Attitude is Everything—Are You Choosing Wisely?

I thought I understood culture.  I thought I understood organizational change and development. I mean, I have a degree in anthropology after all. But boy was I wrong.  

After a few months at HORNE, I looked around and thought that we were “fluffy.” That our ideas and ideals were too lofty and that our heads were in the clouds. I thought that we changed our mind too much, and that it reflected negatively on leadership because we couldn’t make up our minds and stick with our decisions. I can’t help but think I’m not the only one that was looking at it with the wrong perspective.

My perspective changed drastically in one moment—one little sentence changed the way I saw the firm, our goals, our culture and our intentions. One day, I was sitting in a meeting and heard our COO repeat a phrase that our executive partner says often. “Whose forehead has your name stamped on it?”

I’m one of those overly analytical people—I pick things apart and can easily get stuck on an idea or thought that impacts me. I began to consider all the people that had helped grow me in my career, intentionally, unintentionally, when I was aware of it, or oblivious and I knew without a doubt that I had never had the privilege of being anywhere like HORNE before. Somewhere that is absolutely and sincerely intentional about people development, and I knew that it was something to be proud of, something to value. I immediately understood that we weren’t changing our minds, we were striving to beBetter—and I finally understood what that meant—not just at the surface, but the intention behind it. 

That one phrase, in one meeting was a game changer for me. I didn’t know that I wasn’t as engaged as I could have been before that moment. I didn’t know that I hadn’t bought in. I didn’t know that I was viewing us with the wrong perspective. 

As my engagement increased and my attitude shifted, I found a groove I didn’t know I’d been missing and I saw my place here in a whole different light. Reflecting back on that moment and the days and weeks beyond, it has become increasingly apparent that at the end of the day, it is a choice and I’m choosing to build the Wise Firm.