Who's Really the BOSS?

There may be errors in spelling, grammar, and accuracy in this machine-generated transcript.

Rachel Dillon: Welcome to Who's Really the Boss podcast. I'm Rachel Dillon, and along with my husband, Marcus Dillon, we share the joys and challenges of leading a $3 million accounting firm together. From team structure to growth strategies, we share our leadership successes and failures so you can avoid the mistakes we have made and grow a valuable accounting firm.

Rachel Dillon: Welcome back to another [00:00:30] episode of Who's Really the Boss podcast.

Marcus Dillon: Hey, thanks for having me back.

Rachel Dillon: We have, uh, one very special guest who has been joining us for probably the last three episodes has made an appearance, but we never introduced him. So if you are watching on YouTube, you will be able to see him. If you are just listening, you will definitely be able to hear him at some point during this episode. But introducing our dog cash. He does have [00:01:00] a partially collapsed trachea, so he coughs pretty much all day and all night long, or is just trying to clear his throat, I think is what the vet said. And so he does hang out in the offices. He rotates. I think he just goes to the office of whoever has a meeting at that time and coughs in their office so that there's always some weird background noise. Um, and then, of course, Marcus, you're here to listen to this coughing as well.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. [00:01:30] So, uh, you said the last three episodes, I think he's joined us for the last three seasons, and he's been in the background. If you hear anything that sounds like, uh, cough or a hack, um, that actually comes through the speakers, that's cash. Um, so formerly wanted to introduce him, and we're actually, uh, going into a new, uh, era of the podcast where we're actually going to be inviting other people to come on board. So cash is kind of one [00:02:00] of those people that's coming on board, uh, and visiting and kind of sharing some things, obviously sharing maybe what he had for lunch, uh, in the, in the corner. So but yeah. So cash he gets excited, uh, when he hears people talk and when he hears people on the other end of the camera talk. And that's what tickles his throat, obviously. So.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah. So we won't talk the whole time about cash. Um, we will do our best to not [00:02:30] have that coughing in every episode and every word. But today, we do need to give an update on the other people who live in this house real quick before we start with the rest of the episode. So, Marcus, give an update on Kinley or Avery and then we'll let cash calm down just a little bit.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. Uh, there's it feels like it's just you and me a lot of times in this household, uh, with cash And so obviously the two, uh, [00:03:00] one in college and then one preparing to go to college this summer, uh, daughters still live at home permanently. I guess that address is theirs, but, uh, Kinley is at her camp already for the summer, so she works at a camp for special needs children all the way up through adults called Camp Blessing in Brenham, Texas. And a really cool story. Uh, I think you've posted about her on social and that camp before, uh, just doing amazing [00:03:30] things. And so she's part of leadership this year. So she went back to camp for, I guess, the summer, like late May, uh, right before Memorial Day. And then she doesn't finish up her summer at that camp until end of July, early August. So it is a full summer and Texas summers, if you know anything about that. It's hot and dusty and there will be a lot of fun, I'm sure. [00:04:00] Had. But, um, she's she's well equipped to do it, and it's a lot of work, but she's having fun.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah. So shout out to Camp Blessing, Texas. If any of our listeners want to go give them a follow or connect with them on LinkedIn. They have a big presence on Instagram. But I noticed the other day that their LinkedIn connections were low. And so I know that, uh, accountants like to dominate the LinkedIn space. So if you hang out on LinkedIn, definitely go [00:04:30] connect with Camp Blessing, Texas. Um, that leaves Avery. She is going to TCU to swim in the fall, but until then she is just training her little heart out so she is in full swing of two a days. She practices, uh, Monday through Friday. Majority of the day she is in the water swimming, and when she is home she is either cooking, eating or sleeping. Those are just the three activities. And then she's just [00:05:00] on a repeat cycle, um, nonstop for that. So I'm sure she is looking forward to having something a little different than that come August. Mid-august is when she goes back and starts training with her college team.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. So, um, really excited for the girls for this summer. Really excited for us for this summer. Uh, we're obviously going to be doing a little bit of traveling, uh, with the girls on the on the end of summer, uh, you know, [00:05:30] trip to California for a swim meet and then Canada for, like, family vacation trading that Texas humidity for, uh, Canada's lack of humidity, I guess. And that'll be our first trip there. And, uh, before then, we actually have a really cool, uh, opportunity to spend some time with our team members in Mexico. So we're not trading any humidity for that trip. We're actually taking the team and spouses to Mexico, and that's [00:06:00] a little bit of what we'll talk about here today, because while we just love our team and love to travel with them and spend time with them, it's actually a work trip too. So it's, uh, it's our mid-year retreat, and, uh, we'll dive into what, what's really driving some of the conversations that we're going to be having later this month.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah, absolutely. So Dillon Business Advisors is taking us, or we're taking everyone at Dillon Business Advisors to [00:06:30] Isla mujeres, Mexico for four days. So it's really like a four day weekend. We're going a Thursday through a Sunday, and we landed on these travel retreats after we went fully remote. So what we found when we were all in office, we did smaller things more frequently. We would bring in lunch, bring in dinner, go to breakfast. When we were still more of a local team but remote, we would meet [00:07:00] up to go to breakfast about once a month. So kind of traded all of these little opportunities for something a little bit more special because we know that one. We actually like each other and love spending time together. And two, because we are a remote team and we are nationwide that to come. We could we can fly people to really any place we can fly them to Houston, or we [00:07:30] can go somewhere really cool, like the beach or the mountains. And so this year is definitely going to be another beach trip.