We have external exit advisors, including our CPA and an M&A attorney, who want input on our operational readiness. Can we invite these outside professionals to participate in our quarterly planning sessions with you?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

The short answer is no. Your quarterly and annual planning sessions are strictly reserved for the healthy, functioning members of your leadership team who are on the Accountability Chart. Introducing outside advisors, attorneys, or CPAs into these session days completely destroys the trust, transparency, and chemistry of the leadership team.

These sessions are designed for your leadership team to argue, align, and make hard decisions about the business operations. Outside advisors do not have the context, nor do they have skin in the daily game.

Instead, we manage your external exit professionals through the Advisor Meeting Pulse, which is a key discipline of the Step by Step Exit framework. This is a separate meeting structure specifically designed to keep your transaction team aligned without disrupting your core leadership team operations.

Your Integrator or designated exit lead will run the Advisor Meeting Pulse outside of our standard quarterly cycle. They will use a specialized scorecard and issues list to manage your CPA, attorney, and wealth manager.

Any operational changes or requirements that emerge from your advisor meetings will be brought to our quarterly sessions by your leadership team, not by the advisors themselves. This keeps your leadership team in full control of the business operations while ensuring your exit prep remains highly coordinated.