A recap of Justina Brown’s UACPA Member Appreciation Day presentation. This recording does not provide CPE credit.
In her UACPA Member Appreciation Day session, Baysora’s VP of Finance & Accounting, Justina Brown, CPA, shared a message that cut through the noise:
Technical skill may get you in the room, but people skills determine whether you can lead, influence, and create stability when everything around you is changing.
Drawing from 20+ years in public accounting, consulting, and complex post-acquisition environments, Justina outlined the communication strategies that help individuals and teams move from survival mode to influence—even when the pressure is high.
Below is a recap of the key takeaways from her session.
What Really Happens After Major Organizational Change
Justina highlighted common patterns she’s watched unfold across hundreds of transactions:
Cost pressure increases, workloads expand
Rules and expectations shift quickly
Teams experience anxiety, confusion, and burnout
Morale drops when communication breaks down
While these conditions are common, the response to them isn’t fixed. Strong communication skills can dramatically change how teams navigate these moments.
The Core Skills That Make the Biggest Impact
1. Verbal Communication
The way you speak shapes how others think, respond, and collaborate.
Tone, pace, and clarity influence trust and reduce tension
Open-ended questions create engagement and buy-in
Pattern interrupts (e.g., “Help me understand the biggest pain point here”) shift people out of emotion and into problem-solving
2. Nonverbal Communication
Your presence often communicates more than your words.
Listening to understand—not to fix or defend—builds trust
Reading the room helps you catch frustration or confusion early
Calm, steady demeanor sets the tone for everyone else
3. Navigating Difficult Personalities
Nearly every team experiences the same predictable “difficult players”:
The Hijacker
The Naysayer
The Excuser
The Creeper
The Bully
Justina walked through specific ways to handle each one using the strategies above, keeping conversations productive without escalating tension.
The Bottom Line
Accounting work is demanding, and change adds another layer of complexity. But with the right communication tools, professionals can shift from simply enduring the pressure to influencing outcomes, protecting bandwidth, and strengthening team culture.
Download the People-Skills Checklist
Want the quick-reference version of these strategies?
Download the free checklist to get a one-page guide to the communication tools and personality types covered in the presentation.
