Culture Matters: Building the Wise Firm

HORNE’s Growth Mindset Client Promises consists of four key commitments to our clients – DELIVER, COLLABORATE, ANTICIPATE, and CARE. It’s a cogwheel of promises that work in tandem with each other to ensure exceptional client service. Each gear contributes to our success as a firm and without strong elements from each present in our client interactions, the client experience will be diminished. Under the CARE attribute, we commit to first and foremost serve with a generous mindset. We accomplish this by committing to make every client interaction great, freely sharing our knowledge and experience, and proactively seeking client feedback to #beEvenBetter. We learn from our successes and failures with after-action reviews and aspire for clients to be our cheerleaders.

One of my favorite Wise Firm building blocks is windshield view, but probably not for the same reason it may be a favorite for others. Some people look at windshield view with solely a client or firm-centered focus—being anticipatory, knowing the challenges the client or firm has previously faced and those that may be soon to come. While agreeing with this viewpoint, I, however, like to look at windshield view a little differently. I like to think of windshield view introspectively—knowing the road I have traveled and roadblocks that have hindered me or slowed me down, but focusing on what is ahead of me and not behind.

Recently, I was given an opportunity to be a part of proposing for work with a new client. I learned many things during this process, but my biggest takeaway was a comment made by the company’s CFO.

At this point in the conversation, we were talking through the process of them changing accounting firms. We addressed the fact that we would reach out to their former firm regarding the inspection of work papers. Realizing this could be an awkward process, the CEO asked if that encounter was typically hostile. In response, the CFO said, “Well no, because we aren’t switching firms due to issues with quality of the work, we are switching because these guys specialize in working with companies like ours.”