i’ve had the benefit of meeting, speaking and observing hundreds of very successful and unsuccessful partners over the last two decades and there is indeed a set of differentiating factors that set a partner apart from the chasing pack.
ultimately, when we have to interact with clients, subordinates, superiors or peers, the questions are always the same: who do i need to deliver this information to and what approach would they respond most favorably to?
in arriving at “communication” we come to the most intangible of all the components to obtain a “passport to partnership.”
in the research, which is ongoing and evolving, communication is the term given in the study to where partners look for senior managers to demonstrate that they can do two things with existing client relationships:
deborah had done well. she was bridging the firm’s culture gap and fulfilling its desire to be seen as an equal opportunities employer by becoming the practice’s standout rising star.
the passport to partnership study collated a number of responses from existing partners of accounting practices in a conversational style. examples that really stood out on the realities of individual variances in firm culture are showcased below.
ifwereallylikethem, we’ll take them out to dinner with the partners to see how they cope in that environment.
meaning, can they hold their own intellectually in more senior circles? how would they then behave when meeting with other senior executives as a contemporary of theirs? this is a huge consideration for existing partners as the reputation, goodwill and future new business of the practice is influenced greatly by how well the firm is represented by its chosen ambassador (e.g. you).
the passport to partnership study collated a number of responses in a conversational style. two brief but succinct examples that really stood out on the realities of how a firm assesses an individual’s “competence” to lead are showcased below.
the skill in producing financial reports is limited by the quality of the information presented to the cpa by the client. motivation of the client to influence that financial information comes in many forms, some intentional and some unintentional. competence comes first in being able to resist pressure and present a true and accurate position of the client’s organization.
staffers aspiring to be partners must learn the key characteristics of successful partners. they also must learn how to develop their own personal plans to achieve partnership. firms and staffers alike need a clear set of procedures, processes and milestones for turning top talent into the next generation of firm leadership.
there are seven critically important criteria by which partners assess partners-to-be. i call them:
editor’s note: with this article, 卡塔尔世界杯常规比赛时间 introduces a new series of articles by martin bissett reporting on the findings of his proprietary research into the keys to making partner. the research is based on hundreds of interviews with partners and practitioners at more than 30 firms in the u.s. and the u.k., dozens of experts and advisors, and his own 20 years of experience in the field. in his research, bissett uncovered a wide gap between what partners say they seek in a staffer yearning to be partner and what they actually do and say to train and nurture the staffer. his work in passport to partnership is dedicated to bridging that gap, revealing to both partners and partners-to-be the unspoken rules, and working to create a bulletproof program to guide their efforts.
have you ever wondered what the partners of your firm are looking for from you, beyond your technical abilities?
for full disclosure, i am not an accountant, but i have spent decades working with accounting firms of all shapes and sizes in the united kingdom, the united states and europe.
i noticed over time that in many firms, partners may often regard one or more of their managers as not being “partner material” because they feel that the manager does not exhibit the traits they are looking for.
i’ve been asking you to believe in yourself, to get your potential clients to open up to you and to demonstrate to them the outcomes that working with you and your firm would create in their personal and professional lives.
now here’s a checklist for you to run through before you begin your next business development initiative, and before each new business appointment that you have. read more →
you may be thinking right now, “well, very good, martin, but we have finite time. we’re very, very busy people and we need to get business in the door, and therefore creation of opportunity becomes the issue.”
