It’s great that firms are automating everything they can right now. Still, software doesn’t calm down a nervous client or notice when a coworker is struggling. Your team does. As you automate more of the work, you need to make sure the people doing the rest of it still feel valued.
Marilyn Melendez, EA, President of Dalia Tax & Business Advisors in West Palm Beach, Florida, thinks about this a lot. Her firm has a team of seven, with some working remotely and some in the office. She’s built its culture around a few habits: backing her team with clients, caring for their families, and listening closely. None of them require a large firm or a large budget.
Below, we’ll walk through each one.
Prefer to watch? Here’s the full conversation.
Many firms still run on the idea that the client is always right. Marilyn takes a different view. She has a “no jerk” policy and tells clients directly: “You better be speaking to my employees in the same tone that you speak to me.”
When her team sees her uphold that policy, they know “this person is on our side.” That trust makes it easier for them to handle tough client moments because they aren’t facing them alone.
Marcus Dillon, CPA, who leads Dillon Business Advisors and co-founded Collective by DBA, ties this to client decisions too. “Every time we say yes, that shifts culture,” he says. The clients you accept become part of your team’s daily experience, so choose them with your team in mind.
Marilyn grew up as the child of a firm owner, so she saw firsthand what client work asks of families. That shaped how she leads. “Who looks out for the spouses?” she asks. “Who looks out for the families?”
Her firm holds company retreats that include spouses and sometimes whole families. This year, the team and their spouses traveled to the Dominican Republic. During the trip, one team member’s spouse pulled Marilyn aside to thank her for the time together. For Marilyn, that moment confirmed why she does it.
You don’t need a big budget to build that connection. Marcus suggests a few simple options:
Marilyn’s firm moved to a hybrid model, with three team members working remotely and four in the West Palm Beach office. Now the firm is testing a flexible schedule. The office is open four days a week and closed on Fridays. Team members can choose to work on Friday from home and take a different day off instead.
She’s open about the fact that it’s an experiment. That’s a good model for any firm. Try a change, watch how it affects your team and clients, and adjust as you learn.
When asked what firm owners should do to strengthen their culture, Marilyn’s answer was one word: listen. “Don’t hear to answer them,” she says. “Listen and listen for the subtext of what they’re saying, because in any organization, you’ve got power dynamics.” And if you disagree, “you can disagree lovingly.”
She also reminds owners that they don’t have all the answers. Entrepreneurs tend to live in their own heads, and the people around them often see things they miss. “You have to listen to the helpers,” she says.
One habit that helps is asking for input in a way that invites honesty. Marilyn will tell her team, “I think that this is correct, but I’m not sure. And I wouldn’t be asking you if I didn’t value what you had to input, even if I disagree with it.”
A strong culture also depends on leaders who aren’t running on empty. Marilyn’s best advice is to “schedule your recharge and personal time just as effectively and importantly as you do your CPE.”
As she puts it, “Burnout is real, and if you don’t account for it, there’ll never be enough time.”
Culture is built through small, repeated choices. Start with one or two of these this month.
Building a firm where people feel protected takes clear standards, consistent leadership, and support from people who have done it. Collective by DBA can help you set client policies, structure your team, and plan the conversations that build trust. Schedule a call with Collective by DBA to talk through your plans.