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For What It’s Worth…
September 17, 2008
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Business Development, Change, Innovation, Leadership, Strategy /
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Published in KM Legal One of the hot topics of the moment (and, in all likelihood, the foreseeable future) is the impact of external investment into the profession as a result of the Legal Services Act. The knowledge strategist will recognise that any assessment of their firm for investment appraisal purposes will involve thorough […]Read More
Points of Inflexion
Students of differential calculus would define a point of inflexion as the place at which the tangent crosses the curve itself. Those of us in the commercial world (and less mathematically gifted!) might say that it is a turning point at which a major shift occurs in the business environment. This can have either positive […]Read More
Crunch Time!
September 12, 2008
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Business Development, Change, Growth, Innovation, Key Account Management, Leadership, Strategy /
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Published in Professional Marketing A downturn sorts out the wheat from the chaff! It’s not a nice thought, either for those affected or even the bystanders, but it’s largely true. A coherent argument can be made that a period of recession is a necessary part of the creation of a healthy market. Those that […]Read More
Decisions, Decisions…
July 25, 2008
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Business Development, Change, Growth, Leadership, Strategy, Vision /
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Published in Managing Partner magazine “Why else does a managing partner exist if not to make decisions?” This was a comment recently made at a conference I was chairing. Three things immediately struck me. Just how much autonomy do managing partners have in their decision-making? What issues affect decision-making in professional firms? And how […]Read More
Rabbits in headlights?
“So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself… which paralyses needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.” Franklin D Roosevelt The words of Franklin D Roosevelt in his inaugural address to Depression-era Americans should resonate with the leaders of 21st century professional […]Read More
Powers of Persuasion
June 3, 2008
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Change, Key Account Management, Leadership, Speaking & News, Strategy, Vision /
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Strategy series opinion piece published in Managing Partner Magazine When Dale Carnegie said: “There is only one way to get anybody to do anything. And that is by making the other person want to do it”, he struck at the essence of the art of persuasion. In Verbal Judo George Thompson reinforced this view: “The […]Read More
Driving Growth – As the gravy train grinds to a halt…
May 19, 2008
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Business Development, Change, Culture, Growth, Innovation, Key Account Management, Leadership, Strategy, Values, Vision /
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Masterclass article published in Managing Partner Magazine Following a number of years in which revenue growth has been achievable without too much effort, there will be many management teams with the misplaced belief that they have a strong business model. In truth, during the bull years, the volumes of work available means that all […]Read More
You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know: How to use superior knowledge to drive business development
April 16, 2008
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Business Development, Change, Culture, Growth, Innovation, Key Account Management, Leadership, Strategy, Vision /
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Strategy series opinion piece published in Managing Partner Magazine For many firms the term knowledge management has become synonymous with the technical know-how embedded in their core professional skill. It is owned by the professional-support and information-management communities and runs the risk of becoming yet another silo in the multi-compartmentalised structure that afflicts many organisations. […]Read More
The White-Knuckle Ride of Reputation Management
March 29, 2008
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Business Development, Change, Culture, Key Account Management, Leadership, Strategy /
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Strategy series opinion piece published in Managing Partner Magazine As Benjamin Franklin so wisely said, “It takes many good deeds to build a good reputation, and only one bad one to lose it”. His words should be a wake-up call for managing partners that have placed their trust in the fingers-crossed method of reputation management, […]Read More
Time to Think Differently
As fears grow of a continued slowdown in activity, there is a perceptible shift in emphasis from firms across the spectrum. Two trends are emerging among the leading players – a renewed focus on key client management together with longer-term strategic clarity and rigour to ensure that a compelling position can be crafted in the […]Read More
I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want…
February 17, 2008
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Business Development, Change, Key Account Management, Strategy, Vision /
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Article published in Legal Marketing Magazine The return of the Spice Girls and their Wannabe anthem offers a timely reminder to professional services marketers of the requirement to understand and deliver the needs of their clients. This is best achieved by listening instead of telling and by acting on the basis of a deep […]Read More
The Themes for 2008
At this time of year I’m often asked for my views on the key themes that will affect firms over the next twelve months. Change will continue at an ever quickening pace with structural reforms and the consolidation of clients, firms and panels adding to the pressures on the leadership team. Also high on the […]Read More
Avoiding a cultural cacophony
December 16, 2007
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Business Development, Change, Culture, Growth, Key Account Management, Leadership, Strategy, Vision /
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Strategy series opinion piece published in Managing Partner Magazine Everyone accepts that we live in a multicultural society and operate in a world where barriers to business across national frontiers are dismantling at an ever increasing rate. There is positive potential for firms in their response to these cultural challenges and opportunities. Culture is […]Read More
Is anybody listening?
