HDA

Leadership Development to Drive a New Commercial Culture - City Law Practice

Background

Practice Group Managers of a large city law firm needed to implement significant culture change in order to promote a more commercial and business-focused proposition and brand. This was aimed at improving leadership, to motivate and engage staff in the performance of the firm.

A coaching/leadership programme was introduced with the following aims:

• To encourage initiative, enterprise and business focus.

• To build a coaching style of management to deal with conflict and difficult situations and to plan and implement a large change project.

• To introduce start up coaching for newly appointed team leaders.

• To use a behavioural profile as a means of understanding and adopting positive and productive behaviours.

HDA Intervention

• One-to-one executive coaching for the practice managers to develop the skills needed to lead change within the organisation.

• Development of a tool kit for the practice managers to use in coaching staff to accept and promote internal change.

• Two day coaching skills training workshops for the practice managers to coach others, in order to cascade a coaching management style throughout the organisation – ongoing telephone support was provided following the training.

• Development of a behavioural profile so that all staff are fully aware of behaviours that are to be encouraged and discouraged.

Results

• A clear departure from a “command and control” culture to a “coaching culture” was observed following the interventions.

• Practice Group Managers reported that they experienced much less resistance from staff at all levels to the changes that they had to make.

• Practice Group managers reported that they had much greater confidence in resolving staff issues and a higher level of influence.

• General understanding and acceptance of commercial issues improved across the organisation – beginning to translate into higher practice income and new client generation.

For more information on any of the above or to understand how HDA can add value to your organisation through coaching,

Please contact Melissa Nealon, Client Partner & Project Manager – man@hda.co.uk / 0207 484 5065