Strategies in Corporate Communications: Fostering a Collaborative Culture in the Partnership Ranks

ideas to foster a

collaborative culture

among partners and

throughout the firmthe role of creative,

attention- earning communications

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

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

title

some challenges

are timeless

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?

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?

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

Why Firms Fail.

Why Firms Succeed.

Burkey BelserPresident, Greenfield/Belser Ltd.

Copyright 2004

The Brand Research Company

All rights reserved.

All materials contained in this document are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted,

displayed, published or broadcast without the prior written permission of The Brand Research Company.

• Strategic Planning• Leadership• Client and Market Focus • Measurement, Analysis and

Knowledge Management• Human Resource Focus• Process Management• Business Results

Malcolm Baldrige Criteria

firm united under a common vision

huge!

communication of vision to staff

crucial!

client must be clients of the firm

essential!

hypotheses confirmed

• Strategic Planning• Leadership• Client and Market Focus • Measurement, Analysis and

Knowledge Management• Human Resource Focus• Process Management• Business Results

Malcolm Baldrige Criteria

test yourself.

Strategic Planning

Communication Strategy

Strategic Planning

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

Leadership

Firm Culture

Communication Skills

Leadership

Leadership: Firm Culture

Common purpose. Shared culture.

Q5,C,D

7.88.6

4.33.5

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.”

Leadership: Firm Culture

• manage the contract, and the covenant.

• recognize the necessity of shared vision

and culture as the glue that binds.

BEST PRACTICE

Leadership: Communication Skills

Q5F,H,I,J

7.66.8

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.

overdo communication, respect and

acknowledgements

lack of communication leads to

suspicion, suspicion leads to fear, fear

leads to failure.

Leadership: Communication Skills

BEST PRACTICE

Client and

Market Focus

Clients of the Firm

Cross-selling

Brand Identity

Sales Proposition

Client and Market Focus

Q14

3.2

6.4

0

2

4

6

8

10

Successful Failed

INDIVIDUALS

THE FIRM

Clients belonged to individual lawyers.

Client and Market Focus:Clients of the Firm

Q: “Was the firm’s culture one in which clients belonged to the firm, or one in which clients belonged to individual lawyers?”

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

2517

3 3

37

113

14

PE

RC

EN

T

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?”

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

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

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.”

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

Measurement, Analysis

and Knowledge Management

Measurement, Analysis

and Knowledge Management

Tracking

Shared Information. Tracking

Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge Management: Tracking

Q29

8.1 7.86.8

5.8

0

2

4

6

8

10

SharedInformation

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.

INSIGHT

“If I can’t measure it, I can’t

manage it.” — Jack Welch

Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge

Management: Tracking

54

BEST PRACTICE

Human Resource Focus

Human Resource Focus

Tools

Accountability

Service Delivery

Human resource tools/effectiveness

Human Resource Focus: Tools

Q26

7.4 7.4 7.1 6.9

5.6

4.7

2.52.9

5.9

4.74.2

6.1

0

2

4

6

8

10

Learning

Environment

Attracted

Laterals

Recruited

Students

Strategy

Understood

Employee

Surveys

Partner

Surveys

Agree

Disagree

Q: “Please rate your agreement with the following statements:”

INSIGHT

• Create a learning environment.

• Communicate the goals of the firm.

Human Resource Focus: Tools

BEST PRACTICE

Achievements. Accountable.

Q5J,K

7.96.9

6.3

4.8

0

2

4

6

8

10

Acknowledged

Achievement

Individuals

Accountable

ACCURATE

NOT ACCURATE

Human Resource Focus: AccountabilityQ: “Please rate the accuracy of the following concepts in describing the leadership of your firm over the past 3 years:

1. Acknowledged individual achievements; 2. Held individuals accountable.”

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

Effectively coordinate.

Q25A,B

7.2 7.3

5.75.0

0

2

4

6

8

10

Offices Practice Groups

AGREE

DISAGREE

Process Management: Service DeliveryQ: “Please rate your agreement with the following statements about the firm:

1. Effectively coordinated work across offices; 2. Effectively coordinated work across practice groups.”

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

title

the prescription for a collaborative culture

survey partners and staff

acknowledge achievements

hold individuals accountable

formal mechanisms to coordinate

work across offices

title

let’s see how firms are creating

collaborative cultures

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

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

title

communicate the firm’s brand strategy

establish clear priorities

title

share information broadly

throughout the firm

create a learning environment

express a shared (resourceful) purpose

creative expression

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

cross understanding as a

prelude to cross selling

share convincing credentials with

colleagues and clients

HUS-Our_Firm_

HUS-Our_Firm_

HUS-Our_Firm_

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

share a collaborative mission

provide sales tools that rise above practices

other ways to inform and rise above the practice

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

0:30 / 3:00 / 30:00

mastering the art of

conversational branding

“what do you do?”

the :30 pitch

“I’m a lawyer.”(in Washingon,

always followed

by an apology)

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

0 10

what do you want to know?

who are you?

how can I help you?

how can you help me?

the :30 pitch

not interested in me?well, I’m not interested in you.

the :30 pitch

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

tells a story. does not recite a resume. is a choreographed mating

dance.

:30 pitch techniques

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

can your attorneys promote the

partner in the office next to them?

:30 pitch

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

fin