Culture Matters: Building the Wise Firm

Being the best is easier said than done! I wake up every morning with my mind set on being the best at what I do. I consider myself to be a competitor and that is what drives me to succeed. I plan on taking the accounting industry by storm in the next ten years with hard work, dedication, and perseverance. My personal goal is to be the best CPA I can be and also to influence the world through accounting.” 

“How can I demonstrate my appreciation for you?” I asked. It was a simple question to a mixed project team a few years ago. I had no idea the responses I heard would literally change the way I approached sharing appreciation for the rest of my career.

What is your job? Have you ever really considered that? I don’t mean the tasks you do every day, but something larger. Solving problems, sharing insights, helping others see the possibilities… Those are all acts of service and the very things that keep me coming back day after day. It’s so much more than a job. As each day unfolds and you go about your tasks, how would it change if you simply stopped for a minute and considered the acts of service you are providing your clients? 

At HORNE, we know team member engagement is the only way we make progress on our journey of building the Wise Firm. Dr. Paul White helps us take a deeper look into improving team member engagement through authentic appreciation. 

Last week, I wrote about 5 Ways to Avoid Needing a Vacation After Your Vacation. As promised, today I would like to share with you a few things I did once I returned from my trip that also proved to be very beneficial.

Growing leaders faster is a key need for most companies. With the changing workplace demographics—including the mass exodus of Baby Boomers and inept succession planning—organizations are scrambling to grow high potentials into leaders who can lead faster.

When my soon-to-be husband at the time, asked me how I felt about moving to Oxford, Mississippi, for a potential job opportunity he received, there were several immediate thoughts that popped in my head. The first being, "Will these two Bulldogs fit into the rival city?" Not that I thought there would be a group of people with pitchforks staking out our house, but you know, I figured we'd end up being good candidates for solid yard rolls every Halloween. The second thought was, "What about my job?" 

As often as we can, my wife and I like to steal away to the great outdoors for some camping and hiking. The fresh air, beautiful creation, and peace and quiet are a welcome change from what can sometimes be a very busy pace.

Despite the light-hearted approach to last week's blog, 5 Foolproof Ways to Fail as a Performance Advisor, I believe the point was still clear—being a good performance advisor actually is hard work. But, it's without a doubt one of my most rewarding and fulfilling responsibilities. Creating a rising tide is something that has always been incredibly important to me and being a performance advisor gives me a fantastic opportunity to do that. I think Seth Godin sums it up in a recent blog by saying, "We get what we invest in. The time we spend comes back, with interest."