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A five-step process.

By Matt Rampe

Ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu writes in his book, “The Art of War,” “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.”

Many accounting partners go to “war” (aka strategic planning) and then seek to win by having their opinions prevail. If the partners are well aligned, that can work. However, often partners are not yet aligned on key issues. That is where the subtle art and science of influence can be used to create victory.

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What Is Influence?

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, influence is the capacity to affect the character, development or behavior of someone or something. In a CPA firm context, influence is the method by which you seek to understand and then persuade your peers into alignment around key issues.
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Four points to consider.

By Matt Rampe

A common stumbling block for partner groups is poor execution or complete avoidance of hard conversations. We can have all the best goals and systems in place, but if constructive candor is absent, we will likely go off course.

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What Is a “Difficult” Conversation?

While you may not look forward to talking with your dentist about a cavity or listening to the endless terms and conditions when you sign up for a mortgage, those are not what we mean by “difficult” conversations.

A difficult conversation has these elements:
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What’s your mindset for implementation?

By Matt Rampe

Now that your strategic planning event is completed, it’s time to roll up your sleeves. With almost two-thirds of CPA firms reporting that execution fails after their planning event, implementation becomes a critical factor in your success.

FORTUNA ACCOUNTING CHECK-IN As Bill sat in his office, the typical hum at Fortuna Accounting had resumed. The partners had made a splashy announcement about the new vision and their strategic priorities at the All Hands meeting last week, but now things seemed quiet. As Bill stared at his growing inbox of urgent requests, he began to wonder if anything new really could get done before this time next year rolled around. The thought was immediately pushed from his mind as the phone rang loudly and his biggest client showed up on his caller ID.

 

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Core Question of the Implement Stage (Post-Event)

The Implement stage continues, and is perhaps most important, after your strategic planning event concludes. This article will cover the post-event part of this stage.
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Identify them in both individuals and the business.

By Matt Rampe

After lots of thoughtful prework in the Initiate stage, you’re now at your strategic planning event! It begins with the Identify stage, where we are going to identify areas of excellence in your firm to build momentum.

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Let’s check in on Fortuna Accounting’s strategic planning event.
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Why psychological safety is so important.

By Matt Rampe

You’re at the starting line! You know what strategic planning is and why it matters, and you’re ready to begin. This article will tell you all about how to start strategic planning. It’s called Stage 1: Initiate.

MORE: Why Strategic Planning Matters More Than Ever
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While we eventually will cover the whole 5i process, it’s worth noting that this process can be tailored to your firm, so feel free to take pieces of it that may apply and leave behind any that don’t, based on your situation. You’ll find many useful tools and ideas even if you don’t use the whole framework.
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