Strategies in Corporate Communications: Fostering a Collaborative Culture in the Partnership Ranks
No question about it: culture is defined by the leadership of the firm. But if collaboration is a hallmark of the firm's culture, communications can play a large role in energizing collaboration. This session offers three valuable strategies to help facilitate clear, effective communication and foster creativity between law firm partners. Our presenters will address:
• The Vampire Syndrome: Killing Off Deadly Communications Permanently
A step-by-step program to remove impediments to collaboration that include dreadful practice descriptions, chilly biographies, pale internal updates and bloodless newsletters
• Beyond the Drum Circle
Creative ideas that foster and sustain collaboration.
• What's Your Partner's Elevator Pitch?
How to enable lawyers to "sell" one another through collaborative learning.
Facilitators:
Burkey Belser, President, Greenfield/Belser Ltd.
Joe Walsh, Principal, Greenfield/Belser Ltd.
Strategies in Corporate Communications: Fostering a Collaborative Culture in the Partnership Ranks
1. ideas to foster a
collaborative culture
among partners and
throughout the firm
the role of creative,
attention- earning
communications
2. title
agenda
collaboration hurdles
the business case for collaboration
communication ideas
collaborative campaigns/case studies
internal cross selling tools
clutter busting communication tips
better partner pitches
3. title
agenda
collaboration hurdles
the business case for collaboration
communication ideas
collaborative campaigns/case studies
internal cross selling tools
clutter busting communication tips
better partner pitches
5. title
I don’t know you
I don’t know your service
I don’t like you all that much
I don’t know your skill sets
I don’t know your track record
I don’t know your reputation
now what was it you wanted
to sell “my” client?
what prevents collaboration?
6. title
compensation system
lack of client teams
failure to institutionalize clients
geographic dispersion
large offices
collegial but nose-to-the-
grindstone culture
information overload
what else prevents collaboration?
7. title
agenda
collaboration hurdles
the business case for collaboration
communication ideas
collaborative campaigns/case studies
internal cross selling tools
clutter busting communication tips
better partner pitches
8. Why Firms Fail.
Why Firms Succeed.
Burkey Belser
President, Greenfield/Belser Ltd.
Copyright 2004
The Brand Research Company
All rights reserved.
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9. • Strategic Planning
• Leadership
• Client and Market Focus
• Measurement, Analysis and
Knowledge Management
• Human Resource Focus
• Process Management
• Business Results
Malcolm Baldrige Criteria
10. firm united under a common vision
huge!
communication of vision to staff
crucial!
client must be clients of the firm
essential!
hypotheses confirmed
11. • Strategic Planning
• Leadership
• Client and Market Focus
• Measurement, Analysis and
Knowledge Management
• Human Resource Focus
• Process Management
• Business Results
Malcolm Baldrige Criteria
15. title
Down the chain of command.
Strategic Planning: Communication Strategy
8
57
92
43
60 40 20 0 20 40 60 80 100
10B
To Partners Only Associates & Staff Included
Successful Firms
Failed Firms
Q: “How far down the chain of command were details of the firm’s strategic plan
known—equity partners, partners, associates, staff…?”
“They didn’t differentiate between
equity partners and partners.” [no
communication below partner level].
(failed)
“The plan has been developed with
input from all lawyers including
associates and the senior staff… This is
a significant change.” (successful)
Verbatims
18. Leadership: Firm Culture
Common purpose. Shared culture.
Q5,C,D
7.8
8.6
4.3
3.5
0
2
4
6
8
10
Common Purpose Shared Culture
ACCURATE
NOT ACCURATE
Q: “Please rate the accuracy of the following concepts in describing the leadership of your firm over the past three years:
1. United the firm under a common purpose or vision; 2. Created or maintained a shared culture throughout the firm.”
19. Leadership: Firm Culture
• manage the contract, and the covenant.
• recognize the necessity of shared vision
and culture as the glue that binds.
BEST PRACTICE
20. Leadership: Communication Skills
Q5F,H,I,J
7.6
6.8
7.9
7.0
5.1
4.0 4.2
6.3
0
2
4
6
8
10
Clear Priorities Excellent
Communicators
Excellent HR
Skills
Acknowledged
Achievements
ACCURATE
NOT ACCURATE
Q: “Please rate the accuracy of the following concepts in describing the leadership of your firm over the past three years:
1. Established clear priorities for the firm; 2. Excellent communicators inside the firm;
3. Excellent human resources skills; 4. Acknowledged individual achievements.
21. overdo communication, respect and
acknowledgements
lack of communication leads to
suspicion, suspicion leads to fear, fear
leads to failure.
Leadership: Communication Skills
BEST PRACTICE
25. Q20,20A
7.7
5.0
0
2
4
6
8
10
Cross-
Selling
Monetary Culture Client
Teams
Only
Talked
Not at All
0
20
40
60
80
100
28
50
25
17
3 3
37
11
3
14
PERCENT
Reward cross-selling.
