Culture Matters: Building the Wise Firm

When the Belonging at HORNE Sponsor Program was introduced to me, I sincerely thought that it was a “nice” concept, but I was SURE I knew exactly where my career was heading. There was no doubt in my mind I was in the driver’s seat. Sure, early in my career I needed help and to this day am very appreciative of the individuals that guided me. Honestly, the thought that kept going over and over in my head was that this program would be great only for individuals who are just embarking on their career and navigating new waters.

C’mon, with over fifteen years managing and developing team members with whom I assisted in their professional growth (including direct impact to their career) surely I knew how to steer MY own career. Or so I thought…

This week our team shared “Sunday Lunch” together in New Orleans for our annual HORNE Leadership Summit. We had a great time! But, we were also challenged. Holding nothing back, Executive Partner Joey Havens asked us all: “Are you ready to lead as we build the Wise Firm together?”

What an important question! And, I think we all have a better understanding now, that we each have to make the intentional choice to lead.

As a talent recruiter for the firm, that is a question I get a lot.  And, quite honestly, I think there are a lot of reasons I could tell you. We each connect our personal purpose to the Horne accounting firm in different ways. For me, it’s the Wise Firm we’re building. But, instead of sharing only my opinion, I’d like to share what other team members are saying.

You see, we actually asked our team members, “What makes HORNE a place where people want to work?”  The top three answers were 1.) Fearless Unrivaled Flexibility 2.) Belonging at HORNE and 3.) a “beBetter” mindset.

In a world full of tips on how to accomplish almost anything, those “5 Easy Tips to Success” become afterthoughts by the end of most articles. In the presentation “ABCs to Outstanding,” I share tips that will move you from average and ordinary to outstanding. And, just like those articles we read, those tips are easy to do BUT also they are easy not to do. That’s why I focus on daily habits to bring those tips to life.

Using the power of gratitude is one of those tips, and the most impactful I have found.

>If there’s something you should know about us at HORNE, it’s that we are serious about building the Wise Firm. Recently, I had the opportunity to hear some of our team members share their personal reasons for building the Wise Firm. It all started as part of a video project—we asked various team members to finish this sentence: I am choosing to build the Wise Firm because:_________________.

(I highly recommend you watch the video below.)

In higher education, the end of the spring semester is always one of my favorite times of the academic year. One of the reasons I love working with students in college is the definitive beginnings and endings, and beginning again. From freshman move-in to the excitement of spring commencement ceremonies, there is seldom a dull moment! It is also during this time of year that I find myself counseling with soon to be graduates about their career search.

It is easy for new graduates entering the workforce to allow others to define for them what a good job and a good organization look like. Advice is more than plentiful from professors, family members and friends. But I coach graduates entering the workforce to decide for themselves the kind of employer and work environment they want. I challenge them to look beyond the name brand, starting salary and benefits, and perceived prestige of potential employers to instead really dig into the organization’s values, vision and culture.