What Dillon Business Advisors Got Right About Accountability, Visibility, and Team Buy-In
There’s something Dillon Business Advisors is doing that I think a lot of firms can learn from when it comes to accounting firm accountability, visibility, and team buy-in.
Not because they found some magic fix. It wasn’t because they “solved operations.” What stood out was the decision they made…
They stopped working around friction and started rebuilding more intentionally. That matters.
In most firms, the pain doesn’t show up all at once. It usually starts in smaller ways.
Maybe it’s an extra spreadsheet. A workaround. A disconnected app. Or a process everyone knows is clunky but no one has time to revisit.
Over time, those small things start shaping how the whole team works. That’s what stood out to me in my conversation with Dillon Business Advisors.
In my conversation with Amy McCarty, Director of Operations, and Lezlie Reeves, CPA, what stood out most was how intentionally they’ve approached the way work moves through the firm. Their focus wasn’t just on keeping things organized. It was on making the work more visible, more collaborative, and easier for the team to support together.
They Didn’t Just Change Software. They Changed How Work Gets Seen.
One of the biggest things they addressed was visibility. Honestly, that’s where so many firms get stuck.
When work lives in spreadsheets, side notes, inboxes, or someone’s personal way of tracking things, the team ends up relying on constant check-ins just to understand what’s happening.
What is the status?
How close are you?
Would it help to have support?
At first, that may not seem like a huge issue, but it creates friction fast.
When work isn’t visible, help comes later. Accountability gets fuzzy. People often carry more than anyone realizes until they’re already overwhelmed. Dillon Business Advisors created a system where the work could actually be seen. With that visibility, support can happen sooner. And that changes everything.
Visibility Changes Team Behavior Faster Than More Meetings Ever Will
This is where I think a lot of firms underestimate what operational visibility actually does.
It’s not just about dashboards. This goes beyond tracking tasks. It’s also bigger than management having a better view. More importantly, it changes behavior.
Once deadlines, workload, and stuck points are visible, the team doesn’t have to guess anymore. They can step in sooner, offer help earlier, and adjust before small issues turn into bigger ones.
That creates a completely different working environment than one built on chasing updates and hoping things are on track.
To me, that’s one of the biggest takeaways here:
A better system doesn’t just organize the work. It changes how people work together.
One Small Workflow Choice Can Shift Team Culture
One example I really liked was their use of an “Assistance Needed” status.
Simple. Practical. Easy to overlook. Still, it’s actually really powerful.
For a lot of people, asking for help is harder than it should be. In accounting especially, that tends to be true.
A visible way to signal “I’m stuck” removes some of that pressure. It creates an easier path to support without requiring someone to fully explain everything in the moment.
That kind of change matters more than firms sometimes realize.
Culture is often built through small operational decisions like that, not just through team meetings or leadership messaging.
Gamifying Accountability Was My Favorite Part
This part, I loved.
They introduced a Financial Statement by the 15th bonus, but they structured it around the group, not the individual.
That changes the energy completely.
When accountability is shared, people stop thinking only about their own piece and start paying attention to the team around them.
That’s when you start seeing:
- earlier check-ins
- stronger follow-through
- more willingness to help
- more awareness of where someone may be falling behind
That’s what real accountability looks like.
It’s not pressure for the sake of pressure. This isn’t “gotcha” management. Nor is it about making people feel watched.
Instead, it creates a setup where people are more aware, more connected, and more motivated to finish strong together.
And yes… if I were on that team, I’d absolutely be making sure nobody cost us the bonus. 😂
The Quiet Performers Finally Become Visible
This is another part I think matters a lot.
When firms rely too heavily on perception, the loudest people often get the most recognition.
But once work becomes visible, the quiet high performers start showing up in the data.
And that matters.
Some of the most dependable people on a team are not the ones announcing what they’re doing all day. They’re just consistently doing the work well.
When systems help firms actually see that, it changes how recognition, trust, and loyalty are built.
It’s a bigger deal than people think.
What Other Firms Can Take From This
What Dillon Business Advisors built isn’t just about having a cleaner tech stack.
It’s about creating a structure where:
- work is easier to see
- help happens sooner
- accountability feels shared
- friction gets reduced before it turns into burnout
The biggest lesson?
You do not have to fix everything at once.
That was one of the most practical things Amy shared:
Pick one thing.
That’s usually how meaningful operational change actually happens.
It doesn’t come from one giant overhaul.
It comes from layered decisions that make the work a little clearer, a little easier, and a little more sustainable over time.
Honestly, that’s often where the best firm transformations begin.
Final Thought
What I appreciated most about this conversation is that Dillon Business Advisors isn’t pretending everything became perfect overnight.
They’re still refining. The work is still evolving. And they’re still improving.
That’s real.
There’s also something valuable about seeing firms share what they’re working on while it’s still evolving.
Progress usually doesn’t look polished while you’re in it.
More often, it looks like choosing to stop tolerating friction and finally doing something about it.
That’s where better systems usually begin.
More from Liz Scott
Liz Scott is an accounting technologist and consultant who helps firms improve workflows, simplify systems, and create more visibility across their teams. Explore more articles from Liz Scott Consulting for practical ideas on technology, operations, and building a firm that works better for both your team and your clients.