The Politics of an Accounting Firm Partnership

How one managing partner learned the hard way.

by August J. Aquila and Robert J. Lees
Creating the Effective Partnership

While many managing partners understand the value of a vision statement to focus their partner team’s energies, too few get it right.

Creating the Effective Partnership: Two-Volume Set
Creating the Effective Partnership

A vision is more than a simple statement. When we talk about having a compelling vision, we don’t mean just a well-crafted vision. We mean the vision with a clear destination, the strategies for getting there (the “how to”), the way progress will be measured and the benefits to the partners of going on the journey.

More on partnership management:  Nine Rules to Creating Highly Effective Partnership Teams   |   Audacious Vision and Grand Purpose Prove Essential to CPA SuccessAre You Creating a Sustainable Firm? | The Debilitating Effects of Denial at Accounting Firms | The Five Psychological Hurdles that CPA Firms Must Confront Today

Let’s look at an example of what can happen when all the elements (vision, journey, milestones and a positive answer to what’s in it for me) aren’t in place.