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. Uh, and a lot of our team, uh, actually lives near the mountains. So we've, we've asked quite a few people, uh, throughout the years. Like, which do you prefer, mountains or beach? And, uh, we did beach last year for this retreat and we actually did Florida, Florida 30, a Destin area, and it was very, very [00:08:00] expensive. Uh, because it was a domestic trip. So what we what we have learned in the past and even like planning for this, this year's trip is the international, uh, all inclusive option is actually a little bit more budget friendly than last year's domestic beach option.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah, a little bit more. A little bit more budget friendly for the, um, accounting firm. But it will definitely be a better option for our team [00:08:30] because when we went, uh, in the US, when we went to Destin, Florida, they still were responsible for quite a few items. So drinks were not included at the hotel. Meals were not included at the hotel, so they either left property. But those were some expenses that we just really didn't think a whole lot about that would be required of the team where this one, if they choose to stay on property, they really don't have to bring much as far as spending money when they come. And [00:09:00] so we're excited and looking forward to that. But the whole trip is not just a four day vacation. We actually are going there. We we too are in improvement season with our accounting firm, Dillon Business Advisors. And so we are taking part of that time to do formal meeting. And then the other parts of the trip will definitely be centered around like culture and relationships and team bonding and that kind of thing. [00:09:30] But our meeting part, I think, is really helpful to talk about today as far as what we're going to cover during that time. And so what that looks like is we are arriving on a Thursday, and then Friday morning we're going to get up bright and early and start meeting from eight to noon in a meeting space there on property at our resort.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. And, um, we've we've learned this through others. Like we didn't come up with this idea [00:10:00] ourselves. Um, obviously there's some tax reasons to kind of have meetings, uh, and offset some of the costs with travel. Obviously, people are also invited to bring a plus one or their spouse. Hopefully that plus one is their spouse, um, if they have a spouse. So, yeah, like our friends who are, um, whether they work for Edward Jones, you know, Edward Jones used to have a really good culture around this, and spouses would look forward to these events and trips. The same can be said [00:10:30] of other CPA firms. Um, I know like CPA Brandon Hall, he does this. He, you know, remote firm just like us and, uh, utilizes budget for that. Um, so I think we're not special in this. We're just following, uh, other really cool people that have gone before us and done these trips. So excited to go back to Mexico, but also excited just to be with our team. Um, and the, the work that we're going to be doing, um, that morning of and then obviously throughout the [00:11:00] rest of our time together, I'm sure we will continue to discuss and hit on the things that were shared just in that 4 to 5 hours when we were together in a room.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah, absolutely. So what we like to reserve for times that we are in person is not necessarily technical training or software training. Um, those are things that are very conducive to learning remotely and doing things with shared screens [00:11:30] or following along. And the thing that really is harder to do remotely is build the relationships. You miss out on some body language, you miss out on some just opportunities to connect, where people might feel like they need to be on mute. Or is it there? They don't want to talk over somebody else or, you know, during breaks, you're not just able to freely have conversation where when you are in person, those are all things that [00:12:00] are able to happen. So a lot of times we we reserve the times that we're going to be in person to really roll out things that that need discussion for, um, kind of adoption or acceptance, and also just to get real feedback, both positive and negative, and be able to talk through and process that together versus rolling [00:12:30] something out. And then our team members, because we're remote, having to kind of process that on their own and maybe having a lot of unanswered questions.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. And, um, I hope we can have the word constructive feedback versus negative feedback. Uh, you know, uh, but it is one of those where even with what we're, what we've rolled out last year, at the same time, we rolled out a new incentive program and played up the, you know, the [00:13:00] game. Yeah. Optimist. Pessimist. Uh, where, um, the person has to you have to choose. Are you the optimist or the pessimist out of your group and then come back to the whole group with, you know, things to share, uh, with either head on? And so I think this time around, I don't know that there's anything that heavy. Uh, we are rolling out a few different policies that could have additional conversation. Just clarification. That would be done best in person around, like cell phone [00:13:30] and device. Um, with with the age that we're in now of technology and all the fun stuff of having an internal director of technology that wants to make sure that we are secure, uh, when it comes to devices as well. So, um, but yeah, I think you know what we're really excited about as far as the leadership team going to Mexico ahead of our time is, you know, spending time learning about one another, learning about ourselves and learning about the team that we've put [00:14:00] together. And part of that preparation for this event was actually digging in and surveying our team as it as it relates to the study or the guide for this trip. And, um, I'll let you share a little bit about the book. Um, I'm sure a lot of listeners have heard of the book or read the book. Um, but it was helpful in kind of mapping out part of this retreat.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah. Okay. One question before we move on. You [00:14:30] said you get to choose either the optimist or the pessimist. Which would you choose? Would you choose to be the optimist of something or the pessimist of something?

