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Building for the future - to successfully compete in a post-recessionary world

Building for the future - to successfully compete in a post-recessionary world. Peter Scott PETER SCOTT CONSULTING. Where are we now?. Factors driving change A global economic downturn Technology Globalisation Clients’ changing needs Fragmented legal professions

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Building for the future - to successfully compete in a post-recessionary world

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  1. Building for the future- to successfully compete in a post-recessionary world Peter Scott PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  2. Where are we now? Factors driving change • A global economic downturn • Technology • Globalisation • Clients’ changing needs • Fragmented legal professions • A need to become more competitive PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  3. The greatest danger? - complacency! “Our strategy is to keep a lid on expenditure and weather the storm. We cannot reinvent ourselves as something we are not” Managing Partner of a major London law firm – Autumn 2008 PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  4. An alternative view… “there seems to be a disturbing strategy of hunkering down, cutting some fat and hoping that business will return to normal. That is not good. The terrain will look very different when this is over. This is not a minor blip, but a discontinuity” “the problem is that most senior lawyers think only two months ahead. They have no coherent picture of the future. The planning is not being done. And it is senior lawyers who need to be driving change” Professor Richard Susskind – May 2009 PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  5. This is what one of the world’s largest law firms says “you will see less of the crazy, untamed growth in many market areas. The growth will be slower. Staff numbers may be lower, and the rush to recruit will not come back” Wim Dejonge – Managing Partner, Allen & Overy, May 2009 PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  6. Against this background – how can law firms become more competitive? “Competition is a process by which … services that people are not prepared to pay for, high cost methods of production and inefficient organisations are weeded out and opportunity is given for new…services methods and organisations to be tried”* Could this apply to the world’s legal professions today? *Everyman’s Dictionary of Economics PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  7. Where are you now? What are the most important lessons you are learning from this recession? PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  8. A chance to make a new start • Which of those lessons will you use to build success for the future? • Name one change which would make a greater difference to your firm than any other PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  9. A chance to make a new start What should your partners be doing: • More of? • Less of? • Differently? PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  10. Some key challenges for tough economic times • Make good use of downtime • Deliver business development • Build loyal teams • Manage partner performance • Above all – plan for the future (because yesterday’s plans could be tomorrow’s disasters) PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  11. Future challenges - focus on the fundamentals of your business • What kind of firm do you want to be? • Your clients • Your people • How you can achieve your goals PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  12. Develop a realistic vision of the kind of law firm you want to be PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  13. This will require leadership • Thinking and visionary • Challenging • Inspirational • A determination to implement change PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  14. Managing change “It is not the strongest of the species that survive nor the most intelligent, but the ones who are the most responsive to change” Charles Darwin The Origin of Species PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  15. There may never be a better time to face up to your sacred cows PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  16. Developing a strategic vision in a law firm partnership … is a process of finding out: • What your (current and prospective) clients value • What your partners value to identify the key skills and behaviours which will enable the consistent delivery of your value proposition PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  17. Your clients

  18. Do you know what your client’s value? Do you ever ask them? “They always try to sell to us on price – but what we really want is to have a good job done at a reasonable price” Client feedback from a perception survey commissioned by a law firm PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  19. Your clients’ needs? • What services are our clients (and our prospective clients) going to need once this recession has ended? • Will these areas of work be profitable in the longer term? • How will our clients require their legal services to be delivered? PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  20. Core issue to add value • Needs to be value clients care about - clients’ perspective - not yours • In a way which is regarded asvaluable by clients • More than the competitors PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  21. A value gap? • It is the client’s perception of value that matters • Lawyers put too much emphasis on service attributes • Not enough on helping clients achieve results PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  22. You will add value to clients if… • You provide clients with what they want – and more • At prices they perceive to be value for money; and • You do this better than the competition PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  23. How are you going to position your firm to provide added value? High Client Perceived Added Value X Ave Suicide Zone Low Ave High Low Client Perceived Cost Cranfield University, School of Management PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  24. Which clients do we wish to keep if we are to position our firm in this way? • Are all our clients profitable? • Which clients are cash generative or are draining us of cash? • Which clients are risks? PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  25. How can you find out what clients value? • Ask them • Who has commissioned a survey of clients and referrers? Do your clients say you are adding value? PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  26. Finding out what your clients value… • will identify the key skills and behaviours which will enable the consistent delivery of your value proposition • But – are your people prepared to adopt the values and behaviours necessary to enable your firm to do so? • Do you know and fully understand the internal attitudes in your firm? PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  27. Your people

  28. Internal attitudes External perceptions An integrated strategy is required PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  29. Your people • Their values • Why high performance has never mattered more PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  30. Your partners • How are we going to become sufficiently profitable to be able to recruit and retain the best? • Do we have the right partners on board to help us to achieve our goals? PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  31. What do your partners really value?

  32. Your values? • What is valued in your firm? • Do you reward what you value? • Do you invest in what you value? What does it take to succeed at your firm? PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  33. Is this a block on business development? “The only thing this firm values is personal billing” PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  34. Sharing clients • Is it valued in your firm? • Is it measured? • Is it rewarded? (What gets rewarded gets repeated) PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  35. Why should I? • Share my clients with my partners? • What good will it do me? • I will not earn any more whatever good things I do PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  36. Internal attitudes - but why should I? • To do this may require a shift in culture • There will be a need to build a culture of sharing PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  37. Are internal attitudes in your firm holding you back? Are you presently unable to add value to your clients because of internal attitudes and behaviour? PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  38. Is a lack of internal skills holding you back? Do all your people have the skills necessary to enable your firm to achieve its goals? PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  39. Building higher performance Values Skills & Behaviours Performance Metrics–Quality/Quantum Performance Review Closing the Performance Gap Learning & Development Strategy PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  40. Building higher performance • The market place and your competitors set the standards • Do you want to be a player in your market? • If you really want to compete - need to build a CULTURE OF HIGHER PERFORMANCE - Need to examine WHAT KIND OF FIRM YOU WANT TO BE PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  41. Building higher performance What criteria and standards will you apply in agreeing performance levels with partners? PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  42. Performance standards • Your market place sets the standards • Align your performance standards with your firm’s objectives - to enable the firm to COMPETE - to help the firm achieve its VISION PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  43. How to get the best out of your people? Help them maximise their full potential – This will require investment in your people PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  44. Are you investing sufficient in your people to realise their financial value to your business?

  45. Investment in your people requires? • Leadership and vision • Values - Training - Mentoring • Coaching • Empowering • Supporting PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  46. Do you have transparent partner admission / progression processes? • Do you have an associate / partner development programme in place? • Do you ask your people about their career ambitions? • Do you focus your investment in people to advance your and their objectives, rather than sheep-dipping people through training courses? PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  47. Investment in your people? For example Who has a ‘New Partner Programme’ designed - • to bring people through to partnership? • and which continues throughout partnership? PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  48. You have developed a realistic plan, but… • How are you going to achieve your goals? • will you have the resources on your own to achieve your goals? PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  49. Resources to enable the new firm to… Attract and retain the best talent PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

  50. Resources to enable the new firm to… Provide clients with the depth and breadth of expertise they will require, where and when they will need it PETER SCOTT CONSULTING

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