Page 28 - JoFA_2022

FIRM PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

‘Sometimes [exit interviews] If you’re hiring for a management position,
what’s a good question to ask?
Gage: I always like to go back to the arche-
can give you glimpses into types. You could ask a question such as, “When
faced with a difficult situation, what do you do?”
the automatic things that Do you find yourself relating to people and what
they’re going through and trying to appreci-
ate their struggles and stresses? Or do you find
you never thought about yourself leaning more toward the procedures and
policies? Or do you see it more as about producing
results? Sometimes managers will start tipping
but are still true.’ their hat to one of those and begin the conversa-
tion around which environment they’re more
amenable to.
Then you can ask, “How do you go about
Guy Gage, on how firms can determine their organizational culture supporting your people when you see them stressed
and in an overload moment?” A lot of times
if they’re focused on harmony, they’ll say that
they will take work back, or they’ll reassign it, or
distribute it differently, or change deadlines and
Culture and change timelines for the sake of the staff person. Everyone
has a primary motive or driver that precipitates
certain kinds of behavior, even though that behavior
Guy Gage, founder of consulting firm PartnersCoach, likens an may look similar in different archetypes.
organization’s culture to its immune system: One of its key roles, he said,
is to reject what’s foreign and different. That can help an organization be What advice would you give firms about hiring in
more cohesive, but it can also act as a barrier to positive change. a tight market?
“What can happen in firms with strong cultures is that whenever they Gage: There are times when you just need
try to expand or diversify or somehow adopt a way of being that is outside someone to fill a slot. The important thing is to
the boundaries of their norms, they get a lot of pushback,” he said. know who you’re hiring. You might hire someone
In fact, culture can be a reason why firms struggle to “become 21st- who isn’t an ideal candidate but who can help you
century firms” in terms of introducing new technology, moving toward in a pinch. What do you need to build around
advisory and consulting, or embracing diversity and inclusion, Gage said. that person to hire them? If you hire someone
Many firms resist change “primarily because their cultural norms don’t who’s more relational and harmonious, but
permit it,” he said. “And so consequently, it’s a longer process to adapt and they’re remote, you might connect with them on
adjust.” a regular basis, preferably daily, perhaps as a five-
Leadership, Gage said, is crucial to getting staff to accept change. “In the minute check-in to start their day. That’s going
end, the norms and practices have got to be flexible enough to account to matter more to them than to someone who’s
for something new,” he observed. “Leaders are the ones who declare this more driven and achievement-oriented. For that
foreign approach, this thing that is outside our boundaries, as ‘friendly,’ and type of person, that daily five-minute check-in is
as something we want to bring in.” going to be seen as an intrusion and then as an
But change must still be aligned with an organization’s culture, he said. interruption.
“Ideally, what you want to do is develop a vision that’s consistent with Even though the candidate may not be ideal
who you are as a firm, but then institute strategies and approaches that for you, you need to change your support and your
work with your cultural norms,” Gage noted. For example, in a firm where interaction with them so that they can thrive as best
harmony is prized and staff are accustomed to giving input, change needs they possibly can. Who knows? They may come
to happen on a timeline that accommodates those inputs. In such an around, and you may expand your capabilities in
organization, he said, leadership should not impose change from the top terms of managing people. ■
down, or staff will feel that norms have been violated.
Change is not “just a matter of where you’re going” but is also about This article was adapted from the JofA podcast episodes
“how you’re getting there,” Gage concluded. “The more aligned you are “What Type of Culture Does Your Firm Have?” (tinyurl.
with your culture, the quicker you’re going to get there.” com/ya77cm97) and “Hiring for Culture: How to Find
the Best Staff for Your Firm” (tinyurl.com/3pp2dh5b).

26 | Journal of Accountancy January 2022