Marcus Dillon: I'm naturally going to go pessimist, uh, you know, as my auditor, background comes out, like, look, for all the flaws. I'm really good at that. Um, the the optimist is a little bit more stretching for me. I would have to be more intentional, which may be okay, but I would likely fall into the pessimist camp. So when we are having [00:15:00] that game, y'all probably need to assign me as the optimist. Uh, so I'm really engaged.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah, I like it. So during that game, what you do is you pair people up and then you assign one to be the optimist, one to be the pessimist. And the optimist has to say two good things about whatever was just presented. And the pessimist has to say two negative things or potential problems or roadblocks that you could run into. Um, they have to say it. [00:15:30] So it's those things that you're always thinking in the back of your mind, the what ifs or what about, uh, that they're required to say. I love the optimist side because, again, I think naturally I probably go straight to the pessimist, but you get to be super creative. Um, kind of reminds me of Chris from Parks and Rec that he is like the one who can spin any situation to the positive. Um, yeah. That, uh, that is fun for me. I think that allows me to be [00:16:00] a little bit creative with my analytical, leaning side. Um, but in preparation, we surveyed the team with a survey out of that came from the book Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. And the reason we did that, we were just having a conversation with someone outside of our firm, uh, this week that we're recording about. What did he say? He said something. Are we addicted to [00:16:30] change? Yeah, I think that was the question at Dillon Business Advisors. He said, you guys seem to be changing things all the time. Constantly. Are you just addicted to change? And I think you maybe took offense to it a little bit. Um, I'm not sure. I laughed because I'm like, well, that's one way to say it, but we can say it in a little bit more positive light, I think.

Marcus Dillon: And I [00:17:00] think I think context there also helps because, uh, you know, he was working in a firm that a paralysis, you know, paralysis analysis by paralysis or paralysis by analysis over analysis. So, um, and they made zero changes, right. And in the time that he's been at his firm versus like somebody like us and I'll disclaim like we change a lot, hopefully we are not addicted to change. Hopefully we're addicted to improvement. Um, you know, that's that's [00:17:30] how I'll spend that. But, uh, yeah, it was kind of eye opening. It made me think, you know, like, are we addicted to change? Like, um, we're not changing something just to change it, right? Like I'm not changing the paint on my office walls just to change the paint on my office walls. Uh, but.

Rachel Dillon: You would like to if I would like.

Marcus Dillon: If.

Rachel Dillon: The.

Marcus Dillon: Lighting is better and, you know, it would look better on the camera or anything like that. And there's a reason to do it and potentially. Right. So, um, but yeah, I think leading up to this and, uh, The Five Dysfunctions [00:18:00] of the team, if you've read that, if you've done the study that goes along with there's also with, uh, the table group, which is Patrick Lencioni's company. They also have um, guides and surveys that you can, uh, do with your team. And that's what we opted into just to kind of send this over to our team, to our leaders. Um, who really? Everybody who manages people, um, took the took the survey, if I remember correctly.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah. That's right. And I [00:18:30] brought up that because we I for sure. But I think all of us we brag on our team so much that now we have the best team of an accounting firm, but maybe of any business, we we we like each other. We love each other. We work hard. Very smart people, um, people that really want to help others, like, truly believe that is why they are here every day. [00:19:00] Because they know they are making a difference in the lives of the people they work with and the clients they work with. And so why would we be sending out a survey about Five Dysfunctions of a team? And so when, um, when we were speaking to this person this week and they said addicted to change, I too was like, wow, that feels different when you hear it from someone else and you're not saying it. And immediately I, I just responded, I think we're we [00:19:30] are always seeking improvement. And that, you know, when you refine something and it becomes really good, then the next friction point stands out just a little more because now this, the other areas are running so smoothly. And so that is what we were trying to kind of highlight or bring out. What is that next area of improvement that maybe we even as a leadership team, you know, even not just [00:20:00] the two of us, but maybe as a leadership team that we're not seeing. And so we surveyed more of the team to see about are there areas that improvement would just continue to make us better and the client experience better?

