INTHEBLACK September 2026 - Flipbook - Page 54
WORK SMART
The value of
grunt work
The less glamorous work in finance has always
been something professionals had to get through.
However, if AI removes the need for a human to
do it, how do future leaders learn the job?
Words Sonakshi Babbar
Routine work has long been woven into the
fabric of finance. Reconciliations, transaction
checks and spreadsheet clean-ups are part of
the daily grind. That is why AI has found such
an easy pitch in the accounting and finance
profession — fewer hours lost to spreadsheets
and administrative tasks means more room
for analysis, problem-solving and work that
demands judgement.
But the equation may not be so simple.
Diwas KC, professor of information systems
and operations management at Emory
University’s Goizueta Business School,
says removing repetitive work should not
automatically be treated as progress.
“Repetition is sometimes wasted time,
particularly when the work is tedious and does
not add much value to the output. But it would
be a mistake to assume that all repetitive work
is a waste.”
Some forms of routine work, he argues,
do more than help get through a task list.
They help professionals to build familiarity
and confidence over time.
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54 INTHEBLACK September 2026
“In many cases, repetition helps workers
master the fundamentals of the job. Think of
musicians practising scales or athletes repeating
basic drills, even at the highest levels,” he says.
