strategic plans undermined by out-of-control partners

2016-roundtable-outlook-for-rosenberg-map-commentary-vf-240x219too many firms are waiting to make plans.

they say “past results are no indication of future performance.” maybe. maybe not. but if anyone should know, it’s our panel of experts, their comments are drawn from the new edition of the rosenberg map survey. in this installment, the former ceo of clifton gunderson says too many firms are falling short of their own goals because of mis-managed partner teams. he doesn’t exactly blame it on greed. but we can. – rick telberg, 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 ceo

by carl george
carl george advisory

lessons from 2015:

succession remains an issue as the baby boomers are leaving the profession. i see many firms that have waited too long for succession planning, and, of course, the owners have aged. i call it the “clip the coupon for one more year syndrome”! the problem arises when that one year becomes three years, five years and longer.

more on the  2016 outlook & forecast: growth, succession plans critical for firms | cpa firm growth rates hit a wall  |  the five treacherous factors hobbling today’s cpa firm  |  sam allred: change agents needed  |  allan koltin on talent wars go from white gloves to boxing gloves  |  get the full report: the rosenberg map survey

without the next tier of leadership and ownership, some firms become very vulnerable, and they have to look at alternatives like merging up. firms in this position oftentimes see the firm value declining as “buyer” firms may view them as high-risk firms.

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the hazards of not reallocating partner equity

unbalanced brass scales“this stage is usually when the crap hits the fan in many organizations.”

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

let’s look at the common pitfalls we find with ownership distribution, using scenarios to drive home various points. let’s say we have a five-partner firm.

the ownership and age is as follows:

partner                                 equity                 age

senior partner 1 (sp1)           35%                    65

senior partner 2 (sp2)           35%                    63

junior partner 1 (jp1)            15%                    53

junior partner 2 (jp2)            10%                    48

junior partner 3 (jp3)              5%                    42

first of all, many firms would die for this kind of age split as – unfortunately – many firms have partners much closer in age than this 23-year range example. but continuing on, let’s say senior partner 1 (sp1) wants to retire at the end of this year. if this would occur as it does in many firms, we would be scrambling for additional partners. but for the sake of this discussion, let’s say we just addedjunior partner 3 (jp3) last year and we will add jp1 immediately after sp1’s retirement with an ownership interest of 5 percent.

so, if this were to occur without unusual intervention, the new ownership percentages would look something like this a year later:

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12 simple rules for a retreat

stack of cell phones on tableand don’t skimp on the prep work.

by marc rosenberg
cpa firm retreats

the purpose of a retreat is to motivate the management team and build a spirit of teamwork.

more on retreats: 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?

these objectives can be much better achieved by following a 12 simple rules: read more →

growth, succession plans critical for firms

2016-roundtable-outlook-for-rosenberg-map-commentary-vf-240x219more from the rosenberg map survey.

they say “past results are no indication of future performance.” maybe. maybe not. but if anyone should know, it’s our panel of experts, their comments drawn from the new edition of the rosenberg map survey. these are their bullet points and comments, verbatim, looking back at the last 12 months and looking ahead to 2016. – rick telberg, ceo

by tamera loerzel
convergencecoaching

lessons from 2015:

capacity is the number one challenge in firms today. turnover, millennials working differently (and many leaving the profession) and succession all continue to impact capacity in firms. as mature partners with deep technical or industry expertise and rainmaking ability exit, firms are left with a gap that leaders have struggled to develop and replace at the pace they need to.

more on the  2016 outlook & forecast: cpa firm growth rates hit a wall  |  the five treacherous factors hobbling today’s cpa firm  |  sam allred: change agents needed  |  allan koltin on talent wars go from white gloves to boxing gloves  |  get the full report: the rosenberg map survey

growth continues to be a focus for firms and most firms are blessed with positive growth this year, including a combination of both organic and inorganic growth through m&a activity. the challenge is managing growth to ensure firms have the people – at the right levels with the right expertise – to serve the clients.

forecast for 2016:

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talent wars go from white gloves to boxing gloves

2016-roundtable-outlook-for-rosenberg-map-commentary-vf-240x219more from the rosenberg map survey.

they say “past results are no indication of future performance.” maybe. maybe not. but if anyone should know, it’s our panel of experts, their comments drawn from the new edition of the rosenberg map survey. these are their bullet points and comments, verbatim, looking back at the last 12 months and looking ahead to 2016. – rick telberg, ceo

by allan koltin
koltin consulting group

lessons from 2015:

the past 12 months have shown positive growth for most firms. it’s coming more in consulting and value added services.

more on the  2016 outlook & forecast: cpa firm growth rates hit a wall  |  the five treacherous factors hobbling today’s cpa firm  |  sam allred: change agents needed  |  tamera loerzl on growth, succession plans critical for firms  |  get the full report: the rosenberg map survey

there has been a lot of discussion regarding the three “big c’s” (compensation, capital and [deferred] compensation at firms). there has also been more rethinking of traditional bonus programs for staff…paying everyone something has become an entitlement (and doesn’t really leave enough for the stars) vs. just giving a bonus to those who “really hit it out of the park.”

the war on talent has gone from white gloves off to boxing gloves on. firms are also getting much better at

  • defining goals,
  • expectations of performance and
  • having leadership hold partners accountable for performance.

forecast for 2016:

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