how to decide who decides pay

woman on building roof spraying out dollars with a garden hosewhere to draw the line between managing partner and compensation committee.

by bill reeb and dominic cingoranelli

everyone likes the idea that “i” will hold “me” accountable. but few like the idea of “anyone else” holding “them” accountable.

more on performance management: accountability requires clear expectations | base retirement on today’s operations | who decides what? | how retired partners are robbing their own firms | best practices for mandatory retirement | how retirement issues affect succession planning | succession: the questions to care about | how to target what skills to develop now | what having your employees’ backs means | 5 harmful management attitudes (and how to fix them) | do cpa firms need management or leadership? |  job 1 for the practice owner: client management

goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

so, once the decision has been made to implement systemic changes to hold partners accountable to specific performance expectations rather than just relying on everyone to put in a self-proclaimed “good day’s work,” the next battleground is determining who will be holding whom accountable. the discussion always shifts to “let’s have a group of people, like a compensation committee, hold us accountable.”
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partner pay: open vs. closed compensation systems

businessman ogling money over another's shoulderboth have advantages.

by marc rosenberg
partner comp: art & science

“if people are concerned about their absolute level of compensation, then they can be satisfied. however, if their focus is on relative standing, then they can never be satisfied.”

andrew grove, former chairman, intel

an open compensation system is one in which all partners know the earnings of all partners.

more on partner compensation: 5 other systems for paying partners | 3 non-performance-based comp systems | 3 subjective compensation systems | partner compensation 101 | how partners view compensation: it’s not all about the money | why most partner comp systems are performance-based

a closed system is one in which a limited number of partners are privy to this information. in closed systems, the only partners with access to all partners’ income are usually the managing partner, the compensation committee and/or the executive committee.
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make accountability a process

man and woman reviewing a documenteveryone performs better when someone else has oversight.

by bill reeb and dominic cingoranelli
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 / succession institute

setting up an “accountability and goal process” always sounds much easier than it actually is to implement. so for those who already think this process would be painful, just know that you still are probably underestimating the amount of agony in store.

more on performance management: accountability requires clear expectations | accountability is for everyone | succession plan requirements | base retirement on today’s operations | who decides what? | how retired partners are robbing their own firms | how involved should retired owners be? | firms say what would change retirement pay | 4 ways to create more capacity | how to find a partner’s replacement | action plans for transitioning partners | partner retirement and the war for clients | best practices for mandatory retirement | how retirement issues affect succession planning | succession: the questions to care about 

this leads us to the standard question, “if this is so awful, why would anyone do it?” the answer is both simple and abstract.
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5 other systems for paying partners

money falling from the sky; moneyon whitewhy balanced scorecard is mbo in new clothing.

by marc rosenberg
partner comp: art & science

there are many partner compensation formulas, some performance-based and some not, some more subjective than others.

more on partner compensation: 3 non-performance-based comp systems | the 3 best partner compensation formulas | 11 points in designing a partner comp system | what partners earn and how they earn it | partner compensation: an art, not a science | how partners view compensation: it’s not all about the money | why most partner comp systems are performance-based

the systems below are less common than others, but some firms are attracted to them, especially small firms.
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9 things to stop doing now

businessman in dark gray suit raise his hand in action of stop and word "stop" on his red palmstop devaluing yourself and the profession.

by martin bissett
passport to partnership

the thing about accountants is that they occupy, should they wish to, a unique position in the minds of their clients. we know it as most trusted advisor.

more on the passport to partnership: how to create an upward spiral | it’s not the challenge, it’s your response | what challenges really mean for partners | commitment: your view and your firm’s | businesses place value on expertise | what conversion really means for partners | communication: it’s not about you

goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

simply put, if you are a trusted advisor, you’re supposed to
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pay varies when performance varies

closeup shot of a caliper measuring the word "goals"plus ways to measure both objective and subjective performance criteria (yes, it can be done).

by bill reeb and dominic cingoranelli
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 / succession institute

an important point to keep in mind is that we, as human beings, have good months and bad ones, good years and bad ones.

more on performance management: accountability requires clear expectations | accountability is for everyone | succession plan requirements | base retirement on today’s operations | who decides what? | how retired partners are robbing their own firms | how involved should retired owners be? | firms say what would change retirement pay

what is going on in our personal lives has a lot to do with how we perform in our professional ones. therefore, if someone is going through a difficult time, such as a divorce, death in the family, major conflicts with extended family, etc., we can expect those events to spill over into our work life.
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3 non-performance-based comp systems

businessman sitting on scales with stack of coins in other trayhint: they don’t eliminate arguments.

