For a CPA firm to operate at its best we need to do well on each of these nine rules:

1. Focus

• What is our firm legitimately number one at?
• Who is our ideal customer/target market?

2. Values

• What are our core values?
• Are we hiring and firing for these? Do our actions match our words?

3. Alignment

• Are all the “arrows” aligned in our firm?
• Are all our people, goals, and processes moving in the same direction?

4. Vision and Goals

• What is the clear, compelling vision for our firm that is shared by all?
• What are our short- and long-term goals? How do they create measurable success toward our vision?

5. Learning

• Are all voices on the team heard? Do we all feel safe to take appropriate risks?
• Are we focusing on getting better over time instead of on being perfect now?

6. Roles

• Are we clear on all the core tasks that need to be performed for our firm to run well?
• Have we assigned out all those tasks into clear, appropriately-sized roles for people?

7. Accountability

• Do we know who will get each task done and by when?
• Are we surfacing barriers along the way and resolving them to keep momentum up?

8. Commitment

• Is each individual personally committed to being here and doing what they say they will do?

9. Process

• Have we created clear diagrams of all our core business processes needed to succeed?
• Do we train people on these and use them consistently to run our business?

Matt Rampe, ASA, PCC, is a sought-after consultant, coach, and speaker in the accounting industry. His focus includes strategic planning, defusing difficult partner dynamics, and partner coaching. Matt is a partner at Rosenberg Associates 

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