6 Steps to Getting the People Part of the Business Right

CPA firms spend a great deal of time focused on growth, technology, profitability, succession, and client service. All of those issues matter but at the center of every one of them is the same question: Is the firm getting the people part of the business right?

That question applies across the whole firm—from partners, managers, and staff to clients, referral sources, and others who help shape the firm’s reputation. The firms best positioned for the years ahead will be those that listen carefully, develop talent intentionally, gather honest feedback, and create a culture where both the team and the client base grow stronger.

Here are several practical ways firms can begin doing that.

1. Make coaching part of partner and owner development.

The best singers, performers, athletes, and executives rarely progress on talent alone. They use coaches, mentors, and trusted advisors to help them see what they cannot always see for themselves. The same should be true for CPA firm partners and owners. Ongoing coaching can help partners improve how they lead, communicate, delegate, develop business, resolve conflict, and hold themselves and others accountable.

2. Create a stronger feedback loop for partners.

Partners and owners need more structured feedback from clients, centers of influence, referral sources, and prospects. That includes feedback when the firm pursues an opportunity and does not win the proposal. The goal is not to second-guess every outcome but to learn.

3. Build entrepreneurial skills earlier in the staff experience.

CPA firms often say they want entrepreneurial people, but they do not always begin developing those skills early enough. Entrepreneurial development does not mean every staff person must become a rainmaker. It means helping people think more broadly about client needs, problem-solving, communication, initiative, accountability, and opportunity.

4. Use town halls to make strategy more inclusive.

Firms usually have a strategic plan, but not all firms make that plan visible, understandable, and energizing to the broader team. Routine town halls can help explain priorities, discuss progress, and invite the team to critique and improve the game plan.

5. Recognize and listen to loyal clients.

Most firms have clients who have been loyal for years, and in some cases, decades. And these relationships should not be taken for granted.

Firms should look for meaningful ways to recognize that loyalty while also creating a formal process for understanding client satisfaction, future needs and any service concerns. Done well, client appreciation is more than a goodwill gesture; it becomes a way to reinforce connection and strengthen retention.

6. Broaden the talent model.

Not every valuable contributor to a client’s progress will have a CPA license. Firms should explore ways to add professionals with expertise in technology, operations, data, finance, HR, valuation, consulting, industry specialization, or other advisory disciplines. This does not diminish the importance of the CPA credential but recognizes that as clients’ needs expand, firms may need a wider range of people and expertise to meet them.

CPA firms cannot separate strategy from people. Getting the people part of the business right is not separate from growth, succession or profitability but is central to them all. And for many firms, it may be one of the clearest ways to create lasting value.