nine reasons you need another partner

number 9 created by gaps between many small green plastic 9'splus nine reasons they should want to be.

by marc rosenberg
the rosenberg practice management library

before we get too far, we must answer a basic question: why would a cpa firm ever want to make someone a partner in the first place? why would it want to share profits with more people?

more: how to make partner?
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the short answer is that it must be beneficial to both the firm and the new partner. a win-win, as the saying goes.
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how to make partner?

don’t keep it a mystery: six common mistakes.

by marc rosenberg
the rosenberg practice management library

accounting firms worldwide are dealing with an enormously difficult challenge today – one that has topped every firm’s list of critical issues since the turn of the century and will continue to be a high priority for years to come. the vast majority of firms struggle with it. failure to solve it causes hundreds of firms to merge out of existence every year.

more rosenberg: 10 ways to hold partners accountable | five ways to evaluate partners | compensation is no way to manage partners | 4 big issues that firms face | make sure partners focus on two things | manage partners with goal setting | clarify partner expectations | how the managing partner manages the partners |

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the “it” is, of course, succession planning, with difficulties rooted in a perfect storm of causes:

  • the huge number of baby boomer partners nearing or reaching retirement age, coupled with …
  • an acute shortage of younger people with the desire and the skills to succeed them, accompanied by …
  • cpa firms’ historical weakness at retaining staff and developing them into leaders and future partners. evidence of this is the fact that 80 percent of first-generation firms never make it to the second.

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10 ways to hold partners accountable

business meeting of a woman and two mendo your firm’s core values mean anything?

by marc rosenberg
the role of the managing partner

we have addressed the techniques managing partners use to manage the partners. one of the most effective tactics to show leadership in working with partners – and managing the firm – is to create ways to establish accountability for their behavior and conduct. in this post, we drill down on this.

more: five ways to evaluate partners | compensation is no way to manage partners | clarify partner expectations | exceptional managing partners offer their advice
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i have had the privilege of working with dozens of highly effective managing partners during my career. these leaders are the cpa profession’s equivalent of rock stars. one question i always ask them: what makes your firm so successful? they almost never cite the obvious suspects: great at bringing in business. lots of billable hours. high rates. expertise. long work hours.
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five ways to evaluate partners

woman conducting evaluationbonus: two forms you can use.

by marc rosenberg
the rosenberg practice management library

why do firms conduct performance evaluations of partners?

  • to clarify what is expected of the partner
  • to improve performance
  • to provide management with information to use in allocating partner income, which should be linked to performance

more: compensation is no way to manage partners | make sure partners focus on two things | entitled rainmakers and other practice development errors | breaking it down: marketing job descriptions | how and why to hire a marketing director | how to brand and differentiate your firm
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five types of partner evaluations

  1. self-evaluation
  2. upward evaluations of the partners by the staff
  3. client satisfaction and loyalty surveys
  4. peer evaluations
  5. traditional one-on-one appraisal sessions, same as for staff

larger firms use evaluations more than smaller firms. this is because larger firms tend to have more sophisticated management practices, including partner accountability, which is one of several techniques for managing partner behavior and conduct. smaller firms often avoid partner evaluations because they struggle with partner accountability. that’s not good, but that’s the life they lead.
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compensation is no way to manage partners

man counting $100 bills into three piles6 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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4 big issues that firms face

purple no. 4 billiard ballplus: how the merger picture hasn’t changed.

by marc rosenberg
the rosenberg map survey

an extraordinarily perfect storm was experienced by cpa firms in 2020: the endless tax season plus the virus. in mid-july, five months after the virus’s onset, no one knew anything for sure going forward – neither the science of the virus and people’s health nor the economic impact of the virus on the business world.

more: pandemic highlights value of digital files | remote work success helps solve staffing shortages | you like being remote, but what about your clients? | covid-19 shakes up m&a activity | we adapted to remote work … now what?
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here is data from a survey we took of 61 cpa firms in mid-june. virtually all firms had annual revenue of $35 million or less, with the average being about $10 million. it is important to understand these firm sizes because the top 25-50 firms were making more drastic operational moves (mainly layoffs and partner draw reductions) than typical local cpa firms.
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make sure partners focus on two things

mentor showing project presentation to mentee9 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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manage partners with goal setting

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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