Law Firm Proposal

Transcript

1. Associate Development Program CLIENT LOGO
2. Project Mission Develop a “soup to nuts” comprehensive learning and development program for associates at CLIENT. The program will serve as a foundational program intended to guide lawyers through career with respect to all aspects of their daily work and their future roles as leaders and shareholders in the firm
3. Opportunity, Team & Approach Understanding of the Opportunity A mid-sized law firm in Florida has been successful and has grown to a scale where it wants to invest in building the capabilities of its lawyers beyond legal skills to increase the number of future internal leaders within the firm. Given the nature of legal work, there is an opportunity to increase the focus on developing broader managerial, project management and leadership capabilities for the next generation of leaders – the current and incoming associates. The firm has taken steps to invest for the future with the introduction an associate training program within the last few years but wants to build on that momentum to develop a top-tier training program on par with other leading law and professional services firms. Team • Team would include Paul Millerd, COO (Brad) and other stakeholders to be determined (ideally one Associate and one Shareholder for feedback) Proposed Approach Phase 1: Assess current states, build training program & develop resources • Assess through review of documents, interviews and survey (optional) the current organizational culture, its strategy mission, and the drivers of success for the firm and its shareholders • Assess best practices across comparable professional services firms and identify potential options for professional development programs (what to do internal vs. external) • Based on current state assessment, begin addressing gaps by building internal resources, selecting external partners & building long-term professional development roadmap Phase 2 (Client-Led): Implement program, assess results & continuously improve • Implement program, begin training for current associates, incoming associate program and identifying opportunities to integrate development program aspirations into the culture and strategy of the firm • Assess feedback and continue to refine program through 2018 and 2019
4. Deliverables Deliverables By the end of this project, we will co-create: • An overall Professional Development “framework” - a document with a clear articulation of the mission, values, and culture of the firm as well as expectations for a high performing Associate • A set of experiential and leadership criteria for Associates that describes a successful leader or shareholder based on the strategy of the firm • Benchmarking of 2-3 top-tier professional development programs (exact # to be discussed) • Overall curriculum plan for Associates including identification of owners of certain modules (can be internal leadership or external resources – to be identified) • Timeline of expectation for Associates given their tenure in the firm • If needed: Development of general professional training modules (e.g. managing up, structured communication, root cause problem solving, PowerPoint, Excel) Experiential Criteria Leadership Criteria Built & Led Teams Integrity & Courage Capital Investment & Allocation Strategic Mindset Driving Growth & Results Relationship Building External Stakeholder Influence & Communication Decision Making / Risk Taking Industry Relationships Company Leadership R&D and Operations Creates a Culture of Performance Financial Acumen Communication, Engagement & Inspiration Board Governance Example: Sanitized High-Level Criteria Created for CEO Succession Project Note: We will tailor something that fits the unique culture, language, and communication medium of CLIENT
5. Proposed Process • Through interviews and surveys, assess the current organization, strategy, and culture of the firm • Initial external research on professional development programs, latest learning trends (e.g. role of technology) and identification of peer firms • Select and benchmark best practices for professional development across other professional services firms (e.g. law firms, consulting firms) • Develop initial draft of Professional Development “framework” including a draft of the leadership capabilities and behaviors needed within the firm • Identify gaps between current associates and shareholders as well as gaps between current skills and skills needed to lead firm in 2025 February March April/May • Continue to refine and tweak company values & expectations • Develop initial draft of professional development “framework” & curriculum that aligns with the firm’s goals, strategy & culture. Get feedback from relevant stakeholders as appropriate • Identify training content to build internally (e.g. about the firm, its expectations, culture etc…) and identify external partners to address additional gaps (e.g. project management, coaching etc..) • Optional: Consider relevant policy changes that incentivize learning & growth (e.g. individual budget for annual learning, bonuses tied to learning goals rather than performance) • Continue to tweak, refine and improve all deliverables. Finalize by end of April. • Build training content as needed • Build momentum to launch of program in May and be creative with potential events or other activities • Integrate professional development strategy into firm review cycle • Launch initial training & development materials with incoming associate class and existing associates Client-Led (Ongoing) • In Q3 and Q4, get feedback on efforts and refine, tweak and improve as needed In-person 2-3 days/week or as needed In person 3-5 days or as needed + Remote Remote + In-person last week of April
6. Paul is the founder of Vivo Strategies and works as a freelance consultant with a focus on strategy, operations, organizational change, talent strategy, culture and leadership development. In addition to consulting work, Paul also spends time developing and producing e- learning content, writing about talent and the future of work and working with a select number of people as a career coach. Paul has worked in several areas including: • Starting his career in the financial management program at GE • Leading research on lean manufacturing and operations transformations at McKinsey & Company • Helping transform the “future of work” at a-connect • Helping to build and re-launch the global transformation practice at BCG • Consulting to CEOs and Boards as part of the Board & CEO Advisory Group at Russell Reynolds Meet Paul
7. Completed 25+ client projects working with $1B+ public and private company boards on Board Effectiveness, Top Team Effectiveness and CEO & Executive Succession. Helped launch advisory division in 2017 CEO Succession & Board Advisory Research analyst for global operations practice supporting client teams, completing research & analysis, developing insights and practice materials and managing the practice with senior partner and practice manager Lean Operations & Strategy As Knowledge Leader for the global transformation practice, helped to re- launch the practice, work with global project teams and developed articles and tools for BCG Perspectives working closely with senior Partners and practice experts Organizational Transformation a-connect is a contingent staffing firm for freelance strategy consultants Served multiple roles, including developing project plans for client projects, being staffed as a consultant on projects and leading talent and recruitment of freelance consultants for US market Future of Work & Talent 10+ Years Experience in Strategy, Operations and Talent
8. 01 03 02 04 Project Execution – Good Jobs Institute • Worked closely with MIT Professor and Executive Director to refine mission, values & purpose and to create content, website, launch strategy and communications for the Good Jobs Institute • Worked closely with graphic designers, video editors and website developers to ensure high quality, consistent messaging and on-time delivery Project Examples CEO Succession – US REIT • Developed criteria based on interviews with Board, C-Suite and review of overall company strategy • Developed framework for assessment that integrated experiential and leadership criteria and psychometrics • Assessed interviews results and developed Board- ready presentation with recommendations Top Team Effectiveness – Global CPG • Led project management for project working with global C-level executive team to increase alignment behaviors and practices on overall engagement with the Board • Worked closely with VP of Strategic Projects to develop recommendations for maximum buy-in • Benchmarked comparable Boards and behaviors Business Coaching – Family Office CEO • Worked with new CEO of family office to develop vision, mission and personal goals around business focus and values • Helped client define his unique strengths, team goals and refine business industries in which to invest
9. Example End Products Professional Services Firm: Codifying Positioning, Culture & Strategy
10. Example End Products Website & Content: www.goodjobsinstitute.org
11. Example End Products Interactive Excel Tools
12. PRINCIPLES #1 Invest in relationships first and look to add value to other people #2 Be human - do what’s right, not always what makes sense on a spreadsheet #3 Stay humble, continue to learn and be willing to admit mistakes #4 Be willing to think different and challenge conventional wisdom or practice #5 Embrace the Charlie Chaplin quote: “a day without laughter is a day wasted”