Posts Tagged ‘Succession planning’
Tying a Transition Plan for Retiring Partners to Your Partner Agreement
The valuation used to determine the terms for paying retired partners will never make sense unless you assume the firm will at least perform as well as it did before the partner retired. Some firms can never get comfortable with the concept of fixing the obligation to retired partners at the date of retirement. The…
Read MoreGrowing and Developing Future Leaders is a Two-Way Street
Firms are at a crossroad when it comes to transitioning to the next generation of leaders. According to the CPACA study on Succession Readiness 48.3% of firms of all sizes cite “lack of future leadership talent” as a primary obstacle in their succession. While some partners believe there is a lack of leadership talent within…
Read MoreA Winning Culture is an Intentional Culture
“People will typically be more enthusiastic where they feel a sense of belonging and see themselves as part of a community than they will in a workplace in which each person is left to his own devices” ― Alfie Kohn, Author Your firm’s culture is the essence of its being and the way it feels to work…
Read MoreEliminate The Mystery through Communication & Inclusion
When I begin to work with a new CPA firm client, one of the most common issues I encounter is the lack of open, honest, on-going communication between firm leadership and firm team members. In many firms, some leaders are still in the mindset that many of the management and partner topics need to confidential.…
Read MoreThe First Step in Succession Planning-Assess Your Need for Replacement Partners
The first step in developing a plan for the internal succession of your partners is to develop an understanding of the nature and timing of their replacement. This will provide you with what you need to know for acquiring the necessary talent and developing viable successors. Start with when each partner is likely to relinquish…
Read MoreBuilding Your Bench For Succession
Thousands of firms are working through the succession and retirement of senior partners and deciding along the way whether or not they can pull it off internally and stay independent. The single most important factor for success is what we see when we look over our shoulder – is the bench of people there to…
Read MoreCan You Afford to Buy-out the Retiring Partners of Your Firm?
Many firms are struggling with the prospects of paying retirement buyout payments for their senior partners who will be retiring in the next few years. In some cases, several partners will be receiving retirement buyouts simultaneously. The financial burden can seem daunting. As we have emphasized in earlier blogs, make sure you first have the…
Read MoreWhen Should You Commence the Execution of Your Succession Plan
A key factor in successful transition of clients, as a partner moves toward retirement, is how dependent the client has become on the individual, rather than dependent upon the firm. In most firms, retirement benefits for partners are dependent upon the number of clients that remain with the firm. So, it is important that you…
Read MoreReluctant Leadership?
Partners often tell me that one of their number one succession concerns is who will ascend to partner. The perception is that “there is no one interested in becoming a partner these days.” Yet, when I talk to managers and senior managers (and even staff!), they are interested, but they don’t really know what means…
Read MoreAs A Leader, You Worry About Others – But Don’t Forget About Yourself
Whether you are an actual owner, principal, firm administrator, marketing director, HR director or a talented up-and-comer inside your CPA firm, the fact that you are reading this blog means that you deeply care, and worry about the firm, the client and your team members. But what about YOU, personally? Many of us in CPA firm management are…
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