the partnership

6 ways to combine it with personal interventions.

by marc rosenberg
the role of the managing partner

too many firms’ primary way to manage partner performance and hold them accountable is with compensation. their reasoning is this:

more: make sure partners focus on two things | manage partners with goal setting | overarching authority that managing partners must have | herding cats: advice for managing partners
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if partners perform well, they will see their reward in the form of higher compensation. if partners perform below expectations, they will get the message in the form of a disappointing compensation number. other methods are not necessary. it’s all about the money.
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9 ways to help partners manage their clients.

by marc rosenberg
the role of the managing partner

cpa firm partners have a tendency to get sucked in to many activities. there is a macho aspect to their personalities that says, “bring it on, i can handle it.”

more: manage partners with goal setting | clarify partner expectations | how the managing partner manages the partners | overarching authority that managing partners must have | exceptional managing partners offer their advice | why management is the #1 key to the firm’s success
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no. no. no. they cannot handle it well. the notion that multitasking is an efficient, desirable mode of conduct is pure myth and has been debunked by numerous studies.
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includes 20 sample goals.

by marc rosenberg
the role of the managing partner

the purposes of goal setting are to help the firm achieve its overall goals and to help individuals achieve their performance goals.

more: clarify partner expectations | how the managing partner manages the partners | overarching authority that managing partners must have | exceptional managing partners offer their advice | why management is the #1 key to the firm’s success | herding cats: advice for managing partners
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when individuals and organizations create goals, put them in writing, assign deadlines, follow up and establish a means of accountability for achieving the goals, they are more likely to achieve the goals than if they merely talk about the goals or have the goals in mind.
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it makes managing them easier.

by marc rosenberg
the role of the managing partner

over the years, during countless partner interviews, many have told me they aren’t sure of their role and what is expected of them.

more: how the managing partner manages the partners | overarching authority that managing partners must have | exceptional managing partners offer their advice | why management is the #1 key to the firm’s success | herding cats: advice for managing partners
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here is a basic, universal technique for improving performance and providing feedback:
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it’s a people job.

by marc rosenberg
the role of the managing partner

this is a saying i developed about partners that stands as tall today as it did 20 years ago: “as the partners go, so goes the firm.”

more: overarching authority that managing partners must have | exceptional managing partners offer their advice | why management is the #1 key to the firm’s success | herding cats: advice for managing partners
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this means that the partners are the drivers of the firm’s success. to be sure, nonpartner personnel are critically important to the firm’s success, but nowhere near the level of the partners, who

• bring in the clients
• keep the clients
• help clients grow
• satisfy clients’ needs by cross-selling services
• mentor staff, helping them learn and grow
• embrace the firm’s core values and spread the word to others
• manage the firm and provide leadership to all

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16 items that don’t require formal votes. 7 that do. and 25 best practices.

by marc rosenberg
the role of the managing partner

there is no better way to start this post than with a quote by tony kendall, managing partner of mitchell & titus, a large cpa firm with offices in new york, philadelphia, chicago and other cities. tony said:

“i can’t manage this firm if i have to take a vote every time i want to make a decision.”

for managing partners to be effective, they must have the authority and flexibility to make decisions without first getting approval and without subjecting those decisions to the nitpicking and negativity that may occur when management decisions are open for debate and discussion.

more: exceptional managing partners offer their advice | why management is the #1 key to the firm’s success | herding cats: advice for managing partners
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there are two caveats to this:
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they also work for new solo practitioners.

by ed mendlowitz
the 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 practice doctor

question: a few months ago i became a partner in my firm but i don’t seem to know what to do as a “partner.”

more: before you sell your practice | price your practice by gross | advising estate executors: the newbie guide to getting started | how’s your overhead?
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nothing seems to have changed except my title and compensation arrangement, which hasn’t even started yet. do you have any suggestions of what i should do?
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also: the job description in 14 points.

by marc rosenberg
the role of the managing partner

i always tell new clients that i’m “one firm smarter than the last firm i worked with.” that’s because i learn something from each firm i work with, one of the great joys of my 20-year consulting career. i’ve worked with many of the most talented, accomplished managing partners in the u.s. and canada and meticulously observed their style. no two managing partners are the same. each brings a unique style or attribute to the table.

more: why management is the #1 key to the firm’s success | herding cats: advice for managing partners
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as a result of these observations, i’ve pieced together the optimal job description for a managing partner, posted below. though i first put this together 10-15 years ago, i fine-tune it every year as times change and differences in managing partner duties are observed.
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do you want to get by, or be the best possible?

by marc rosenberg
the role of the managing partner

there are three critically important words in the title of this post:

• management
• #1 key
• success

more: herding cats: advice for managing partners
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this post drills down on each of these words to help drive home our central theme: why management is the single most important factor in a cpa firm’s success. it matters even more than bringing in business, more than having great clients and staff, more than doing quality work.
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“effective leaders get people to follow without making them feel they are being told what to do.”

by marc rosenberg
the role of the managing partner

“few things are more important to human activity than leadership. it helps countries prosper. it makes businesses successful. parents help children become successful adults.

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“the absence of leadership is equally dramatic. without leadership, organizations move slowly, stagnate, and lose their way. we are taught that if decision-making is timely and correct, things will go well. yet a decision by itself changes nothing. more important is implementation, and that’s where organizations often fail.

“implementation is about how leaders influence behavior, change the course of events, and overcome resistance. leadership is crucial in implementing decisions successfully.” – quinn mills, harvard business school professor

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