strategy

six questions to test your partner team’s performance management systems

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goals alone won’t won’t get you there.

by robert j. lees
and august j. aquila
creating the effective partnership

many leaders believe that people remain focused and committed to their performance goals if the goals are clear and compelling. however, that’s not our experience with accounting firms.

according to franklin covey’s “the 4 disciplines of execution: achieving your wildly important goals,” team engagement and accountability are necessary to maintain commitment to goals and we are firmly in this camp. read more →

tying performance systems to strategic initiatives

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by robert j. lees
and august j. aquila
creating the effective partnership

as much as a firm’s performance is driven by partner engagement, partner engagement is driven by performance goals.  our research shows that when partners’ performance goals – individually, as a team or department – are misaligned with the firm’s strategic initiatives, the firm will suffer.

we see this too often in multilocation, multinational firms where what’s important in one location isn’t in another and, as a result, it’s downplayed in favor of local priorities. unfortunately, though, it’s the whole firm that suffers, not just the initial location. read more →

focus on a few goals – and don’t assume everybody can do everything

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define measures of success and timesheets.

by robert j. lees
and august j. aquila
creating the effective partnership

current thinking suggests that people who focus on a few key goals have a greater chance of achieving or surpassing their goals and all of our work confirms this is true.

in our research into what truly successful managing partners do, one of the things the successful managing partners do that differentiates them from their peers is to focus their partners’ efforts on the firm’s key deliverables as a way of avoiding dissipation of energy and a loss of momentum. read more →

five resolutions for the run-up to busy season 2014

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by sandi smith, cpa
accountant’s accelerator

i’ve worked with a lot of accountants who do not realize how valuable their skills are in the marketplace.  most people can’t do what we do with numbers.  we need to shake any self-limiting beliefs we have in this area because it limits our ability to serve more clients.

if you were making resolutions for the accounting industry, what would you suggest? the first resolution i’d make is: read more →

3 steps to business clarity amid the sea change in accounting

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by sandi smith leyva, cpa
accountant’s accelerator

with labor day closing in, it’s a good time to take stock of where we stand for the year, plus re-group as needed before the 2014 busy season is upon us.  with so many changes in software, politics, tax laws, and global standards, it’s pretty easy to feel a little disorganized.

more for soloists and small firms:  the five essential skills accountants need today  | the seven essential components of a simple marketing plan for accountants  | take six big steps to go beyond compliance services     |     when your business needs to be rebooted  |   two steps to easy cross-sells   |   the hot new tech product for automated data entry   |   five value-add service areas to take you beyond bookkeeping   |   six money-making strategies to take you beyond quickbooks   |   proactive ways to get more referrals   |   the three biggest money leaks in your practice   |   new client opportunities with mobile apps   |   six questions to launch your summer strategy sessions   |   what most accountants miss in the five simple steps to get more clients   |   accountants, do you know your opportunity number? | five ideas to reduce client price-sensitivity | rise to the top with a fresh elevator speech | four ways to practice entrepreneurial perseverance | 5 mistakes to avoid when seeking new clients  | the top 12 business card blunders accountants make | seven tips to keep the clients you have | how to attract clients like a magnet | eleven easy ways to deliver more value to clients

here are three steps to help us take stock of our foundational business goals, re-evaluate our big picture, and get us centered as we enter the next quarter. read more →

when your business needs to be rebooted

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four steps when things aren’t turning out the way you dreamed.

by sandi smith, cpa
accountant’s accelerator

how does your current business look compared to the one you dreamed about before you started your entrepreneurial journey? do you now have clients you love, a dream team, the financial rewards you are comfortable with, and plenty of free time?

more for soloists and small firms:   two steps to easy cross-sells   |   the hot new tech product for automated data entry   |   five value-add service areas to take you beyond bookkeeping   |   six money-making strategies to take you beyond quickbooks   |   proactive ways to get more referrals   |   the three biggest money leaks in your practice   |   new client opportunities with mobile apps   |   six questions to launch your summer strategy sessions   |   what most accountants miss in the five simple steps to get more clients   |   accountants, do you know your opportunity number? | five ideas to reduce client price-sensitivity | rise to the top with a fresh elevator speech | four ways to practice entrepreneurial perseverance | 5 mistakes to avoid when seeking new clients  | the top 12 business card blunders accountants make | seven tips to keep the clients you have | how to attract clients like a magnet | eleven easy ways to deliver more value to clients

if not, don’t give up. you can still get there, and a little business clarity may help you get there even faster.

here are four steps: read more →

why good accounting firms make bad decisions

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the dysfunctional partner team and three ways to get them back on track.

you’ve tried management by committee. and by now, you know it doesn’t work. in a new analysis of cpa firm management practices, marc rosenberg finds, “management by committee rarely works.”

there must be a better way. and, yes, there are a few. here is a five-point spectrum of approaches that firms use to make decisions. one of them may work for your firm.

read more →

12 must-do items for your partner retreat agenda

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august aquila
august aquila, ceo of aquila global advisors

and 12 retreat topic no-no’s.

by august aquila
author of “leadership at its strongest”

the purpose of the retreat should be clearly thought out early in the year. articulate one or two goals for the retreat. you need to be very specific as to what you want to accomplish. for example, the purpose of the retreat is to develop a succession plan for the firm. you many not know exactly what it will look like, but you know what the end product of the retreat will be.

if you cannot do this, don’t hold the meeting. ask yourself this one question: “what would happen if we did not hold this retreat?” if the answer is “nothing,” you’ll know what to do.

retreat topic no-no’s

let’s look at common retreat topics that should not be discussed at a retreat. you may or not agree with the list, but i urge you to strike the following items from your retreat agendas. read more →

the client service team in action

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by bruce w. marcus professional services marketing 3.0 while some firms have explored the idea of client service groups, and leading thinkers like patrick mckenna have been training firms in the concept for several years, few firms have developed the … continued

ten things every firm needs to make clear firm-wide

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the main categories of information for internal communications and management. by bruce w. marcus professional services marketing 3.0 while the substance of information varies from firm to firm, there are 10 categories that cannot go unconsidered: