Upstream Academy logo

High Performance Firms

A results-driven program for firm leadership teams, High Performance Firms will help your firm make significant, measurable progress on the path to improvement, teach you what you need to do on an ongoing basis to stay on that path and provide the on-going tools and resources to keep you moving forward.

 

High Performance Firms

High Performance Firms

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from working with hundreds of firms across North America, it’s this: most good firms sincerely want to become great. They just don’t know how to get there.

We can help.

High Performance Firms will help your firm make significant, measurable progress on the path to improvement. It will also teach you what you need to do on an ongoing basis to stay on that path.

Key Elements

With Upstream guidance and the program’s innovative tools, powerful processes, and outstanding training your firm can develop habits required for meaningful results and become healthier and more profitable year by year.

Diagnostic Evaluation of Firm-Specific Needs

A comprehensive diagnostic evaluation of firm strengths and areas of improvement help you create a plan for improvement. 

This self-assessment completed by firm stakeholders allows you to analyze firm performance in the Six High Performance Areas of Discipline:  Leadership, Financial Performance, Partner Effectiveness, Team Development, Client Management and Business Development.  The report provided will help guide next steps.  (The 5 Behaviors for Intact Teams is an optional add-on.)

On-Demand Educational Courses

Upstream provides guidance on an educational path based on your firm-specific diagnostics.

All firm members have access to on-demand educational courses on the Four Pillars of High Performance Firms (Culture, People, Clients and Growth) and on the Six High Performance Areas of Discipline (Leadership, Financial Performance, Partner Effectiveness, Team Development, Client Management and Business Development).  Each course deals with a specific firm issue and guides you to the correct tools and resources to help you put lessons into practice.

 

Tools and Resources

An evolving library of processes, sample documents, and tools help you implement best practices in your goal areas.  Over 20 documents, including support for:

  • Bench strength analysis
  • Career mapping
  • Partner compensation
  • Client acceptance and removal policies
  • Succession planning  

 

Virtual Community

Program participants are part of an evolving virtual community made up of other firms in the program with several opportunities for collaboration.

  • A virtual space to share best practices and solutions with a cohort of 8-10 non-competitive similarly-sized firms .
  • An HPF specific session at our HeadWaters Leadership Conference (additional registration required)
  • Quarterly community meeting on key HPF topics.

 

Customized Advisory Guidance

Expert advice given during regular group meetings provide an opportunity to discuss challenges and strategy and ensure accountability to goals.

Level 1 add-on – Quarterly meetings with firm leadership (60 minutes)

Unconditional Guarantee

Like everything we do at Upstream Academy, the High Performance Firms is unconditionally guaranteed to your full satisfaction. If you’re not completely satisfied, we will either waive your fee or accept that portion of the fee that reflects your level of satisfaction.

Cost

Base:  $5,500 (requires UAN membership)  REGISTER

Level 1: $9,500 (requires UAN membership), includes quarterly 60-minute leadership meetings with Jeremy Clopton to discuss challenges and strategy   REGISTER

HPF Alumni: $4,500 per year if you have participated in the past   REGISTER

The High Performance Firms Philosophy

Culture

Culture sessions provide leaders with the vision, strategic plan, financial metrics, tools, and processes necessary to optimize partner horsepower and build a high-performance culture.  Here’s what High Performance looks like at the firm level:

  • Firm leaders proactively assess and work to improve firm culture
  • Partners do only partner level work, creating growth opportunities for others in the firm
  • Every partner receives an open, honest evaluation that provides meaningful feedback on strengths and weaknesses in each key area
  • A superior goal setting process requires each partner to collaboratively set stretch goals that tie to the firm’s strategic plan and to individual strengths
  • A system of accountability keeps partners focused on their stretch goals year-round
  • Successful completion of partner goals is tied to partner compensation
  • Partner income is significantly above industry standards

People

People sessions and tools provide leaders with the vision, tools, and processes necessary to use team member strengths to grow the firm. Here’s what High Performance looks like at the team member level:

  • Partners have identified the firm’s future leaders (bench strength) and there is a personalized leadership development plan for each of these emerging leaders
  • Empowered employees are well trained and confident in handling engagements
  • The firm’s path to partner is clearly defined
  • The partner group is unified in its willingness to treat top performers differently
  • Leaders select and lead high performing teams with high performing individuals
  • Strategic recruiting produces team members with high performing traits
  • The best people in the firm are consistently matched up with the best opportunities
  • The firm has a higher than average retention rate for experienced (3-5 years) people

Clients

Client sessions and tool help leaders understand amazing client service and give them the tools to provide it.  Here’s what High Performance looks like at a client service level:

  • All clients are evaluated and identified as A, B, C, or D level
  • Client centered processes drive value to each client with maximum efficiency
  • There is a written plan for serving each A client
  • A plan is in place to improve relationships with B and C clients and transfer D clients
  • Efforts are focused on increasing average revenue per client
  • Minimal process variation produces consistent, high quality service
  • There is a team approach to serving all A and B clients
  • Processes and services are driven by the voice of the client

Growth

Growth sessions and tools provide leaders with the vision, tools, and processes necessary to create a culture of business development throughout the firm.  Here’s what High Performance looks like at a business development level: 

  • Rainmakers are freed up to spend the majority of their productive time on business development
  • All leaders follow written personal business development plans
  • A non-negotiable screening process is followed to ensure that only quality clients are accepted
  • Effective pipeline meetings are held regularly
  • Every professional can deliver a marketing message that differentiates the firm
  • A strong business development culture exists firm-wide
  • An effective “rainmaker-in-training” program is in place
  • There is a proactive plan to connect clients to an increased number of firm services
  • The firm’s best referral sources are clients who are raving fans
NASBA_CPERegistry_logo_color_transparent
After attending the High Performance Firms you will be able to identify and implement improvements to your firm’s vision, goals and processes. Upstream Academy will recommend CPE credit based on participation in this course. Prerequisite: None. Skill Level: Overview,
Upstream Academy is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.