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. And I think it also provides, um, some transparency which which that's key. That's one of our, um, you know, values here at DBA. And um, it provides transparency for us as leaders to do like [00:20:30] a 360 degree feedback. And for the team taking those surveys to. Feel empowered to give that feedback. And then we're going to take it and build upon it, as you and I have discussed. Uh, the worst thing you can do is survey somebody or ask somebody their opinion and not do anything with it. So this is a recommendation. Uh, I would only recommend that you follow through with this survey if you're actually going to use it and implement things that you learned during the process. [00:21:00] So what we are choosing to do is obviously we gave the survey, got our feedback, and then we built out our agenda for this retreat based on that feedback. And so do you want to share a little bit about um, we didn't take the whole Five Dysfunctions. We just focused on a few of them.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah. So when we got back our results, there are five areas which I'll just run through what those five areas are. Absence of trust would be the first area of dysfunction potentially in a team. [00:21:30] Fear of conflict. Lack of commitment. Avoidance of accountability. And inattention to results. And so those are the different areas. And actually on ours I did say in the beginning we do have the best team. None. None of ours actually scored awful. It was more of just which one scored. Like not not perfect, not great. So of course, you know assessments that are really good. They kind of give you green, yellow, red. So all of [00:22:00] ours were either green or yellow I don't we actually didn't have any reds as an average, but only a couple of reds on even individual answers. So um, just saying we we still do. We still do have the best team, even if there are two weak areas. Okay. So our two low lower scoring areas were, um, conflict and accountability. So [00:22:30] those two we actually worked those two into sessions, the really cool thing, and we don't get anything from Five Dysfunctions of a team or Patrick Lencioni has no idea we're talking about him in this on our podcast.

Rachel Dillon: But one really cool thing with that assessment, when it came back, the results came back. They actually sent activities to do to help build the areas of weakness. So we did not have to go out and search. [00:23:00] We didn't have to call our friend ChatGPT to help us come up with ideas and activities. They actually provided a few that you could start with or choose from, or just to get you thinking if you don't like any of the ones that they did. And so Leslie on our team, uh, definitely helped us decide which activities that we would build into our agenda, but definitely hitting on both of those because that is team related. That is relation [00:23:30] related, and so want to make sure that those are things that we're doing when we are all together in person. It could definitely be accomplished in a team meeting where we're all together on a team's video, but how much better will it happen when we're all together sitting in the same room?

Marcus Dillon: Yeah, and you've already mentioned the benefits of being together in person versus the awkwardness of potentially a teams meeting or a zoom zoom room. [00:24:00] One of those that you didn't even mention was, um, the ability to laugh at jokes and hear laughter whenever you deliver a joke with just great timing. Um, it's kind of lonely sometimes with teams like, uh, not being able to hear that feedback. So, um, but also just whenever you're working through, like people could in a virtual world, in a remote setting, people could, you know, play really nice on camera. And then as soon as the meeting is over, it's like, well, that was a load of crap, you know, like, [00:24:30] um, it's a little bit harder to hide that in person. You still can. Um, but that's also, you know, obviously a conflict, uh, that occurs within the team. Right? So, uh, we are just invested in this team, and we want to make sure that we are as candid as possible with, with these adults, you know, treat folks like adults and expect the same in return. And I think that the group that, you know, obviously, we we have and our care is very, um, very comfortable giving [00:25:00] that feedback, uh, with us.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah, absolutely. So we can talk through how we're going to spend that time because we only do in-person retreats twice a year. So there there could be a whole lot of ground to cover. And we've allotted four hours to do a half years worth of work, so we can go through a little bit of the agenda and how we divided up that time. But [00:25:30] most of our retreats start with food. Um, if you're hungry, you're probably not going to be super happy or super focused. So starting with breakfast and an icebreaker activity, which I'm super excited about, it is very easy, um, and very quick. But I'm excited about that. And then we'll move directly there. We like to start the first we'll say real section of our, um, retreats with [00:26:00] celebrations and reflections and then looking ahead. So definitely looking at what we've achieved, celebrating, and then also looking at the goals we've set and where we are with those goals, and then what is coming up in the near future and even maybe the far future. So that's your that's your time to shine. What are some things? What are some things that you like to highlight for [00:26:30] sure during that time with the team?

