Every year AFairchild CPA hosts a post-tax season event. In the past the company has hosted a company cruise, a night at the rodeo, a day at the lake, and many other fun events; however, this year was the first retreat. The retreat was a three-day event of brainstorming, planning, and applying the team’s knowledge while enjoying team building activities.

Day one began with a session of brainstorming updates on the company policies. Everyone was split into five different groups- each with a topic and a leader. People rotated between groups leaving the leader behind to collaborate ideas from each group. Sharing ideas and contributing to a plan taught the company how to work together with open minds. AFairchild CPA is continually changing, growing, and molding with time.

Sharon Price shared that she “had a great time working together to create better processes for [the] clients. It is great to work with people you genuinely like and who bring out the best in you.”

At the end of each day were team bonding activities. The first night of team bonding was the Olympic games competition. Minute-to-win-it like games were created for everyone to compete with team winners for each game. The employees were offering high-fives while the room was filled with cheers and laughter. Everyone was able to get to know each other better while learning a deeper level of teamwork.

Rebecca expressed, “It was great to be able to relax and have fun with everyone. Having those kind of moments really help us bond as a team.”

Similar to day one, day two consisted of sessions to collaborate the ideas from day one into procedures. Topics such as accounting, management, tax, consulting, etc. were all discussed thoroughly. After much debate, business conversation came to an end and it was time for the company baseball game. This is where the true talent of AFairchild CPA came into play. As with the Olympic games, families and friends were invited to join in on the fun. As the game went on, the friendly competition arose, and the field was filled with encouraging cheers, fun competition, and laughter from all.

By the final day, the employees had finished the discussion on procedures and prepared for the final presentation of each topic. The presentations brought clarity and consistency to the company. Team members were able to go home with applicable information and a deeper level of understanding to implement the company goals.

Osbaldo confirmed: “I really enjoyed the retreat. As someone new to the firm, it helped me get on a personal level with everyone.This allowed me to understand everyone’s preferred communication style. I enjoyed seeing coworkers with their families. Deyla [my wife] told me she enjoyed being around everyone. She is happy with my decision to join the firm. We both feel the positive vibes that the group has.”

The last team building exercise was the most entertaining of them all- the lip-sync battle. Teams were distributed by departments, costumes were chosen to match the song, and the battles began.

In the end, AFairchild CPA is now closer, stronger, and more determined than ever to achieve the new goals. We look forward to what the future holds for the company and all who come in contact with us.