Firm Beliefs Client Projects
Many of our clients are happy to provide testimonials but, because of the often confidential nature of what we do in terms of market impact, they prefer not to be named. We have therefore taken the decision not to name any of our clients.
However, our clients are always willing to talk direct to prospective clients on a confidential basis. Please contact us if you would like to discuss Firm Beliefs' services with any of our clients and we can send you their details.
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The issue
A niche ten partner and fifty lawyer firm were at a crossroads and wanted to crystallise their direction for the next few years. Although well managed, like many firms of their size, in the UK or elsewhere, they lacked the direct experience of 'strategy' to do that with confidence. They were also concerned that strategic discussions can often result in partners feeling unhappy with each other as they discover the way forward. They asked Firm Beliefs to steer them through the process.
The outcome
The partnership feels strongly that it has achieved a visible 'return on investment' for the time and cost given to the strategy process. At the formal project review carried out after six months the benefits were already showing through:
- More and better work coming from referrers which had been identified and aimed for as a result of the new clear focus now being given to marketing activities and the improved exposure the firm was gaining.
- Partners were able to spend more time on client work from having better identified management roles, streamlined meetings and delegated greater degree of decision-making to the professional support managers than before.
- First steps had been taken in succession planning against a background of the firm's culture and vision for the long term future.
- Some of the difficult performance related issues in regard of a few staff which had hitherto been ignored were being tackled against a background of common agreement amongst the partners.
The project process
The strategy process included all partners and key support managers and involved three phases.
Phase 1 - Preparation - was fundamental to enabling real value to be derived from the following Strategy Away Weekend (Phases 2 & 3). Over a few weeks, Firm Beliefs met with each partner on a one-one basis to listen, prompt their ideas and flush out issues for their own departments and the firm as a whole. An Information Pack containing short thought provoking papers and a series of questions to prompt thinking was given to each so that all were 'at the same speed' and ready to positively contribute to the Strategy Weekend.
Firm Beliefs facilitated the Strategy Weekend over two days.
Phase 2 - began with each partner presenting their first outline thoughts on the plan for their own department. Open discussion on each enabled other partners and support managers to add their ideas and thoughts. Misconceptions regarding situations within departments were ironed out and broad discussion was encouraged. Partners then spent time altering and fleshing out their own plan with support from Firm Beliefs.
Phase 3 - involved re-presentation of the more detailed and considered plans followed by the identification of the common firm-wide issues and creation of consequent plans to address them.
Why the project succeeded
According to the managing partner 'it is all down to the character of Sara. We had initially appointed a consultant from one of the biggest consultancies but his attitude was very much that it was all just a process to be gone through. Sara got to know each of us, ascertained very quickly where the internal politicking was blocking progress and, ultimately, she earned our trust and our respect. We knew she would not make us look stupid in front of our peers, would not leave us to our own devices to repeat past behaviours until she, and most importantly, we knew what we were doing. She taught us without us realising it. We had picked up so many skills in that one weekend that we were amazed. For us, it was the most impact that any consultancy had ever made on us, and that enabled us as partners to ensure that our business made an impact itself'.
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