Posts Tagged ‘leadership’
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 MoreSponsors 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 MoreHow Ya Gonna Keep ‘Em?
There is a World War I era song titled, How Ya Gonna Keep Em Down On The Farm, after they’ve seen Paris (pronounced in the song as Par-ee)? Farm boys had gone off to war in Europe at a time when farm boys knew no other life than the one they were living on the farm. Up…
Read MoreLeadership Disconnect
A recent survey of Managing Partners in an international alliance found that 85% of Managing Partners say they need younger leaders to step up, yet 93% of Young Leaders say Managing Partners won’t invest in them. Further, 100% of the Managing Partners say it will cost the firm significantly to replace an Emerging Leader and…
Read MoreBridging the Gap-The Conclusion
On behalf of the members of the CPA Consultants’ Alliance, I hope you have enjoyed and benefited from our 2015 blog series focused on the central theme of Bridging the Gap-Strengthening the Connection Between Current and Emerging Leaders. The membership of the CPA Consultants’ Alliance is comprised of many of the top thought leaders in…
Read MoreBridging the Gap: Staying Independent vs. Selling or Merging
Most of the firms we work with on succession planning start off with a strong preference to remain independent, and not sell or merge in order to address the need to payoff and replace retiring owners. The common reasons we are given for this inclination are- Control-Most owners of small to mid-sized CPA firms like…
Read MoreA Call For Change: An Open Letter To Each Generation
With three distinct generations in the workplace today, the impacts are phenomenal. Firm leaders are challenged to balance and blend each generation’s unique historical context, motivators and somewhat differing values systems to create a unified team and a sustainable firm. To ensure that the generations co-exist and collaborate, it is helpful to understand the…
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 MoreThe Culture of Continuous Improvement
Lean Six Sigma and Change Management are popular concepts in accounting firms today. Most firms start their “Lean Journey” with an eye toward improved efficiency and controlling engagement costs. But after a successful first project, many leaders in our profession rave about all of the ancillary benefits they are beginning to see within their organizations. …
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