Building a positive workplace culture has become one of the main priorities for organizations around the world. Many employers are focusing on building workplace environments in which their employees can feel safe, engaged, inspired, and productive. I spoke with President and CEO Rick Mastrocola, and Managing Director Jamie Tong-Chow, from Tonneson and Company, and they were kind enough to give Dear Accountant the inside scope of how they nurture their talents and culture in a medium size firm.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
1. WE NEED PURPOSE AND IDENTITY IN LIFE, PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY
Rick explains that Tonneson has culture, identity, and personality as a medium-sized firm; this sizing builds a fluid and interactive - rather than sterile - environment, which encourages a growth mindset and ample development opportunities. Compared to the larger firms, Tonneson provides people with a larger bandwidth and ability to create an identity within the company. Finding a company with values, culture, identity, and personality can be integral to developing personal and professional purpose and identity and can give you more control of your personal destiny.
2. BOTH SAFE ENVIRONMENTS AND DEI MUST RISE NATURALLY
Rick and Jamie explain that a cornerstone of their cultural approach to the firm is its identity as a safe environment. At all levels, the company encourages the repetition of this adage: we are a safe environment. Rick and Jamie point out that the more you say it, the more it resonates, and the more it prevents people from creating an unsafe environment. It’s an individual as much as a collective responsibility, and having trust in the leadership team is an important element of this environmental community. Moreover, safe environments build naturally diverse and inclusive communities.
3. INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITY CAN BE ENTREPRENEURIAL
Rick laments that Entrepreneurship seems to be related to a product, but service individuals can act entrepreneurial in their approach to work. In fact, an entrepreneurial culture in a company sets the foundation for innovation; Growth & professional and personal development as core values spur entrepreneurial activity in the firm.
🎧 To learn more about Tonneson, Rick and Jamie, or find yourself a mentor in Cece, head to the Dear Accountant Podcast here
🎙 “Dear Accountant” podcast is a uniquely insightful and entertaining podcast for aspiring young business professionals. Each episode is packed with actionable advice to help young finance professionals get ready for whatever challenge they may face next. Aside from all of the many cool things in accounting (technical topics and trends), we bring in industry experts and influential leaders to share their journey, insights and perspectives. We will also cover topics that were not taught in school - life essential skills such as personal finance, emotional intelligence, mentorship, networking, body language and human behaviors, and so much more!
💬 About Tonneson Company: Tonneson has been around for 46 years since 1975 and is best known for its entrepreneurial, innovative, and forward-thinking approach to business. The company was also named to Accounting Today‘s Best Accounting Firms to Work For for 4 consecutive years.
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