Case Study Three: Building a Client-Winning Team
"Pennington Hennessy has a rare ability to gain the trust of the people he is dealing with at all levels of the organisation. They helped me to give new direction to a team of highly motivated lawyers and support staff following a period of significant change in their working environment. The result is that we have a highly motivated team of lawyers and support staff who share a strong sense of direction and a good team spirit." Head of Department, Law Firm
Background
The department had a £6 million turnover, 12 partners and a hard-won reputation in the marketplace. In the post-crunch world, however, much of its corporate-derived work dried up. The department had to draw in its belt and reduce headcount but still provide a proactive, professional service to its client base.
Opportunity
To work with the new head of department to draw a line under a period of transition, and establish a credible business plan with the necessary fee-earner buy-in to be achievable.
Action taken
Working with the departmental head we:
- Established his personal plan for the department
- Met with the regional heads to agree what they wanted
- Ran a series of workshops for the departmental teams in each regional office. We combined business planning, team-building and very pragmatic action planning to give shape to their commitment to deliver their team’s financial goals
- Provided coaching for team members as the plan was executed
Results
In the following financial year, the department exceeded its targets due to their hard-work and commitment. The department is now looking to expand in key areas, and has renewed optimism in its future.
Our work with the firm continues across the departments, where we run both associate and partner development programmes.
Next >> Case Study Four: New Partner Training