What it Means to BREAK THE MOLD™

Whether you're brand new here or have been following me for a while, you've likely seen my name attached to the phrase BREAK THE MOLD™. '

For the last few years, it's been a bit of a rallying cry I've used to promote my ideas and a call to action for people to think and act differently.

Since I've been getting some recent questions about what BREAK THE MOLD™ really means, I thought I'd share the story of how it came to be and more importantly, how you can use this mantra within your organization to achieve meaningful and differentiated outcomes.

What's at stake?

Well, I believe the organizations that successfully BREAK THE MOLD™ are the ones who will thrive and redefine the future. They will control their own destiny and be able to grow on their own terms.

So, if that's something you aspire to for your organization, read on.

What does BREAK THE MOLD™ mean?

BREAK THE MOLD™ is in essence, a clarion call.

It came about during my time at Baker Tilly as we were facing the pandemic and noticing the challenges it introduced highlighted many of the antiquated ways CPA firms (including us) were operating.

It was an extreme example of the ways we've always worked being disrupted. We couldn't continue with "business as usual".

So I asked our team to be willing to BREAK THE MOLD™.

Think about a production mold…

It’s meant to produce a systematic, easily replicable, repeated result.

It’s the same thing over and over and the definition of “the way we’ve always done things”.

It will continue to use the same process to churn out the same result UNLESSS someone comes along, breaks it, and creates an entirely new mold.

Now think about your industry or profession and I can guarantee you will notice a mold.

The mold is made up of the common conventions and the long-time operating principles that are shared across organizations.

Notice the things that are assumed to be standard operating procedures because they have been for a long time.

What are the things that are "the way we've always done things" in your profession?

Alright, so if you notice the mold, what does it mean to BREAK THE MOLD™?

Well, it's about being willing to:

• Challenge the status quo.

• Build things from scratch.

• Ask “what will it take?” when considering new ideas.

• Seek new perspectives from people outside your lane.

• Not assume what’s working now will work in the future.

• Listen to what your people and your customers REALLY want.

• Not assume “the way we’ve always done things” is the optimal way.

Ok, so what does that actually look like?

During my time at Baker Tilly, that meant things like:

• Exploring a 4-day work week.

• Acquiring new firms and adding leaders with new perspectives.

• Embracing remote work and that the office was a place, not the solution.

• Creating personalized development plans optimized around remote work.

• Ditching the busy-season “badge of honor” and finding new ways to work.

• Being willing to move away from a chargeable hours-based accounting model.

• Building team member work plans and work weeks around outcomes, not hours.

Did we get to see each of these things through? No.

But it's not always about making every idea come to life.

It's about the thought process that got us there.

Why is it important to BREAK THE MOLD™?

At the core of BREAK THE MOLD™ is a mindset.

A mindset to seek new solutions, even if things seem to be going well at the moment—that, right there, is why this rally cry is so important.

Look, the reality is, there will be new and unforeseen challenges on the horizon and what may be working now isn’t guaranteed to work in the future.

So, we have to be willing to challenge ourselves and those around us to move past assumptions, be curious, and explore new ways of doing things.

Even if you are succeeding in the moment, what about the next time a market correction happens or we're faced with a new pandemic-like phenomenon?

I'm not suggesting operating from a place of fear. Rather, I'm suggesting embracing a way of thinking that empowers your organization to consider what's next so you'll be better prepared to adapt when things inevitability change.

The BREAK THE MOLD™ mindset is about a willingness to try new things, take risks, and not fall into following the long-time conventional ways of thinking.

Grow On Your Own Terms

The companies that BREAK THE MOLD™ will be the ones who thrive into the future and remain the relevant and sustainable organizations they aspire to be.

I firmly believe that.

They will be able to control their own destiny and grow on their own terms.

They are less likely to be impacted by market corrections or industry-related events that shake up the current reality.

They will be better positioned to navigate anything thrown their way.

And the rest? The ones who don't adopt this mindset?

Look, I don't want to paint some doomsday scenario like they will all go out of business... I believe the rest are simply more vulnerable.

They are vulnerable to outside forces controlling or influencing the decisions they may have to make in the future.

So, which organization do you want to lead or be a part of?

I know I'll continue to strive to BREAK THE MOLD™ and ensure every organization I consult with and every person I coach does the same.

With intention,
Alan D Whitman