“Thank you” goes a long way. Many firms have survived their “busy season” (whatever that is) and I’m sure management planned some food n’ booze event to thank their staff, but I just want to remind people that saying “thank you” can go a long way for morale, and it’s free. So don’t wait until the end of next busy season to say it again.
There are numerous posts on this site that begin to break the surface of the difference in culture at our firm, but one of the biggest things I’ve noticed is communication. The partners in this firm reach out to us on a daily basis; simple things like, “how’s it going, “hey, nice work on that…” or “I just want to thank you for all your hard work on this.” Or sometimes they just tease me but they know I can handle it. Many firms may hold on to the philosophy that work is a fact of life and the only thing you owe your employees is a paycheck. You may be able to find enough professionals to buy into that philosophy in the short run, but it may prevent you from transforming a good firm into a great one because the best and brightest will go where they are appreciated.
