In case you missed it in our last blog post, Weinstein Spira was again named one of the Houston Chronicle’s Top Workplaces! As one of Houston’s top accounting firms for the mid-market, our enthusiasm for developing strong rapports starts with our teammates, from support staff to shareholder. Cross-team relationships are encouraged and promoted through various team-building activities, all designed to ensure our employees interface with one another on a regular basis.
Take a look at a few of our favorite ongoing traditions:
The Fun Brigade.
Weinstein Spira’s Fun Brigade, headed up by one of our tax shareholders and our audit director, aims to provide our staff with fun activities and events so we can enjoy our work outside of the normal day-to-day grind. With most of the activities containing an element of surprise, all we ask for is participation and excitement.
While the official “Fun Brigade” activities began several years ago to celebrate our 50th Anniversary (through 50 “Fun Friday” events), the team enjoyed these fun surprises so much, they demanded more. We quickly recognized the positive impact fun had on our employees, so the Fun Brigade lives on! Two great examples of Fun Brigade activities include Holiday Happenings and Selfie Day.
Holiday Happenings
Last December, our Fun Brigade team hosted daily events for two weeks straight in order to spread the always appreciated holiday cheer. Whether we were scouring the office looking for hidden ornaments or wrapping each other in toilet paper for a snowman building competition, it was all laughs. Each activity only took 30 minutes but the effect it had on our teams was palpable.
Selfie Day
What better way to bond (and smile) with your fellow co-workers than to participate in a selfie contest? We took holiday-themed selfies with each other, displayed the hilarious photos throughout the office, and the best selfie won a prize.
Annual Firm-Wide Marketing Contest.
How do you teach staff how to develop business and get cross-functioning teams working together? Competition.
Our marketing team hosts an annual marketing contest that typically consists of social media challenges, team-building exercises and training sessions. The firm is split into several assigned groups where teams pick team names and shirt colors. This year’s T.V. news-themed contest focused on the importance of personal branding. The contest served as a great way for us to understand the significance of our individual “brand” and the power it holds when representing Weinstein Spira and presenting ourselves on social media and in the business community. We even threw in some reverse mentoring so everyone in the firm could benefit and learn something new. The marketing contest always serves as a great opportunity for our folks to work together towards something outside of our daily responsibilities.
Weinstein Spira Lip Sync Battle.
As part of the firm’s annual State of the Firm meeting, some of our braver team members dressed in costume and “sang” their hearts out in a lip sync battle. As with all of our firm-wide meetings, we were able to mix business with fun. This time we were able to see a whole new side of our highly-talented stars. While the lip sync battle may not be an annual occurrence (although fans are asking for it), we always make sure to inject a whole lot of fun into our otherwise serious State of the Firm meeting.
Firm Softball Team.
The firm softball team, run by one of our newest shareholders, competes hard every year. Playing weekly games and competing with other accounting firms in the area, the softball team is an outlet to get people up and out of their desks and onto the field where we do a little bit of winning and a lot of laughing.
Spring Outing.
Weinstein Spira hosts an off-site, bi-annual family get-together where our employees can socialize with peers and get to know those that matter most to them. Last year we went to a farm in Magnolia, decked out with bounce houses, rock climbing walls, snow cone stands, fishing holes and a swimming pool. On the years when family members don’t join in the fun, our team still coordinates a group outing at an entertainment spot, like TopGolf.
We certainly pride ourselves for the hard work we do in serving our clients, but we also recognize the importance of getting to know each other both in and out of the office. Our firm leaders believe in the power of alignment and understand that seemingly simple team-building activities encourage collaboration and, ultimately, drive results. Strong teams are more effective in providing the best benefit to our clients!
