executives aren't exactly in short supply. Which is probably why Deloitte's own Millennial survey found that the amount of time spent reading and sending emails is greater than they'd like.
In other Deloitte news, the firm bought a Fintech agency and is trying to help Flint, Michigan with its water problem
PwC Chairman: We Want Our Employees To Take Vacations And Disconnect [HP]
We've heard things like this from Bob Moritz before:
"I take time off quite often," Moritz told HuffPost at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, "and I have to role model that. … So if we’re talking about flexibility, I’d better be flexible myself."
He said PwC takes a company-wide break over the holidays, and called it "one of the better [programs] we've done."
"We shut the place down between Christmas and New Years," he said. "We give everybody extra time off. Email traffic goes down to zero, and we say, 'Disconnect, recharge your batteries, go see your friends and family, enjoy yourself and come back refreshed.'"
What we haven't seen before is an entire section of the Huffington Post called "What's Working: Purpose + Profits" that the firm has sponsored. The short interview with BoMo doesn't seem to be sponsored content, however, a post from the firm's Chief Purpose Officer Shannon Schuyler definitely is and there's a full disclaimer on the page:
This page contains materials from The Huffington Post and/or other third party writers. PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP ("PwC") has not selected or reviewed such third party content and it does not necessarily reflect the views of PwC. PwC does not endorse and is not affiliated with any such third party. The materials are provided for general information purposes only, should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional advisors, and PwC shall have no liability or responsibility in connection therewith.
It's amusing that even when trying to navigate the tricky waters of content marketing, an accounting firm manages to be most concerned with legal liability.
Pot auditors
The Auditor Carousel noted that two Colorado cannabis companies — Americann, Inc. and Massroots, Inc. — disclosed a change in their audit firms, to MaloneBailey and Liggett, Vogt & Webb, P.A., respectively. AC "service multiple clients in the cannabis industry" so obviously some firms see a future in these types of companies.
In other news:
- Tesco could be fined £500m over accounting scandal, say analysts
- AT&T to Book $2.2 Billion Gain From Revised Pension Accounting
- S.E.C. Is Criticized for Lax Enforcement of Climate Risk Disclosure
- Small talk.
- "Jeffrey would ask that in lieu of flowers, please do not vote for Donald Trump."