Marcus Dillon: Uh, yeah. No, I think it's it's a way to be transparent. Right? Uh, we already talked about that as one of our core values. So we share revenue. We share where we're at on on track as far as, like, the goals we've set. Obviously these retreats play into that because if we hit our goals, then obviously that funds the budget for the next, you know, trip. So we we talk about, hey, through um, let's just say May because this will be done [00:27:00] in June through May. Like, where are we at on our goals and how many, you know, new clients have we onboarded? How many? Uh, that's from an organic standpoint. Have we met that goal in organic? Did we, um, do things that we set out? Obviously, one of our goals from an organic standpoint was a firm acquisition. We did that, um, earlier this year. So I think those are the things that we would point out that we would celebrate. What does that mean as far as top line revenue and top line revenue? As much as I would [00:27:30] want that to go to, um, like the bottom line and our pockets or the charities that we believe in and like kind of go out the door that way. Unfortunately, you know, it does go to other budget line items that are on the PNL. So the way that we frame that, or the way that I frame that is, you know, this top line revenue amount allows us to budget for the right team members, the right technology, the right things that we need to to do, uh, in [00:28:00] DDA to be a good steward of the business that we've been given. So that's what will be shared.

Marcus Dillon: Uh, we'll also share team a little bit. You know, the team that, um, maybe has come and gone. The team that has come is always easy to celebrate because they're still there. They're going to be in the room. But the people who, you know, have finished their time with DBA, um, always could be awkward, but we want to just make sure that we're all on the same page. Um, and just talk about, you know, like, celebrating [00:28:30] those team members and what they contributed to the team while they were here. And then obviously, team, uh, thinking about who we need to go recruit and join the team, um, in the very near future or even long term. Right. So, um, but most of everything we share is more that mid-year check in. What do we need to do? What do we need to kind of adjust, uh, whenever we get back home to finish well for the rest of the year. So, um, you know, it'll be crazy because we'll go to Mexico [00:29:00] in Q2 and then kind of, you know, Q3 starts right after we get back. And that's always a you look up and you're in the middle of summer. And for us, we're in the middle of improvement season. So we want to take it a little bit easy. But we also know that we've got things to, you know, to improve. And um, you know, when Q3 hits it's like, oh crap. Like we're more than halfway done with 2025. Are we where we want to be? And so I think those are some of the realizations that [00:29:30] we always have whenever we come back. Um, you know, to work after these mid-year retreats.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah. I think you do a really good job at definitely putting a focus on the people during that session. So making sure that we're recognizing people, either achievements that they've made, new people that have come in. Again, you mentioned people that have exited and what they were able to contribute. And then even the people [00:30:00] that make up the clients that have entered or big things that the team has helped clients achieve. So if our clients have achieved really big things, um, we definitely give some credit to our team for that, sometimes very directly and other times indirectly, because of the freed up time and space that that small business now has. And so I think that that is really good that we go through that. We also what [00:30:30] we do because this is midyear retreat. We take the slide directly from the year end retreat and just copy it into the new slide deck and look at we set our goals out for the whole year, but we set them by quarter of kind of objectives or initiatives that we're working on each quarter.

