by robert j. lees, august j. aquila and derek klyhn
creating the effective partnership
in our work with managing partners, we always talk about the importance of the partners “walking together,” of sharing that common vision.
but if the partners are to share the vision, they have to play an active part in determining the firm’s direction – and, critically, how it’s going to get there.
setting direction is the first step.
by robert j. lees, august j. aquila and derek klyhn
creating the effective partnership
how do successful managing partners respond to the internal and external challenges they face?
without exception, all of the partners we spoke to talked about the need to have a clear sense of direction that the partners, in particular, could coalesce around. but what they considered even more important is the translation of that direction into a compelling vision and the strategies for achieving it.
the radical cpa: new rules for the future-ready firm…
by robert j. lees, august j. aquila
and derek klyhn
creating the effective partnership
regardless of their ownership structure, most firms either operate as partnerships or would prefer to operate as partnerships.
the tensions between being a business and the loss of the values and ethics of being a partnership feature strongly in our research.
but accounting firms are different from their corporate counterparts in a number of ways, which impact their functioning and, therefore, their leadership. read more →
the “getting-to-know-you” stage for prospective buyer and seller
by marc rosenberg
cpa firm mergers
all merger discussions have to begin somewhere. after merger candidates have been identified, there obviously needs to be an initial meeting for the two firms to get acquainted.
everything is confidential and informal. no exchange of financial statements. the two parties simply spend an hour or two – you guessed it – getting to know each other.
many firms like to convene this meeting over breakfast or lunch because meeting at a restaurant gives the encounter an air of informality and sociability. other firms like to do this in the larger firm’s office so that the smaller firm can get a “house tour.” read more →