Client and Market Focus:
Cross-selling
CROSS-
SELLING
CLIENT
HOARDING
Q: “To what extent did firm policies encourage or reward cross-selling versus have a ‘client hoarding’ culture?
How was cross-selling encouraged?”
26. INSIGHT
Make clients into clients of the firm.
Offer the services of the client team.
Lawyers who hold onto clients must give
the firm “permission” to cross-sell, almost
guaranteeing its failure.
Client and Market Focus:
Cross-selling
BEST PRACTICE
27. INSIGHT
Have a clear vision that your firm
stands for unique and positive
values—not a “hotel for lawyers.”
Client and Market Focus:
Brand Identity
BEST PRACTICE
28. Reliance on few rainmakers
Q18C
4.4
7.7
0
2
4
6
8
10
Successful Failed
AGREE
DISAGREE
Client and Market Focus:
Sales Proposition
Q: “Please rate the following statement about your firm’s approach to marketing over the past three years:
The firm relied very heavily on a small number of rainmakers to bring in new clients.”
29. INSIGHT
Create a role for everyone in the
organization to contribute to sales
and client retention and expansion.
Client and Marketing Focus:
Sales Proposition
BEST PRACTICE
32. Shared Information. Tracking
Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge
Management: Tracking
Q29
8.1 7.8
6.8
5.8
0
2
4
6
8
10
Shared
Information
Tracking Systems
COMPLETELY
AGREE
COMPLETELY
DISAGREE
55
Q: “Please rate your agreement with the following statements: 1. The firm had information systems in place to give management the
information needed to intelligently run the firm; 2. Management and financial information was effectively shared among all partners;
3. Systems were in place to routinely evaluate the firm’s performance against the business plan.
33. INSIGHT
“If I can’t measure it, I can’t
manage it.” — Jack Welch
Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge
Management: Tracking
54
BEST PRACTICE
39. Understand that those who go
unrecognized will go.
Understand that those who under
perform should go.
Be rigorous, but not ruthless.
Human Resource Focus:
Accountability
BEST PRACTICE
40. Effectively coordinate.
Q25A,B
7.2 7.3
5.7
5.0
0
2
4
6
8
10
Offices Practice Groups
AGREE
DISAGREE
Process Management: Service Delivery
Q: “Please rate your agreement with the following statements about the firm:
1. Effectively coordinated work across offices; 2. Effectively coordinated work across practice groups.”
41. title
the prescription for a collaborative culture
communicate the firm’s brand strategy
establish clear priorities
share information broadly throughout the firm
evaluate performance against plan
reward cross-selling culturally and with $$$
initiate client teams in order to institutionalize
clients
create a learning environment
42. title
the prescription for a collaborative culture
survey partners and staff
acknowledge achievements
hold individuals accountable
formal mechanisms to coordinate
work across offices
44. title
agenda
collaboration hurdles
the business case for collaboration
communication ideas
collaborative campaigns/case studies
internal cross selling tools
clutter busting communication tips
better partner pitches
45. title
agenda
collaboration hurdles
the business case for collaboration
communication ideas
collaborative campaigns/case studies
internal cross selling tools
clutter busting communication tips
better partner pitches
86. title
agenda
collaboration hurdles
the business case for collaboration
communication ideas
collaborative campaigns/case studies
internal cross selling tools
clutter busting communication tips
better partner pitches
113. title
agenda
collaboration hurdles
the business case for collaboration
communication ideas
collaborative campaigns/case studies
internal cross selling tools
clutter busting communication
better partner pitches
146. title
agenda
collaboration hurdles
the business case for collaboration
communication ideas
collaborative campaigns/case studies
internal cross selling tools
clutter busting communication tips
everybody needs an elevator pitch
147. 0:30 / 3:00 / 30:00
mastering the art of
conversational branding
150. 0 10
what did I fail to do?
who am I?
who do I work for or with?
how do I do it?
the :30 pitch
151. 0 10
what do you want to know?
who are you?
how can I help you?
how can you help me?
the :30 pitch
152.
153. not interested in me?
well, I’m not interested in you.
the :30 pitch
154. 1. have a purpose: what do you want
the listener to do?
2. create a dialogue.
3. position yourself as important,
confident and a leader.
0 10
the :30 pitch
155. tells a story.
does not recite a resume.
is a choreographed mating
dance.
:30 pitch techniques
156. You know how companies use slogans like
“If you’ve got the time, we’ve got the beer”?
Well, my law firm protects against others
using those slogans improperly or stealing
them outright.
I’m head of [firm’s] IP practice in the New
York office.
the :30 pitch
157. can your attorneys promote the
partner in the office next to them?
:30 pitch
158. 1. what you are really expert in?
2. what there is about your approach
to client problems or opportunities
that makes you so great?
:30 pitch