The obvious and logical answer is yes, of course you are!

But how clear is the vision of your future (healthier) firm?

Have you worked out (for, let’s say 5 years’ time) how many clients you will have?

And how many team members; What about fee levels; Technology; How will your firm be structured; Which clients will/won’t you be working with; What will people say/feel about working with your firm; What will your fees-per-full-time-employee equivalent be?

Answer these questions and you’ll have done what most firms don’t do, worked out a vivid vision for your firm. A vision mapping out the commercial and cultural vision you have for your firm.

Share your vivid vision regularly with your team and you’ll be on the road to a healthier firm, more certain of a brighter future and your team will appreciate working with you more.

A vivid vision pays off…

Over 20 years of working with accountancy firms on strategic health has shown us how small firms (15 people or less), as well as larger firms (hundreds of people), see a significant leap in confidence and certainty about achieving ambitious goals when they share a vivid vision.

This one stepping-stone towards improved strategic health has a profoundly positive impact.

Team members appreciate knowing where the firm is going and appreciate leaders who make a commitment to creating a firm of the future everyone can be proud of. It’s not surprising to then see improved team commitment, engagement and motivation, with improved results.

So why don’t most firms have a vivid vision for their future firm?

• Is it because a 5-year vivid vision feels too much like crystal-ball gazing?
• Or the fear of making a commitment they won’t be able to meet?
• Or because there are too many things that can change between now and 5 years’ time?

The ambiguity and uncertainty of planning the future of your firm is particularly tough when you’ve spent your whole career training to be accurate, specific and prudent.

However, take seriously the building of your vivid vision and you’ll reduce uncertainty, improve predictability and remove the guesswork that makes you feel uncomfortable about planning the future health of your firm.

So, how does strategic health help my firm?

We’ve lost count about the number of times we have heard leaders say things like:

      “My team just aren’t commercial enough…they miss opportunities to help clients more and charge more.”    

“…if only my team would get the job done on time, to the right standard, without overworking the job.”

“What do we have to do to get a more enthusiastic team?”

Working out what your future firm will look, feel and sound like taps into the unknown willingness, energy and work-ethic in your firm. Building the definition of achievement in your firm now ensures your people understand where they will fit in the future firm. You also build a stronger sense of camaraderie because everyone can see they’re part of something more than just ‘getting the next job done’.

It’s why you see building a vivid vision and focusing on building strategic health gets better team engagement and improved team loyalty, productivity and profitability.

To find out the strategic health score for your firm why not try the strategic health scorecard quiz here. Complete the quiz and you’ll be able to rate your firm’s strategic health plus receive a complimentary copy of Paul & Doug’s eBook on the 8 questions of strategy to help you further improve your firm’s future health and success.

By Paul Shrimpling

Paul Shrimpling & Douglas Aitken are the leaders of Remarkable Practice. They work with up to 50 ambitious firms (of all shapes and sizes) building strategic health so that they better ‘humanise the numbers’ and  transform their results.

Paul will be speaking at Accountex London, taking place at ExCeL on the 10-11 May 2023.

You can register for your free ticket here. 

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