Success Story

Becoming a High Performing, Top 100 Firm

The Situation

A couple years prior to engaging Michael in early 2018, firm membership voted in a new managing principal (MP) tasked with leading the firm through a period of rapid expansion. With a collaborative leadership style, the MP partnered with the human resources (HR) team to gather additional insights from the annual employee engagement survey, offering HR a stronger voice firm wide, and sharing its methodologies to find commonalities and efficiencies across service lines and departments. The MP was also investing significant time helping the team connect more deeply with the firm’s mission and values and finding ways to more transparently share the team’s performance. The firm had a strong brand with Indian tribes and desired to expand its tribal footprint and its commercial lines as well. Because of its focused effort over the years, the firm’s foundation was strong and it was a veritable goldmine of expansion possibility.

The Solution

After providing one-to-one coaching for a handful of key leadership employees, Michael was invited to support the creation and roll out of a strategic five-year plan. After helping draft the plan, metrics-based goals, and what leaders would be accountable for which plan phase, Michael supported the MP and board by facilitating phone calls, focus groups, and online surveys to help message the strategic plan, cultural change, and new policies to all employees. Key to the plan working was distilling a mindset of accountability. A new employee engagement survey was administered, enhancements to compensation and incentive plans were made, and Michael partnered with HR to design and deliver an internal coaching certification to 30+ leaders firm wide. Michael also served as a staff psychologist to vulnerable employees, helped implement cross-functional matrixed teams to drive creativity and accountability, and a new flex work policy.

The Outcome

Even through COVID-19, the firm is strong, innovative, and communicating more transparently. Where appropriate, decision making is being decentralized. Team members are feeling empowered and are increasingly responsible for ideas, revenue, efficiency, and their own personal growth. Multiple employee engagement surveys have been completed, engagement has increased, and a Best Places to Work award was won. New policies and procedures are live. New real time dashboards are saving time and money and helping employees deliver a comprehensive client experience. A new team camaraderie is blossoming. Because of the internal coaching certification, team members are learning to coach one another – and themselves. The firm is well on its way to becoming a high performing, top 100 firm.

Steve C.

Managing Principal

Introductory

Conversation

Let’s connect for 30 minutes about your challenges and ideas and how a coach can help. I’ll listen actively, identify themes, ask questions, offer suggestions, and seek your opinion. I’ll share processes, stories, and potential outcomes. You’ll choose whether I’m the right coach to help transform your goals into reality.