the partnership

fifteen big questions for your next strategy session

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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

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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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uncooperative partner might not be the problem

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why are they unwilling to help?

by ed mendlowitz
202 questions and answers: managing an accounting practice

question: my tax partner gives me a hard time when i ask her for assistance. is there anything i can do to get her to be more responsive?

more:  merge in lower-priced work without losing out | 20 things you need for a business valuation
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response: this can apply to every research question asked by anyone in the firm. besides tax, it can be for audit, internal controls, succession planning or any other client service area.

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partner accountability: the only two things that really matter

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both tax and audit partners can achieve margin goals, but in different ways.

by bill penczak

i was leading a midyear review of the 2023 strategic plan for one of my cpa firm clients, one that has experienced exponential growth (you’re welcome) in the past few years but simultaneously is facing the positives and negatives that accompany rapid growth. as we delved into the goals and objectives in the six strategic areas, it dawned on me that partner focus – and the ensuing measurement and related compensation – should be narrowed to just two things, which i will address in a bit.

more bill penczak: how to boost profits by (omg) sharing the upside | bill penczak: stop forcing smart people to do stupid work | chase birky: overcoming paralysis by analysis | dustin verity: keep an open mind and constantly learn | five ways to put success into succession planning | o.d. lanier: stepping into advisory | secret to success? a growth and abundance mindset | from tax to transformation | five steps to building advisory work | the six essential kpis for managing partners | the great resignation: five reasons accountants are quitting | five tips for better decision-making | your marketing sucks: six reasons why | five global cpa leaders: four survival strategies | are you too generous with your write-offs? | nine smooth moves to build client satisfaction | planning for success in 2021 | re-thinking today’s firm with five global leaders | 5 things your firm should do differently this summer | do you have the guts to beat the covid crisis? | how to inoculate your firm against covid competition | ‘found money’ delights clients | don’t buy a rolodex, buy a process | the three r’s for beating the corona crisis | 6 reasons why your marketing sucks
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the polar opposite of this kiss approach was the managing partner of a $100 million-plus firm that wound up being gobbled up by one of the supernationals almost 10 years ago. he was brilliant – he could look at an excel spreadsheet and, in “rain man” fashion, immediately identify wrong entries or formulas. (for those readers on the younger age spectrum, “rain man” was an academy award-winning film from 1988 starring dustin hoffman and tom cruise.) being the king of excel, this managing partner had created a 20-column rating sheet for each partner to measure their performance. in the words of one partner at the time, “there was so much detail, we didn’t even know what to focus on.”

time for wapner, indeed.

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new partners must be impact players

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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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four surprising keys to communication

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component parts of how the other person perceives your in-person communication
component parts of how the other person perceives your in-person communication

how to show that you value your clients – and yourself.

by martin bissett
 business development on a budget

i’ve had the benefit of meeting, speaking and observing hundreds of very successful and unsuccessful partners over the last two decades and there is indeed a set of differentiating factors that set a partner apart from the chasing pack.

more: four reasons people struggle with communication | five questions for measuring partner potential | five ways to rally your firm to its culture | when would-be partners aren’t candidates | make your expertise a new-client magnet | don’t think of it as selling | experts: what it takes to become partner | where is your next money coming from? | your website promises. do you deliver? | five reasons firms don’t thrive | what the next generation of practice leaders faces
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

here are the four “best-selling behaviors” that i’ve observed:

1. road tested

none of us can have a track record of partner-level excellence on day one in the position but we can be road tested in four ways:
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why partners can’t shirk performance reviews

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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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four reasons people struggle with communication

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chart showing passport to partnership's 7 levels of communication managementplus two things you must demonstrate with existing client relationships.

by martin bissett
passport to partnership

ultimately, when we have to interact with clients, subordinates, superiors or peers, the questions are always the same: who do i need to deliver this information to and what approach would they respond most favorably to?

more: five questions for measuring partner potential | culture can’t be ignored | three questions about your competence | 10 can’t-skip steps for business development | attract clients, don’t chase them | success in business comes second | business won’t come to you | forged in fire: the pains of leadership | a lesson in customer service and reputation | prioritize your prospects | good enough is not enough
goprocpa.comexclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.

in arriving at “communication” we come to the most intangible of all the components to obtain a “passport to partnership.”
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