Posts Tagged ‘Talent Management’
Sponsors vs. Mentors? What’s all the Buzz?
I recently received important feedback from a client. John had been serving as a sponsor in a specific Sponsor-Protégé program we launched in his firm He is an owner and leader in a large regional, soon to be national, firm. He spoke about the profound experience of his journey to understanding exactly what sponsorship means.…
Read MoreMarketing is Not Just for Partners Anymore
Marketing in the accounting industry has an interesting, and fairly short, history. It is not unusual to find partners who still remember when it was against AICPA rules to advertise, market, directly solicit or even participate in competitive bidding. Virtually non-existent for most of the 20th century, accounting marketing has evolved at a rather slow…
Read MoreThey Don’t Want to Be Owners!
In our ongoing series about bridging the gap between management and emerging leaders, we would be remiss in not addressing the topic of moving from emerging leader to owner. The perception among many in our profession is that there are fewer individuals at the senior and manager levels who aspire to be an owner and,…
Read MoreWhat’s the Why?
As firms wrestle with Baby Boomer succession, the differences in attitudes, thinking and motivators between current and future leaders can sometimes be great. More often than not those differences or gaps are major contributors to the absence of future leaders who are on deck and ready to step into the shoes of the retiring partners.…
Read MoreSponsorship-Barrier to Exit for Talent
Jayne is a woman with ten years of experience in public accounting. She is certified and versatile in multiple areas of practice in which she might contribute now and in the future. She has deep community roots in the major metropolitan area in which she works and she has shown great promise in promoting the…
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 MoreUnlikely Source of Career Life Integration
Jayne is a team player. She is very passionate about her work and life. She has many things she wants to be involved in. She can be relied on to take things and run with them. Unfortunately at this stage in her career, as a director, she is seriously considering leaving the organization. She is…
Read MoreWhy You Must Fail Before You Can Grow
While I don’t believe there is a ‘silver bullet’ to growth, I do believe there are certain things that significantly impact growth within an accounting firm. One of those destructive ingredients is failure – and more importantly, the attitude around failure. As an accountant, you are taught to find mistakes and correct them. Detail-oriented, precise…
Read MoreYou ARE Better Off Without Them!
I am writing this blog to firm leaders. I don’t know how many times I have had Managing Partners or Executive Committee members share a story of a poor performing and/or poor behaving partner that they have let go. Inevitably in the conversation, they will say, “We had all of these reasons why we couldn’t…
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…
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