Last week, I caught someone.
I caught them being curious.
It was a senior in our Business Tax Unit. She was working on a return and wondered if something related to sales might be impacted by the recent South Dakota v. Wayfair decision. Rather than continuing to complete the tax return that was due to her manager at the end of the day, she dug deeper. She did some research and asked questions. Long story short, she found out the client needed to file a sales tax return in a state that they were unaware of. The client was appreciative that this senior discovered the issue. Her manager was so glad she took the time to be curious, that he acknowledged her through our ‘Caught You’ program, which recognizes employees who demonstrate our core values.
Be Curious is one of the three core values at DGC. We define this as the desire to learn more, ask the right questions and seek solutions. We believe that by behaving in a curious way, we can bring value to our clients and grow as professionals. Furthermore, with all of the changes on the horizon such as audit automation, AI, bitcoin, new accounting standards and, of course, Tax Reform, it’s more important than ever to be curious. Because if we are not curious, we will quickly fall behind.
The Moore Stephens association is key to our Be Curious behavior. Having members of the network that we can call allows us to learn more, ask the right questions and seek solutions. The recent articles from Moore or Less have me wanting to ask, “how does Armanino talk with their audit clients about upcoming technology advances? What challenges have HCVT recently solved for their clients? Do my clients have these same challenges? What other ideas does Brown Smith Wallace have for their growth culture?”
Programs such as the Moore Stephens Leadership Program at Harvard University, Community Groups, and the Digital Transformation series have allowed us to get many people in our firm involved, and have been a great resource as we seek solutions.
One of the best places to Be Curious is at in-person conferences. This is where my partners and I have met and built relationships with other firm leaders who have and are willing to share great ideas and talents. Some noteworthy idea sharing occurred when Eric Larson at Beene Garter helped us when we were looking for valuation resources. Michel Hamelin from Demers Beaulne talked with me about bringing on a consulting partner. Joe Femia at GT Reilly collaborated with us on a non-profit audit proposal, and Kristen Clark from Bonadio connected my partner to her partner who has healthcare expertise.
On the International side, members in Austria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Singapore, Spain, and The United Kingdom have helped us Be Curious, and have worked with us to make sure we ask the right questions.
So as you think about that next question, don’t forget to look to MSNA and MSIL members. Ask them to help you learn more, ask the right questions, and seek solutions.
And put me on your list. I would be happy to help you Be Curious.