Talking Points for Your Next Partner Retreat
Source: CPA Trendlines
The following includes excerpts, reproduced with permission, from an article by Marc Rosenberg.
Most firms spend their time at retreats planning for the future, forming goals and addressing pressing issues and problem areas. The problem areas aren't day-to-day issues such as purchasing a new copy machine or revising the policy on sick days. The problem areas are more strategic: morale issues, recruiting problems, profitability, etc.
Here are several examples of issues your firm should address at its next retreat:
- Are you happy with the direction the firm is headed in? Does your firm have a formal, written strategic plan?
- Are you satisfied with profitability?
- Is your firm growing at a proper rate? Do you need a marketing plan?
- Is your firm's partner compensation system performance-based? Is it fair?
- Where do you stand on succession planning? Do you have enough partner-potential people coming up?
- Do you have programs in place to develop your staff into future leaders?
- Do you have sensible plans in place to structure new partner buy-ins and to buy out existing partners?
- Is your firm's management structure effective?
- How effective are your partners and managers in supervising staff? Firms are increasingly turning to upward evaluations.
- Does your firm have partner accountability?
- Should you be looking for merger or lateral hire candidates?
- How do you evaluate your staff? What should you be doing to help them develop?
- How is morale at your firm?
- Are you satisfied with productivity of partners and nonpartners?
- Do you have effective billing and collection procedures?
No list can be all-inclusive, but this one might be a good start.
For the complete article, read “The 15-Item Checklist for Your Next Partner Retreat.”
From CPA Trendlines, http://cpatrendlines.com, May 29, 2012.