Practice Forward with XcelLabs
Big change often arises from small, intentional moments of curiosity and courage. AI-inspired change is just such a case, manageable if applied granularly.
Artificial intelligence (AI) will change everything, but big change rarely comes from one sweeping initiative or an expensive tool. It comes from small, intentional moments of curiosity, courage, and connection that happen over and over again. Although “big” in a macro sense, AI-inspired change can be manageable if applied granularly.
Here’s one way: pick one business problem you have right now, then run one AI-supported experiment to address it. The “micro-moments” detailed below show what the process can look like in practice.
Micro-Moment 1: Make One Invisible Conversation Visible
Firms were doing advisory work for years before calling it “advisory.” It commonly shows up in quick questions and short calls. The value to clients is real, though, even if it never gets captured.
When those moments pass without any record, it becomes harder to learn from them because we miss the patterns, miss the training opportunities, and miss the follow-ups that could strengthen a client relationship. It is tough to connect that work to scope and pricing. AI can help.
Start small. Choose one recurring meeting or one type of call. If it fits your firm’s policies, professional standards, and client consent, try an AI note-taker or a recording. It can capture the substance without making someone multitask through the conversation.
Review the notes with accounting advisory tech, like XcelLabs’s Navi. Look for themes and repeated questions. Pull out commitments and next steps. Notice where you gave real guidance that never made it into a deliverable.
If you look at a few conversations this way, it becomes easier to see the advisory you already provide. When you can see it, you can train from it, follow up on it, and price it with more confidence.
Micro-Moment 2: Use AI for Self Development
A lot of professional development still runs on annual reviews and occasional training. Meanwhile, we spend hours every week in meetings where we could be learning in real time.
A small, meaningful experiment is to have one manager pick one skill to improve. Keep it narrow, such as clearer openings in meetings, better transitions between topics, or closing with firm next steps.
Use the feedback from accounting advisory tech on a handful of calls to support that one change. Share a few transcripts or summaries. Ask the tool to focus on that single dimension. What worked? Where did the conversation drift? Were the next steps specific and owned by someone?
It’s not to “score” a person; it is to reduce guesswork. Your perspective moves from “How did we do this year?” to “What did we learn this week?”
Micro-Moment 3: Level-Up Coaching and Advisory
Picture a tax manager who has lived in compliance. They review returns, answer technical questions, and keep deadlines moving. Advisory conversations and anything that feels like “selling” can feel awkward.
The firm wants that manager to take a compliance-heavy topic and turn it into a value-forward conversation. The partner does not have an hour to script it. The manager does not want to walk in cold.
This would be a great place to use accounting advisory tech. The manager can rehearse how to explain the opportunity in plain language, anticipate likely questions, and draft a follow-up email that recaps the value and next steps.
This is not rewriting the firm’s strategy; it’s upgrading one conversation. The manager shows up with more confidence, and the firm gets a repeatable way to help good people step toward advisory without months of partner coaching.
How Micro-Moments Add Up
None of the three examples looks like a transformation on its own. But that is the point.
Macro change is the sum of many small, specific experiments. One team captures and learns from calls that used to disappear. One manager improves how they run conversations with real feedback instead of gut feeling.
Over time, those micro moments change what the firm treats as real work. They shape what gets coached and rewarded. They influence how services get packaged, scoped, and priced.
Try One Micro-Moment in Your Firm
This month, identify one business problem. Design one AI-supported experiment around it. Debrief honestly. What improved? What did not? What surprised you? Then run the next one.
If you want more support getting started, XcelLabs’ accounting advisory tech tools can help with the design and debrief. The goal is to keep learning, one micro-moment at a time.
Jody Padar, CPA, also known as “The Radical CPA,” is the co-founder of XcelLabs, a training and technology platform that offers solutions to help accountants use AI to build fluency and strategic thinking. Visit XcelLabs for more information.
Backed by the PICPA, XcelLabs is helping CPAs leverage AI to expand advisory capabilities, strengthen firms, and keep the profession future-ready.
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Statements of fact and opinion are the author's responsibility alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of the PICPA's officers or members. The information contained herein does not constitute accounting, legal, or professional advice. For actionable advice, you must engage or consult with a qualified professional.
