Stuck in a Rut? Ideas for Moving Your Firm Forward.

Source: Accounting Today

In this article, August Aquila and Angie Grissom offer insights about lackluster partner performance and ideas for how to move your firm forward.

Your firm might need a shift in leadership perspective if you're experiencing the following:

1. You identify issues or needs, and begin to address them (perhaps via a committee), but are not seeing real results or change.
2. Partners are over-involved in the day-to-day business, and under-occupied with larger-picture strategic planning, training and leadership.
3. Partners are unfocused and unsuccessful at leading the firm in accordance with the identified purposes and initiatives.
4. Partner expectations are unclear.
5. Employees are provided with insufficient and/or ineffective feedback on their performance.

How to move your firm forward:

1. Ensure that partners and firm leaders coordinate to create a clear picture of your firm's future.
2. Clarify partner expectations.
3. Develop a plan for assigning, accomplishing, and measuring the effectiveness of tasks so that team members clearly understand responsibilities and are held accountable.
4. Create a direct connection between income and job performance.
5. Develop an effective system for consistent, constructive feedback on job performance.
6. Make accountability a part of your firm culture.

For the complete article, read “Stop spinning your wheel.”

From Accounting Today, November 1, 2011, SourceMedia Inc., One State Street Plaza, 27th Floor, New York, NY 10004, 800-221-1809.