The document discusses strategies to enhance collaboration within law firms by addressing common hurdles and proposing solutions such as effective communication, shared vision, and client team initiatives. It emphasizes the necessity of overcoming obstacles like lack of information sharing, geographic dispersion, and cultural issues to foster a more cooperative environment. Additionally, it outlines best practices for leadership, client focus, and measurement systems to support a collaborative culture and drive business success.

1. ideas to foster a
collaborative culture
among partners and
throughout the firm
the role of creative,
attention- earning
communications

2. 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

3. 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

4. title
some challenges
are timeless

5. 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?

6. 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?

7. 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

8. Why Firms Fail.
Why Firms Succeed.
Burkey Belser
President, 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.

9. • Strategic Planning
• Leadership
• Client and Market Focus
• Measurement, Analysis and
Knowledge Management
• Human Resource Focus
• Process Management
• Business Results
Malcolm Baldrige Criteria

10.  firm united under a common vision
 huge!
 communication of vision to staff
 crucial!
 client must be clients of the firm
 essential!
hypotheses confirmed

11. • Strategic Planning
• Leadership
• Client and Market Focus
• Measurement, Analysis and
Knowledge Management
• Human Resource Focus
• Process Management
• Business Results
Malcolm Baldrige Criteria

12. test yourself.

13. Strategic Planning

14.  Communication Strategy
Strategic Planning

15. 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

16. Leadership

17.  Firm Culture
 Communication Skills
Leadership

18. Leadership: Firm Culture
Common purpose. Shared culture.
Q5,C,D
7.8
8.6
4.3
3.5
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.”

19. Leadership: Firm Culture
• manage the contract, and the covenant.
• recognize the necessity of shared vision
and culture as the glue that binds.
BEST PRACTICE

20. Leadership: Communication Skills
Q5F,H,I,J
7.6
6.8
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.

21.  overdo communication, respect and
acknowledgements
 lack of communication leads to
suspicion, suspicion leads to fear, fear
leads to failure.
Leadership: Communication Skills
BEST PRACTICE

22. Client and
Market Focus

23.  Clients of the Firm
 Cross-selling
 Brand Identity
 Sales Proposition
Client and Market Focus

24. 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?”

25. 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
25
17
3 3
37
11
3
14
PERCENT
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?”

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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.”

29. 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

30. Measurement, Analysis
and Knowledge Management

31. Measurement, Analysis
and Knowledge Management
 Tracking

32. Shared Information. Tracking
Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge
Management: Tracking
Q29
8.1 7.8
6.8
5.8
0
2
4
6
8
10
Shared
Information
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.

33. INSIGHT
“If I can’t measure it, I can’t
manage it.” — Jack Welch
Measurement, Analysis and Knowledge
Management: Tracking
54
BEST PRACTICE

34. Human Resource Focus

35. Human Resource Focus
 Tools
 Accountability
 Service Delivery

36. Human resource tools/effectiveness
Human Resource Focus: Tools
Q26
7.4 7.4 7.1 6.9
5.6
4.7
2.5
2.9
5.9
4.7
4.2
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:”

37. INSIGHT
• Create a learning environment.
• Communicate the goals of the firm.
Human Resource Focus: Tools
BEST PRACTICE

38. Achievements. Accountable.
Q5J,K
7.9
6.9
6.3
4.8
0
2
4
6
8
10
Acknowledged
Achievement
Individuals
Accountable
ACCURATE
NOT ACCURATE
Human Resource Focus: Accountability
Q: “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.”

39.  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

40. Effectively coordinate.
Q25A,B
7.2 7.3
5.7
5.0
0
2
4
6
8
10
Offices Practice Groups
AGREE
DISAGREE
Process Management: Service Delivery
Q: “Please rate your agreement with the following statements about the firm:
1. Effectively coordinated work across offices; 2. Effectively coordinated work across practice groups.”

41. 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

42. title
the prescription for a collaborative culture
 survey partners and staff
 acknowledge achievements
 hold individuals accountable
 formal mechanisms to coordinate
work across offices

43. title
let’s see how firms are creating
collaborative cultures

44. 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

45. 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

46. title
 communicate the firm’s brand strategy
 establish clear priorities

55. title
 share information broadly
throughout the firm
 create a learning environment

69. express a shared (resourceful) purpose

74. creative expression

86. 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

87. cross understanding as a
prelude to cross selling

100. share convincing credentials with
colleagues and clients

101. HUS-Our_Firm_

111. HUS-Our_Firm_

112. HUS-Our_Firm_

113. 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

114. share a collaborative mission

127. provide sales tools that rise above practices

140. other ways to inform and rise above the practice

146. 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

147. 0:30 / 3:00 / 30:00
mastering the art of
conversational branding

148. “what do you do?”
the :30 pitch

149. “I’m a lawyer.”
(in Washingon,
always followed
by an apology)

150. 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

151. 0 10
what do you want to know?
 who are you?
 how can I help you?
 how can you help me?
the :30 pitch

153. not interested in me?
well, I’m not interested in you.
the :30 pitch

154. 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

155.  tells a story.
 does not recite a resume.
 is a choreographed mating
dance.
:30 pitch techniques

156.  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

157. can your attorneys promote the
partner in the office next to them?
:30 pitch

158. 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

159. fin