Forces beyond our control are changing the way we do business.
We must adapt and innovate to survive—and yet there is no single solution. Each individual, leadership team, and firm must figure out a strategy that takes into account one's unique challenges and opportunities.
That's what Thomson Consulting does best: combines a high-level understanding of market forces with a zeroed-in focus on your particular situation to devise a roadmap for the future.
“Changes in the landscape can make what we do now antiquated overnight—but they also present a remarkable opportunity to create something new. ”
Our services
Leader Development
When you become a partner or leader in a firm, the game changes. We provide coaching, mentoring, and peer-to-peer leadership training experiences to help rising leaders figure out to be successful in their new landscape.
Executive-level coaching: No one has it all figured out. Yet, at this level, you enjoy few, if any, organizational supports. We coach top executives who are willing to bravely put aside their ego, ask questions, and uncover the opportunities before them.
Near-term or emerging leader coaching: Leaders need coaches too. We prepare future leaders for your new role, whether that’s at a market, service-line, industry or executive level.
Culture development: As firms come together following a merger, leaders must actively create the culture they want for their new company. We help you determine how to forge an authentic unifying culture that brings your employees together.
Practice Leadership: A firm’s future is impacted by effective leadership. We help Practice Leaders – Industry or Service Line – find clarity on their specific expectations that enable them to positively and effectively align practice area strategy with the firmwide strategy.
Strategic Planning
As the industry changes, firms have a lot of decisions to make. Do you want to stay the same size? Grow? Do you grow organically or through mergers? Do you need to acquire talent to enhance particular service or industry offerings? We guide you in developing a plan that will orient you toward achieving your goals for the next five or 10 years.
Partner retreat and meeting facilitation: We draw on our years of leadership experience to diplomatically and effectively facilitate the deep conversations that are necessary to establish long-term alignment on a firm’s goals and priorities.
Culture leadership: There are plenty of reasons to reexamine your firm’s culture: recent M&A activity, a transition in leadership, losing key clients or staff. We help firms take advantage of catalytic events to better define who you are and how you work.
Long-term strategic plan development: Without proper accountability, strategic planning can go on endlessly. We keep the team on task in order to build a customized strategic plan within a reasonable amount of time.
Governance
Firms are evolving out of necessity, and there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to leadership. We work with your leadership team to develop a strategy that best uses your talent and resources to efficiently produce results.
Structural efficiency: The way you structure your firm determines your ability to stay on the leading-edge of change. How adaptable is it? Do you organize based on geography or service-lines? Does top-down governance work for you, or should you consider a matrix organization? We walk you through these complicated questions to figure out the best structure for your firm.
Succession planning: Do you have the next group of leaders ready to take over the firm in the case of retirements, emergencies, or unusual events? We help you identify your emerging leaders and offer training programs for employees with potential.
Critical conversations: When you have major differences among leaders, how do you resolve them? We facilitate conversations to help resolve conflicts and arrive at consensus, asking the tough questions that no one else wants to.
Management Consulting
Ten years ago, CPA firms followed a very predictable path. No longer. As the world changes, so must we. We help you think through your unique challenges and develop tailored solutions in the following areas:
Compensation methodology: How does your compensation methodology support your overall strategy and desire for partner/owner performance? There aren’t right or wrong answers—only what’s best for your firm.
Partner retirement strategies: Over the next 10 years, more CPA firm partners will retire than in the past three decades combined. What should your partner buy-outs look like, and how are you going to pay for them?
Succession planning: Who’s next in line when it comes to particular talents, industries, service lines, expertises? How do you make sure you maintain a practice when a person leaves, and how far in advance should you begin preparing?
M&A negotiation and consulting: Do you need to grow an area of your firm? Are you considering selling your practice in order to secure your retirement? Have you received an unexpected offer and aren’t sure what to do? We help firms think through M&A activity and serve as a resource during the negotiation process.