Accounting Meets Art: How to Use Visuals as the Ultimate Productivity Tool - Mike Manalac | Ep.070
Apr 16, 2024
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Mike Manalac, an illustrator and accounting manager at Google, shares his unique approach to integrating visuals into the finance world. He discusses how drawing can enhance collaboration and problem-solving, transforming traditional practices. The conversation dives into the future of work amidst hybrid environments, highlighting the power of technology and creativity. Mike also offers valuable insights from his book "No Flux Given" and advice for aspiring accountants, showcasing the evolving role of creativity in a tech-driven industry.
Incorporating visuals, like drawings and digital whiteboards, fosters collaboration and enhances productivity in remote accounting teams.
Mike emphasizes the importance of balancing automation with human creativity in accounting to drive innovative problem-solving and workflow optimization.
His personal journey highlights how integrating passion for art into finance can alleviate monotony and create a more engaging work environment.
Deep dives
Visualizing Ideas for Team Productivity
The podcast discusses the importance of visual tools in enhancing team productivity. Using metaphors like trees with roots and pizzas with missing slices, it emphasizes the need to uncover underlying issues causing pain points in team dynamics. By leveraging visuals, such as digital whiteboards, team members can actively engage in brainstorming sessions, generating ideas and solutions collaboratively. This approach allows for a more dynamic and participative environment during meetings, promoting creativity and problem-solving.
Integrating Drawing into Accounting Work
The episode highlights the guest's personal journey of integrating his passion for drawing into his accounting role. He explains how casual doodling evolved into a productive tool during team meetings, particularly in remote work situations. By using digital drawing to capture ideas, he enhances collaboration and engagement, making the accounting space more enjoyable and dynamic. This synthesis of creativity with accountant tasks helps alleviate the monotony often associated with financial roles and fosters a more fulfilling work environment.
Overcoming Remote Collaboration Challenges
The conversation addresses the difficulties associated with collaboration in a remote work setting, emphasizing the need for effective virtual tools. The speaker notes that many finance professionals underutilize available digital whiteboards despite their potential for fostering cooperation and idea-sharing. He advocates for leaders to embrace these tools and train team members to use them effectively, highlighting that collaboration goes beyond simple reporting and requires building a shared understanding. This proactive approach to virtual teamwork enhances engagement and motivation among team members.
Empowering Engagement through Visual Frameworks
The guest shares various visual frameworks to help teams navigate ambiguity and enhance collaboration. He recommends starting with simple structures, such as mind maps, to capture ideas and foster discussion among team members. These frameworks serve as templates that assist in visualizing complex information and improving communication within teams. By doing so, coupling creativity with strategy, participants become more invested in shared solutions, ultimately improving team productivity and morale.
Balancing Technology and Traditional Skills
The podcast discusses the role of technology in improving efficiency while maintaining critical accounting skills. The speaker describes how automation has become an essential part of accounting, but emphasizes that it should not replace human creativity and judgment. He argues that finance professionals must combine their understanding of automation with traditional accounting knowledge, using tech as an aid rather than a crutch. This balance creates opportunities for innovative approaches to problem-solving and workflow optimization, reinforcing the value of human expertise in an increasingly automated landscape.
In this episode, Adam Shilton and Mike Manalac dive into the creative side of accounting and finance. Mike, an illustrator and accounting manager at Google, shares how he incorporates drawing and visuals into his work to enhance collaboration, problem-solving, and overall productivity. They discuss the power of visual thinking, the role of technology in enabling creativity, and the future of work in a hybrid environment. Mike also offers insights into his book "No Flux Given" and shares tips for job seekers in the accounting field. Tune in for an engaging conversation that challenges traditional notions of accounting and finance.
- (00:00:00) - Introduction and background on Mike Manalac - (00:03:42) - Mike's passion for drawing and incorporating it into work - (00:09:59) - Using virtual whiteboards for collaboration and visual thinking - (00:19:02) - The power of visuals in engaging audiences - (00:28:18) - Challenges and opportunities of hybrid work environments - (00:38:04) - The future of work and the role of AI - (00:48:00) - Mike's book "No Flux Given" and advice for job seekers - (00:58:22) - The importance of creativity and automation in accounting - (01:08:30) - Tools like Jeda AI for generating visuals - (01:14:05) - Closing remarks and where to find Mike
For more goodies, head over to www.techforfinance.com
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