STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR CPA FIRMS

Posted by accountingweb on Nov 7 2010 1907 printer friendly

I've been working and talking with several firms recently about their strategic planning process. How's your process going? Are you focused on the action steps and proudly checking things OFF your list?

If you are not moving ahead as well as you originally anticipated, don't despair - - I strongly encourage you not to write-off 2010. You still have time to DO THINGS yet this year and at least gain a couple of steps forward before you really get busy in 2011 (you've got the rest of November, December and most of January).

If you need some motivation, I encourage you to read David Maister's Managing the Professional Service firm (that's my copy in the picture - I've had it a long time and it still gets a lot of use).

I have summarized the chapters and offer a couple of bullet points below:

· It is clearly more about internal, operational matters: How to change the firm's methods of delivering services so that clients derive additional benefits from its approach compared to that of the best competitors.

· Strategic planning means personal strategic planning, too. Each partner should develop a plan for his/her own career. They have each thought through what their special value on the marketplace will be, what will make them more than just one more practitioner in their specialty, how they plan to achieve this vision of personal career progress.

Dig out your copy of the book and re-read Chapters 20 and 21. If you don't have a copy buy one ASAP.

"It's strategy through activity: Try something, anything, but act - now!" - - David Maister

View the discussion thread.

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