by marc rosenberg
partner comp: art & science

the common thread to non-performance-based systems is that partners’ compensation is not based on their performance, but on other factors that have nothing to do with performance. there are three main systems of this type:

more on partner compensation: the 3 best partner compensation formulas | why firms use partner comp formulas | 3 tiers of compensation | partner compensation 101| what partners earn and how they earn it | partner compensation: an art, not a science | how partners view compensation: it’s not all about the money | why most partner comp systems are performance-based

  • ownership percentage
  • pay all partners equally, or nearly so
  • seniority

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key advice for potential partners

woman's hand pressing words "ask an expert"bonus: 8 questions to ask plus words from our expert council.

by martin bissett
passport to partnership

you may want to become a partner, but that requires leadership. do you display the traits you admire in leaders?

more on the passport to partnership: how to create an upward spiral | the dna of a practice leader | what does the next generation of practice leaders face? | commitment: a cautionary tale | how to build your pipeline | 6 keys to the perfect proposal | communication can’t be overrated

goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

partnership pointers

1. take time to identify a leader you admire from any walk of life. jot down a criterion for emulating their success behaviors. how many of these criteria do you fulfill yourself already and what do you yet lack but can work on right away?

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accountability includes partners

manager dangling carrots in front of staffdeliver not only rewards but sanctions.

by bill reeb and dominic cingoranelli
卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 / succession institute

let’s take a close look at what accountability might look like.

more on performance management for pro members: accountability requires clear expectations | accountability is for everyone | who decides what? | firms say what would change retirement pay | action plans for transitioning partners | how retirement issues affect succession planning | how partner ratings factor into equity | cpa firm performance assessments: 15 core competencies, 21 questions

for partners, accountability is best described as having a system in place that rewards partners for
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how to create an upward spiral

businessman bursting through flames and fireworkswill you be forged in fire or flutter away like ash?

by martin bissett
passport to partnership

unhappy and difficult clients help our firms to improve our client management skills and present opportunities to refine our leadership skills.

more on the passport to partnership: the dna of a practice leader | surviving vs. thriving | what does the next generation of practice leaders face? | 6 keys to the perfect proposal | what conversion really means for partners | 12 ways to determine your competence | passport to partnership: new research shows wide gap between partners and partners-to-be

goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

it is tough for us to build a successful firm without difficult clients or internal personnel issues in order to provide learning experiences for us to build a robust and commercially successful infrastructure.
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partner buyout 101

scales, money and gavel6 ways to calculate buyout payments, 6 ways partners leave firms, how partner retirement plans have changed over the years and how to be sure yours isn’t a ponzi scheme.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm retreats

a partner is retiring from your firm. how will you handle the financial aspects?

more: 27 tough questions every firm needs to address | make more money | system vs. system: partner compensation best practices | 10 benchmarking missteps | how to address partner compensation at a retreat | partner accountability: how and for what? | 18 essential management questions to cover at a retreat | how to decide who decides what | management styles: partnership vs. corporate | 30 marketing and growth questions to cover at a retreat | how marketing for cpa firms is different | why create a marketing plan? | thinking of merging? discuss it at a retreat | how to take action after a retreat | 12 simple rules for a retreat | leave your retreat with a to do list | every retreat needs a leader, but who? | retreats are no place for clowns | who should participate in a retreat? | retreat logistics: how long, what kind? | what should cpa firms discuss at retreats? | why do cpa firms conduct retreats?

there are six methods to calculate the buyout payments to a retiring partner. in brief, they are:
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24 points for after the deal is done

colleagues working side by sidehow to make sure these two firms start working as one.

by august aquila
creating the effective partnership

congratulations! after years of planning and months of tough negotiations, you’ve finally closed the deal on merger of your cpa firm.

more on leadership for pro members: innovate or die | 3 ways to halt a poor leader | partners love, hate leadership | 8 questions that staff ask in a merger | the 4 best ways to use your senior partners | 11 steps to building a better partnership team

you might be thinking the most difficult work is behind you. think again! you now have to move your eye from the financial to the human side of the merger.
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