Can an accounting firm actually be a fun place to work? Years ago I interviewed Bill Hagaman, CEO and Managing Partner of WithumSmith+Brown. Since I’m a recovering accountant, I was very intrigued to have Bill on the show. We don’t think of an accounting firm as a place where people have fun, but they have established a business culture that is enjoyable and growth-oriented.
Since including Bill in my book, I decided to revisit this culturally elite company and talk with one of their employees, Aaron Slaughter. Adam is a Senior Manager in Withum’s Washington, D.C. office. He specializes in providing top-notch assurance, auditing, tax, and accounting services to multiemployer benefit plans and labor organizations across the U.S.
This is an interesting conversation because not only does he work for Withum, but the office he is in is one they bought to expand their territory. Adam, therefore, had to move into the Withum Way. I found out, WithumSmith+Brown really does walk their talk.
As a refresher, here are the components of the Withum Way.
The Ten Elements of the Withum Way
Interview Links & Other Resources
Breaking Stereotypes of Accountants (Video)
2016 State of the Firm (Video)
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Contrary to popular thought, gratitude does have a place inside of every workplace.
For more than a decade, researchers have been studying the effects of a positive mindset and its byproducts of increased productivity, creativity, and engagement.
Gratitude creates an optimistic way of thinking.
Are you aware that grateful people can have 10% fewer stress-related illnesses? That translates into lower absenteeism at work. Workers who feel well, work harder and smarter too. Individuals who find more to appreciate in their lives become better problem solvers and produce higher quality work. That’s how gratitude shows up in the bottom line of any business.
We humans have it backwards. You might think that success will drive your happiness, but we have discovered that it is just the opposite.
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Rhonda Spencer is the Chief People Officer at Barry Wehmiller. She oversees two critical teams that inspire personal growth of team members, cultivates leaders within its ten divisional companies, and foster Barry-Wehmiller’s dynamic people-first culture: Organizational Empowerment and Culture & People Development. The Organizational Empowerment Team is focused on furthering the company’s highly successful leadership development institute, Barry-Wehmiller University, its continuous improvement initiatives, Living Legacy of Leadership (L3), and numerous sales motivation programs. Culture & People Development directs wellbeing initiatives, safety initiatives, team member benefits and recruiting efforts.
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In this episode, I talk about the importance of flexibility. Being flexible is having the ability to adapt to new, different and changing environments. Since our world is constantly in flux, the skill of flexibility is mandatory for a successful and happy life. In today’s quickly changing world, the ability to think and act differently is essential. This can be applied to every aspect of your personal and professional life. To point out the necessity of this skill, let me ask you this. Have you ever had a day completely go according to what your plan was? Probably not. Most of you don’t live in isolation, so there are thousands of factors every day that can change your plans. Even a hermit in the woods relies on the weather and nature for their shelter and food supply.
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