Rachel Dillon: So we can look at, have we accomplished all of these? Have we even started on ones that are near the end of the year? Have we accomplished all of them? [00:31:00] Are there ones we completely forgot about and haven't looked at since we went over them in December of the prior year? Um, so I think real practically, we literally just take it straight from the year end and stick it in the middle of this one so that we can go through and check off. Where are we at on this? Does it still fit with where we're going? Sometimes things that we thought at the end of the year, by the time we get here six months later, it might not be relevant [00:31:30] anymore and we need to change it out for something else. So I think that that's a really big reason that we don't wait all the way until the end of the year to see, oh, how did we do? Um, now is a really great time to look at those and make all of the adjustments that could be needed.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. Um. And you. Thanks for letting me know that I do a good job on highlighting the people, because at the end of the day, that's what it's all about, right? So, um, [00:32:00] the revenue, the dollars that come in are the result of, you know, people exchanging hours and minutes for, uh, for those dollars and then, um, not that we bill by the hour or anything like that, but it's just, you know, the opportunity cost of life and, um. Yeah. So the, the people aspect. It's also sharing you mentioned the goals. Like one of those goals we have are team members that are going to be added to the team. And a lot of times it's we look at, okay, [00:32:30] where are we at census wise? Right. Like who's on the team today. Where do we need to add and who do you know or who should we know to kind of make introductions to as far as like the growth. And sometimes we've been fortunate because most of the time that we meet it is a result of growth. It's good news to share. But sometimes it's not always great news. And sometimes you do have to, you know, share. Hey, like this was a hard decision we had to make. This is where we're adjusting, um, things. And [00:33:00] it all just goes back to like people first. Right? Which is another core value of DBA. And, um, you know, that transparency to where we're going to treat you like adults and at the end of the day, like this is who we are, these are the struggles that we have as far as the leadership team. And here's how we're adjusting and here's how you know, your part in this team can can play a role. So after my section, after I get to sit down, what's the next thing that really gets discussed on this agenda?

Rachel Dillon: Yeah. So moving [00:33:30] straight from that, we're going to move into a session called Turning Conflict into connections. So in our Five dysfunctions of the team, we scored really high on results driven team commitment and team trust. So those were the areas that we scored really high. The conflict was more like we avoid the conflict and we don't say like the hard things or we all just do our best to make sure that there [00:34:00] is no conflict instead of, you know, bringing that up. So we have an activity. Leslie, um, I think I'll be there just for moral support, but Leslie will lead us through that, and we are recording this before we actually do this retreat in these activities, so I will be happy to share. If that's something that you think would be beneficial to your team. I will share exactly what we did and how that went with our team after [00:34:30] we get back from our trip.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. And so when, um, conflict leads to connection, that's not like we're not putting on boxing gloves or anything like that, because that's where I think, you know, did you connect and like, did you, you know, actually hit that person?

Rachel Dillon: Yeah, I know, I know a little bit about that is like you don't you don't speak up. Maybe because you think that that could cause conflict. So you just keep an idea or you know, something [00:35:00] that you see to yourself instead of sharing it out with the group. And a lot of times, what that is, is just giving the team permission. So letting them know explicitly. Team meetings are a great time If you think about a what about this, for you to say that it's not only for the leadership team to talk, or not only for the person doing their team member spotlight that week to talk. It is for anyone [00:35:30] to talk, especially if you hear or see something that you think needs to be addressed. Say it then. Um, we also do one on one meetings every other week. And so that's like the leader and a team member they meet every other week. And so you don't have to wait and only say it when it's a one on one setting. You can say these things. So a lot of the things with conflict is going to be giving permission and explicitly saying [00:36:00] you have permission here, here and here to speak up and say things, even if you think it might, you know, result in a long or a lengthy discussion or, you know, need outside time to think about it and find a resolution and come back to whatever it might be.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. And I was listening to a podcast this morning and it's even applicable here. Can you outlast the temporary? It [00:36:30] may be a temporary, like feeling of uneasiness or awkwardness. Can you outlast that? Can your relationship outlast that to get on the other side of that and then improve. Right. And so talking about conflict, can you outlast the temporary, uh, of that. And obviously if it's conflict related to, hey, there's a better way to do this or why did you answer it this way? Like, you know, honestly, whenever we're kind of giving that feedback internally, whether it's coming up from a team [00:37:00] member to a higher level or down from a higher level, down to a team member, it's really just for improvement and ultimately quality of service, quality of care of the people that we've got, you know, on our bus. And so, uh, but yeah, conflict is, is big in any relationship. Right. And I know that you can apply it to business. You can easily apply it to family and marriage and you know, every other relationship that you have. So hopefully the team learns something about one another, but then they [00:37:30] can also take these skills back for the rest of their lives and apply it in other relationships they have.

Rachel Dillon: Do you think in our marriage and our family, do you think we would score high on, uh, conflict avoidance? Low on conflict avoidance? Where would we fall?

Marcus Dillon: Yeah, it's going to be all red and it's going to be straight to jail. Um, so it's one of those, uh, it's not it's probably not going to be great. And, um. Yeah, I think I think conflict, whenever it does happen, you know, in our family, it's like, okay, [00:38:00] like, let's just roll on, bury that super deep, and then it'll come up one day, you know? Right. So.

