beBetter 

In my previous blog, we talked about “the gap” and our need for a wake-up call regarding moving to an advisory services mindset. 

So how do we move our organizations towards advisory services? How do we seize our future by being relevant starting now? I think there are four foundational building blocks, and we’ll discuss the first one today: MINDSET SHIFT.

As I complete our State of the Firm (SOTF) presentations this year, I’m reflecting on how energizing it is for me and so many team members. Much like the State of the Union address, this annual presentation reflects on the previous year and outlines our plan for growth in the current year. In a four week period, we are face-to-face with everyone in our firm and for me, these are really special times. It’s a privilege and blessing to have the opportunity to see every team member, build and renew connections, and start new relationships.

My family and I are blessed in so many ways that every day is a day of thanksgiving. I start each day by reflecting on things that I am grateful for.  In the spirit of Thanksgiving this week, I want to say thank you for taking your precious time to read this beBetter blog, joining in the conversation and sharing life experiences. 

This blog is the first in a four part series on how we can lead in public accounting to take advantage of some hard trends.

As I prepared my outline for this blog on life in public accounting, I am reminded of the Bob Dylan song “The Times They Are A-Changin'.” Today, in the world of public accounting, we are in the middle of a robust, free-agency market for talent like we’ve never seen before. This free agency market is “A-Changin'” because millennials are exercising their choices for a career and they routinely find public accounting not meeting expectations. We are not actually changing how we work, despite the proliferation of adopted new policies promoting millennial values. And we haven’t given any thought yet to generation Z desires as they start entering the workforce in the fall of 2016. Simply, in the trenches, we are losing the culture war. 

There is a quote I love: “The secret to change is to focus all of our energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”—Socrates

In 2011, I introduced to the partner group the concept of the “Wise Firm.”  Sharing it was risky.  And it was quite scary for me—as new things often are.  Up until the week before my presentation, I was talking to my coach about throwing it out.  As coaches do, he asked me the hard questions and helped me to see how it clearly laid out the vision for a culture we could aspire to be. 

At HORNE, we’re on a journey to create a sense of belonging for everyone. Now, I realize we will not be the right team or the right place for everyone. Even so, there are team members who make us better and stronger as a team, but need help in finding that sense of belonging that we all long for and need. When we feel safe, when we have a true sense of belonging, we can grow into our best self and achieve our full potential.