and 11 steps to take in response.
by august j. aquila
what makes a great partnership
over the years i have been called in to firms to help address an underperforming partner. i have learned that underperforming can mean a lot of different things and the underperformer can have many different problems.
more: nine ways to handle partners with strong views | nine standards for partner compensation | five ways to keep your edge as a leader | why partners need written goals | eight criteria for partnership
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.
i have also learned that many managing partners waste a lot time and energy either trying to “fix” the underperformer or just ignoring the 5-ton elephant in the room.
key reasons for underperformance
i don’t claim the following list to be all-inclusive, but this is what i have heard over the years:
- drugs or alcohol and depression
- domestic problems at home (spouse, children, etc.)
- doesn’t fit into the new culture, especially after a merger
- does not know what the firm wants him to do; has no goals
- area of expertise or niche is in decline
- been doing the same thing for too long, no longer motivated
- skills are outdated
- lack of confidence
- doesn’t feel part of a team
- lack of firm support
- clients have changed or left the firm
- recently remarried and wants to spend more time at home
- compensation was recently reduced, feeling insecure about this position
- feeling pushed out by younger partners or management
i’m sure you could add a lot more to the list.
being a partner in any professional services firm is demanding. it is hard on the individual, the family and relationships in general. the rapid change in technology can quickly leave a partner behind or feeling less than adequate.
is it always the individual’s fault?
our first reaction to underperformance is to ask, “what’s wrong with the person?” while this may be a legitimate question, you might want to ask yourself this question first, “is there anything wrong with our firm that causes underperformance?”
- is the firm creating a “one-firm” culture?
- has the firm become too individual-focused?
- do the partners receive timely performance feedback?
- are partner goals clearly defined?
- are partner goals tied to the firm’s strategic initiatives?
- are our incentives in line with performance?
okay, maybe it is the individual
you’ve gone through the above list and the firm is doing everything right to support partners and guide them. you need to talk with the individual about his/her performance and the ultimate consequence if nothing changes.
- what is going on in their lives that is causing the underperformance?
- can you identify the root cause of the problem?
- are you really capable of helping the individual? perhaps outside professional help is required.
- what action plan can be developed to help the individual improve his/her performance?
start sooner than later
underperformance does not just appear. it comes about slowly, so the sooner you can identify it and start to take corrective action, the better. there is no one way to address it. each individual is unique and it’s up to the firm’s leader to figure it out.
if, after your best efforts, the individual continues to underperform then be honest and let him know that this is not the place for him for the long term. help him find a new home. again, sooner than later is the best approach.
13 warning signs of partners not engaged
we know that the partners set the firm’s culture. but how do you know when a partner or group of partners is not engaged in the culture or happy with management?
there are several warning signs. if you see any of them, take immediate action.
- partner complaints or suggestions that they are not being kept informed of firm matters that involve staffing, termination of accountants, issues that may affect particular partners or their areas of practice, etc.
- feelings that they are being “manipulated” by management or a group of dominating partners.
- being assigned responsibility for performing certain administrative or substantive tasks without being granted adequate authority to accomplish them.
- unwillingness of the more influential partners to share in the decision-making process for the firm.
- the sense that decisions are being made by a select few, and that the partner meetings are essentially eyewash, as major decisions are made prior to the meeting, and partners are being “played with.”
- lack of open communications between the more influential partners and the rest of them. “other” partners seem to learn about decisions through the “grapevine,” rather than from the decision makers.
- senior (or more influential) partners consider the firm as their private domain, and take others for granted.
- lack of concern about the status or feelings of other partners by some of the more influential partners.
- insensitivity to the personal and professional needs and priorities of partners, i.e., handing them client matters at the last minute and demanding work be performed immediately, or within an unrealistic time frame, even though the matter may have rested on the originating partner’s desk for some time.
- unfair compensation system whereby the more influential partners are greedy and manipulate compensation plans to suit their own purposes.
- lack of adequate planning for transfer of client responsibility from the more senior partners to other mid-level and junior partners; a falloff in business because of client departure that the firm did not anticipate, or plan for, or the end of a significant matter that kept several partners and staff fully occupied, and no plan for replacement of that work.
- the more senior partners reducing their active involvement in business origination, producing work or firm management, yet still expecting to receive a significant portion of profits.
- a minority of the partners making decisions or engaging in activities that ignore/disregard the concerns, interests, wishes or expectations of a majority of the partners.
what to do if these warning signs appear
- communicate, communicate and communicate!
- partner management should take particular care to assess the needs, requirements and expectations of all of the other partners.
- partners should be given the opportunity to participate in those governance issues and to be kept informed about those activities that will influence the firm’s future.
- have regularly scheduled meetings, announce the dates and times of these meetings far enough in advance to clear schedules, and hold them regardless of whether the more influential partners are present.
- prepare an agenda for these meetings; request partners to contribute to the agenda; circulate the agenda prior to the meeting; provide background information when and where possible in advance of the meeting; prepare minutes or summaries of the meeting so there will be a written record of the decisions reached, etc.; and circulate these minutes to the partners for information purposes.
- encourage partners to speak out on various issues of a policy, financial and operational nature that will affect the firm and its practice components, presently and in the future, without fear of retribution by the dominant/more influential partners.
- reach a consensus of a significant majority of the partners about the kind of culture they want for the firm. then develop a plan(s) on how to achieve these goals, with partner responsibility and designated dates for status reporting/implementation.
- ensure that the firm has a compensation system that is well conceived and implemented, and that rewards the positive efforts of partners and associates and incents them to perform those activities that will progress the firm in the desired manner.
- provide all accountants with the opportunity to grow, professionally and personally, by attending cpe, in- house training programs about substantive matters and, on a selective basis, participating in administrative assignments to enable them learn about managing aspects of the firm, consistent with the culture desired.
- provide opportunities for the mid-level and junior partners (and associates) to participate in the orderly succession of firm management and client development and retention. be sensitive to the needs and concerns of the older partners, and ensure that the present compensation system does not work at cross purposes with the firm’s ability to achieve these immediate and longer-term objectives.
- follow up on the progress of the firm and its components to ensure that the desired culture is being maintained, and reinforced by all partners, as required.
be sensitive to the need to “tweak” elements of the firm’s culture, in accordance with the priorities and needs of the partners, as required, so as to avoid problems down the road.