Rachel Dillon: Um, yeah, there's some people who like to, like, ignore Knower and stuff it down. And there's other people who want to, like, fight it out loud. And right now. So. Yeah. Yeah.

Marcus Dillon: And usually those two people are married. Uh, that's how it works out. So.

Rachel Dillon: Absolutely. All right. So we'll after, um, the conflict session, [00:38:30] angel, our director of technology will lead us through cell phone security. I don't know exactly what Angel is going to talk about, but I do know that, um, potentially some of the ways that I use my phone are going to have to change, since we do have, uh, capabilities of accessing business data on our phones. And so I believe I might be the most impacted in this discussion. And [00:39:00] he's just waiting to roll it out when I'm at the beach and more relaxed.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. It's like, uh, give me your cell phone. I'm going to load this on it and then give it back to you. So, um, but no, I think, um, I don't know exactly what he's rolling out either. I'm kind of nervous, too. Um, obviously he's, uh, technology wise and protocol is is the expert in that. And so, um, but yeah, you think about, like, our phones and the security, um, threat that that could be if you [00:39:30] clicked a bad link and, you know, all your passwords and everything like that, and even like in the environment we're in where we've got apps on our phones that tie back to client data and to all the fun stuff that, um, you know, the bad agents would love to get their hands on. So, um, but yeah, like, that's the that's the fun of technology and the world we operate in right now, right?

Rachel Dillon: Yeah, absolutely. All right, so after Angel, uh, takes our phones and gives [00:40:00] them back to us, hopefully we can still use those. Uh, but then we're going to talk through something that actually has been feedback that we've received from different team members at different times. We're going to talk through the attributes of our clients. So we're going to actually categorize our clients based on if the team feels not what we feel, not what we saw during the prospecting phase, or at one time when we used to work with them, if [00:40:30] we don't currently like directly work with them right now. Um, but what the team feels kind of denotes a simple client or an easy client, a complex client, a good client, a bad client. So we kind of want to look at our lists and let each of our teams of three categorize their clients based on those attributes, because sometimes what we hear is I just want an easy client. And [00:41:00] we're trying to to really kind of quantify what does that mean, kind of define what does easy client mean? We do have some ability during prospecting and sales to determine if we know exactly what is causing really complex clients, that the team has a really hard time serving or making a big impact with that client, versus who are the clients that they are able to impact on [00:41:30] a daily basis.

Rachel Dillon: Because what I think, what I hope this is, what I hope that we'll see, is that there are simple clients and complex clients, but there are good, complex clients. And I, I know just you and I from working with them for a very long time now. Um, the complex clients who are responsive, who implement the advice and the strategies that are given, they're [00:42:00] not as hard to deal with and probably wouldn't even be the clients that first come to mind when you say they're complex. It's the ones who are complex and unresponsive, so you're literally stuck and not able to move forward on the responsibilities that they're paying you to do. And so you're not having the same impact with those clients as you are with everyone else. So they really stand out. And that's the ones that you [00:42:30] think about and worry about more and kind of impacts your day. Um, versus just saying, I just want the easy client because I don't think our team wants a client who is just never in communication. They don't look at anything, they don't ask anything. They're just kind of, you know, out there on their own. I don't think that that's the ones that they say, oh, give me all of them, because they really do enjoy the relationship with the [00:43:00] clients. Yeah.

Marcus Dillon: I think, you know, everybody. Um, you want a you want a good mix, right? So you some some team members do want to kind of go on autopilot and have part of their day to where they can, you know, just click stuff and get stuff off their to do list. Ultimately, you know why people pay us what they pay us is because, you know, they want our advice. They want to make sure that things are clean and tidy and optimized so that they can make the best decisions [00:43:30] in their business and their families. Um, and they they want us by their side. So, you know, it'll be interesting. Uh, we'll we'll provide feedback to listeners on what comes out of that session. But I think whenever you ask me, I want clients who are willing to change, not be addicted to change. Right. Because I would hate myself as a client. Um, but be willing to change and then ultimately be willing to make a decision. And maybe those two go hand in hand. But, you know, we've had clients that are in our [00:44:00] ideal industry, let's say dental, and they just go around and around in circles. Can't make a decision to save their life. And while everything that relates to that client at surface level should make them an easy, ideal client, the personality of the owner or the stakeholder in that business is what causes the chaos that then comes onto our side and causes scope creep and chaotic and anxiety and all [00:44:30] the fun stuff that that's what keeps you up at night, because you know you're not doing your best work for that person. And so I hope those are the conversations that come out of, uh, you know, our time together when it comes to this session.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah. So after that session, we'll do the permission for peer accountability. So that is allowing not just leaders to hold team members accountable, but actually everyone to hold each other accountable. [00:45:00] If we know somebody is working really hard to do this, that they feel that they have the permission to say, hey, I know you said you wanted to do this. I haven't seen it yet or what can I help you to get to that point? And so definitely, again, I think that that's going to be a lot of permission and explicitly showing how do we do that in a way that, um, is helpful to the team and not [00:45:30] hurtful to the team. So, uh, that will be our last, uh, official session. And then we always end every retreat with a Q&A and wrap up. So it's a lot to process that we typically go through a lot of information very quickly, and then we just give a few minutes to process that information, ask questions that are needed, and then kind of give any announcements of things that, [00:46:00] you know, need to be shared at the very end of our time together.

