fifteen big questions for your next strategy session

six people meeting around a table

focus everyone on the big issues.

by marc rosenberg
the rosenberg practice management library

most firms spend their time at retreats planning for the future, forming goals and addressing pressing issues and problem areas. the problem areas aren’t day-to-day issues such as purchasing a new copy machine or revising the policy on sick days. the problem areas are more strategic: morale issues, recruiting problems, profitability, etc.

more: five steps to transition to partnership | disturb the present to improve the future
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here are some specific examples:
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five steps to transition to partnership

man pointing at laptop screen as woman looks on

get your senior managers ready.

by marc rosenberg
the rosenberg practice management library

how are the duties and responsibilities of a new partner different from those of a manager? this is one of the grayest areas in bringing in new partners.

more: disturb the present to improve the future
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ideally, there should be a gradual transition for new partners from their last two to three years as a manager to the first few years as a partner.
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disturb the present to improve the future

eight excited office workers around conference table

five suggestions to help you compete.

by marc rosenberg
the rosenberg practice management library

to thrive in today’s tough and fast-changing market, accounting firms must become more agile and adaptable than ever before. but what are the characteristics of an agile, adaptable, quick-learning cpa firm? and how do you get that way?

more: new partners must be impact players | why partners can’t shirk performance reviews | what firms should address in partner agreements | 11 best practices for partner compensation | why buying into a firm is such a great investment | the business side of cpa firms | it shouldn’t take so long to make partner | three types of skills you need to become a partner
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my initial, somewhat amusing (probably just to me) thought was the credo for little league umpires (who in many communities are 14-18 years old):

be mobile.

be assertive.

be loud.

it may have more relevance to what follows than either of us might initially think.

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new partners must be impact players

man explaining something to three office colleagues around table

seven reasons why.

by marc rosenberg
how to bring in new partners

an impact player in sports is more than just a productive, loyal member of the team. the team relies on this player to be a consistent winner.

more: why partners can’t shirk performance reviews | twelve questions that prospective partners should ask | six systems used to determine partners’ goodwill payments | fifteen steps to new partner buy-in | four philosophies for managing a cpa firm | public accounting as a business, 101 | 16 steps to creating a partnership path
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

i’ve always liked this term to describe what a partner in a cpa firm should be. i like it so much that i inserted the term “impact” in the name of the partner self-evaluation form i offer.
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why partners can’t shirk performance reviews

two men talking across a table, one holding a sheet of paper, window and brick wall in background

five types of partner evaluations. bonus: partner self-evaluation and impact form.

by marc rosenberg

the classic purposes of a performance evaluation are:

  • to improve performance.
  • to clarify what is expected of the individual and what is needed to advance.
  • to provide management with information to use in making promo-tion and compensation decisions.

more: twelve questions that prospective partners should ask | adding new partners: 19 reasons to choose between equity and non-equity | how partner buyouts work | what buying in actually means | how partner and staff actions impact profits | nuts and bolts of mentoring staff | nine ways to measure staff performance on the path to partner
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

the need for performance evaluations applies to partners as well as staff. contrary to what many partners may feel, partners can and must continually improve their performance.
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twelve questions that prospective partners should ask

plus 11 questions your firm should ask prospective partners.

by marc rosenberg

this post should be read from the perspective of two different audiences: prospective partners and existing partner groups.

  • prospective partners: well before accepting a partnership offer, prospective partners should ask basic, critically important questions to help them judge whether accepting it would be a smart decision.
  • existing partner group: well before extending a partnership offer, the firm should get its house in order to avoid being embarrassed by smart questions posed by partner candidates.

more: adding new partners: 19 reasons to choose between equity and non-equity | what firms should address in partner agreements | 11 best practices for partner compensation | why buying into a firm is such a great investment | the business side of cpa firms | it shouldn’t take so long to make partner | three types of skills you need to become a partner
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

questions prospective partners should ask their firm

it’s one thing for a staff person to join a cpa firm, enjoy the job and experience success via nonstop promotions, feeling all along that the firm is a great place to work. but it’s quite another thing for a staffer to consider whether or not to accept a partnership offer that may come in the future.
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adding new partners: 19 reasons to choose between equity and non-equity

the ways they differ.

by marc rosenberg

it’s worth exploring the reasons for equity partners in great detail.

here are the key points:

  1. new partners deserve the promotion to such a great extent that the firm can’t afford not to admit them to the ownership ranks.
  2. the firm needs to expand its partner ranks.
  3. the firm needs to replace a departed partner.
  4. it rewards longtime managers who have solid client service skills.

more: what firms should address in partner agreements | six systems used to determine partners’ goodwill payments | fifteen steps to new partner buy-in | four philosophies for managing a cpa firm | public accounting as a business, 101 | 16 steps to creating a partnership path | six ways new partners differ from managers | the four essentials for every new partner
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

  1. it’s part of a succession planning strategy.
  2. partner promotions send a strong message to the staff.
  3. it energizes the partner group.
  4. it’s part of a merger strategy.

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what firms should address in partner agreements

businessman sitting in office and reading documents
… and what partner candidates should know before they sign.

by marc rosenberg
how to bring in new partners

what is a partner agreement?

according to nolo.com, “a partner agreement spells out the rights and responsibilities of the firm’s owners. without one, firms will be ill-equipped to settle or avoid conflicts because if certain key passages are missing or written improperly, the courts will intervene in ways that the partners may not like. a partner agreement allows the firm’s partners to structure their business relationships with each other in ways that suit their desires, needs and preferences.”

more: six systems used to determine partners’ goodwill payments | how partner buyouts work | what buying in actually means | how partner and staff actions impact profits | nuts and bolts of mentoring staff | nine ways to measure staff performance on the path to partner | sixteen duties of a partner
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

any post on partner agreements will have an obligatory paragraph like that. here is a more in-depth description that may be illuminating.
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