Legal Services > Skills Development
As lawyers, or as other professionals, we tend to be trained in one skill – that of providing legal advice. Rarely do we find ourselves with the skills we need when we are in a position of owner or manager of an organisation or a team. Now, we can leave the position like that - or we can decide to do something about it...
CLIENT FACING CAPABILITIES:
- How do we deliver what clients want if we do not understand the basics of their business world? How do we enhance our own knowledge of business concepts to enable us to assist them with their strategic options when providing appropriate legal advice?
MANAGEMENT CAPABILITIES:
- How can we work effectively with non-lawyers so as to deliver together on the needs of the firm as a whole? What are the techniques that they use?
- What is the difference between data and information and how can I ensure I get the best information I need to make the best decisions I can?
- How do I know what the financial implications of my decision will mean for the other business functions with which I am involved?
- How do we more effectively manage this team? How do we capture and retain the best staff?
STRATEGIC CAPABILITIES:
- How do we ensure our future leaders will have the right skills?
Many clients have used our skills programmes as a means of progression, promotion, moving careers, organisations or roles.
- So we take an individual,
- Work out where they need to be if they are to fulfil (and exceed) their organisational and personal goals,
And design a bespoke programme for them based on finance, HR, marketing and operational skills. This means introducing them to the skills they need and then working with them as they practice those skills on the ground.
- We work in-house or privately with individuals.
A: In-house skills development
We design a 'cradle to grave' approach for your teams and we introduce them to the finance, IT, marketing and HR skills that they need to get them to where you need them to be. We then work with you and them to help them implement them.
The original brief to Firm Beliefs was to encourage and progress the development of key individuals to make them "business minded people" as well as increase their productivity as lawyers. Whilst there existed within the organisation pockets of excellence in terms of commercial awareness, this was neither being monitored across the organisation nor shared. There was no performance management process in place in relation to commerciality and business skills. More
As an organisation, we knew that we were falling behind our competitors. We simply did not have the business skills we needed... More
B: Individually managed skills development
We work 'behind the scenes' with individuals who prefer their firms not to know that they are undertaking such training or with individuals who work for firms who don't or won't provide a skills development programme for their staff.
Sara's "mini-MBA" was the most insightful training I've had, giving understanding of how a legal practice runs. More
I began to think differently. The sessions reinforced my interest in leadership and culture. I changed my perspective on my own job (I am a businessman that practices law).
Managing Partner of a large international firm can be a daunting, and lonely, position to be in. Firm Beliefs supported me, developed my skills (you can never stand still in today's world) and helped me make our firm what it is today. They reinforced my good ideas, tweaked my bad ones and allowed me to enjoy what I do. I was able to attend our in-house skills programmes, delivered by those I manage which can be tricky, whilst at the same time able to have my own sessions with Firm Beliefs where I could really get to grips with matters that were important without fear of losing face or loss of peer respect.
Coaching and mentoring
As part of our 'mini MBA' skills programmes, we believe that mentoring and coaching enhance the experience of the individual and the benefit to the firm. We are able to work with you to design and deliver on internal and external programmes.
For details of our skills development programmes, contact Gareth Mason or Sara Dixon
For details of our coaching design and delivery, contact Matthew Arrowsmith Brown
For details of our mentoring design and delivery, contact Simon Card