Marcus Dillon: It would be good. And, you know, the permission to give accountability. That's, um, I think back to, you know, Talladega Nights and Ricky Bobby, you can't just, um, preface everything with like, hey, no offense, but, um, you know, and then just say whatever you really want to say, uh, and expect someone not to be offended. And so, um, yeah, I think creating that connection, creating that accountability will be good. It'll [00:46:30] be a good way to end the day. Uh, as well as, you know, any announcements and fun stuff that we can point to, uh, before we release and go back to enjoying our time together. Uh, whether it's around the pool, around the beach, you know, or around a table.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah. So a couple we're just going to wrap up here in just a couple of minutes. But a couple of fun things that we are doing kind of outside of the meeting room as team building we are having a time [00:47:00] of like water activities with paddle boarding and snorkeling and kayaking. We will do, um, Mexican bingo, Loteria, and we will also do a team dinner with spouses. You have in the past highlighted each team member, recognized each team member in front of the whole team and their spouse. That I think goes a long way for the um, or it. One of our team members is bringing her sister [00:47:30] because her spouse is staying home with the kids, which is very nice so that she can be here. Um, but it's nice for families and friends to see just the impact that you do have on all of those hours you spend away from them working. And so I think that that's really nice. And then hopefully we have karaoke after that. That was one activity that was noted at our last retreat that there was a karaoke spot, but it was far a little bit further from [00:48:00] the hotel that not everybody really wanted to travel and get to. So this time we're bringing karaoke to us. Uh, and that should be a lot of fun. On our last night together.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. And, you know, uh, the hotel there, it's an all inclusive Marriott property. Uh, we try to stay within brand whenever we can. It's a newer property there off the island. Um, they've been they've been as good to work with as any, uh, Mexican hotel that you could expect, right. And, uh.

Rachel Dillon: As any hotel, like, better, better than even the hotels [00:48:30] that we've worked with here, they have actually been very good.

Marcus Dillon: Yeah. Um, so I think that's, you know, if you're interested in this, uh, you just have to budget for it. It's a lot easier to budget for this whenever you have a smaller team and kind of build it into your annual, um, budget. And it's, it's a way to reallocate cost if you don't have rent, um, so that you do have connection with your team and then, um, yeah, the, the hotel, um, makes a lot of sense. Uh, you know, we try to look for single [00:49:00] flight, you know, nonstop flights for most of our team, uh, which actually was a little bit of a challenge. And, um, you know, the the amount of airfare, um, has just continued to go up every year. So I don't have any recommendations for you there, but I would just encourage you, you know, kind of get out of the office, whatever that looks like for you, including the home office, spend time together as a team, build relationships. And that's going to help carry you through the bad days and the good days. Right? But, [00:49:30] uh, but yeah, looking forward to this.

Rachel Dillon: Yeah. So just for context, we're taking 26 people, 13 rooms, uh, and really excited about that. This trip does require plane boat to get to the island. So not necessarily like a one stop shop, but a couple different, uh, playing an automobile and a boat to get to where we're going and come [00:50:00] back. So, um, yeah. So I'm excited. I'm sure everyone can hear how excited we are. Can't wait to give an update on how it all went, but I am always happy to share any resources that we have, our agendas, our activities. If there's something that you heard that you think would be good for your team, um, just send me an email. Happy to share that with you.

Marcus Dillon: All right. Well, thanks for leading this conversation and look forward to the next.

Rachel Dillon: All right. See you on [00:50:30] the next.

Rachel Dillon: Thanks for listening to this episode. If you enjoyed the conversation and want to learn more, be sure to visit collective CPA. You can schedule a meeting directly with me, Rachel by clicking on the Contact Us page. Be sure to subscribe, like, and share so you don't miss any future episodes. We look forward to connecting with you soon!