November 23, 2007
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Business Development, Change, Culture, Key Account Management, Strategy /
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Strategy Series opinion piece published in Managing Partner Magazine Technology has enabled mass communication at a level never before experienced. With over 12,000 specialist publications in the UK, enabled by improved technology and ever-reducing production costs, the ability to talk in a highly focused way is at a new threshold. This promise of highly […]Read More
Time to wake up and smell the coffee
November 3, 2007
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Business Development, Change, Culture, Growth, Innovation, Key Account Management, Leadership, Strategy, Values, Vision /
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Feature published in Legal Marketing Magazine Keeping your options open is a philosophy to which many management teams subscribe, either overtly or by their actions. This isn’t to say that unwavering dogma is a good thing, but rather that a clear sense of direction, being prepared to say ‘no’ to ideas that don’t fit, […]Read More
Sometimes you must burn your boats
October 15, 2007
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Business Development, Change, Culture, Growth, Innovation, Leadership, Strategy, Values, Vision /
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Strategy Series opinion piece published in Managing Partner Magazine Keeping your options open is a philosophy to which many management teams subscribe, either overtly or by their actions. This isn’t to say that unwavering dogma is a good thing, but rather that a clear sense of direction, being prepared to say ‘no’ to ideas […]Read More
Moving from technical excellence to business nous
October 14, 2007
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Business Development, Change, Culture, Growth, Innovation, Key Account Management, Leadership, Strategy, Values, Vision /
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Case Study published in Professional Development Strategies for Law Firms Ambitious firms recognise that being excellent at their core legal skill is simply not enough – creating an enhanced commercial understanding of their clients’ needs and building the business development skills of their people are two ways in which the firm can create a […]Read More
Do you judge a book by its cover?
September 4, 2007
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Business Development, Change, Culture, Growth, Key Account Management, Leadership, Strategy, Values, Vision /
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Strategy Series opinion piece published in Managing Partner Magazine For professional firms too much emphasis on the cover and not enough on the content has heralded the demise of many a branding initiative. Moreover, firms’ inability to walk the talk of their brand promises has sadly done more than waste oodles of money. It […]Read More
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes (turn and face the strain)
August 9, 2007
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Business Development, Change, Culture, Growth, Leadership, Strategy, Values, Vision /
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Series opinion piece published in Managing Partner Magazine The trepidation with which David Bowie’s lyrics approach the topic of change is mirrored by the behaviours of management teams in professional firms everywhere. Never before have they been faced with such a dynamic business environment, with increased competition emanating from both within and outside their […]Read More
Horses choosing courses – How refreshing!
July 18, 2007
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Business Development, Change, Growth, Innovation, Key Account Management, Leadership, Merger, Strategy, Values, Vision /
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Published in Legal Marketing Cover Feature Every horse can win a race, but selecting the right race to run in is key. Law firms should choose the arenas best matched to their capabilities for differentiation and competitive advantage. We frequently hear that sophisticated purchasers of legal services are, more and more, choosing ‘horses for […]Read More
Opportunity Knocks?
June 22, 2007
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Business Development, Change, Culture, Growth, Leadership, Strategy, Vision /
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Published in KM Legal Magazine The support departments in major law firms have proved as effective as their practice group counterparts at building edifices and creating silos. In many firms, overt yet inflexible organisational structures together with covert Machiavellian behaviour have conspired to ensure that the walls between support functions are high with cross-communication […]Read More
Balancing the business
June 11, 2007
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Business Development, Change, Culture, Growth, Innovation, Key Account Management, Leadership, Strategy /
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Opinion Piece published in Managing Parner Magazine The ‘balanced scorecard’ has taken its place in the glossary of management terminology to such an extent that it is easy to assume all managing partners are fully conversant with the theory and are applying it to their firms on a daily basis. Neither of these assumptions […]Read More
More Than Embossing The Wallpaper
June 4, 2007
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Business Development, Change, Culture, Growth, Innovation, Key Account Management, Leadership, Strategy, Values, Vision /
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Published in Professional Marketing Magazine The twelfth annual PM Forum Global Conference in September will address one of the biggest challenges facing professional service firms today; how does a firm create an environment in which innovative thinking can flourish, that allows clients and firms to create deep bonds and where the best ideas are […]Read More
Birds of a Feather?
April 26, 2007
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Business Development, Change, Culture, Growth, Innovation, Key Account Management, Leadership, Strategy, Values, Vision /
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Cover feature of Legal Marketing Magazine A perplexing question: Are business development and knowledge management strange bedfellows or birds of a feather? The insightful answer: When boiled down to its base elements, all that a law firm does is leverage knowledge and leverage relationships. What about the knowledge embedded in the relationship with the […]Read More
It’s my ball and you can’t play with it!
April 23, 2007
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Business Development, Change, Culture, Growth, Key Account Management, Strategy, Vision /
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Published in Legal Marketing Magazine “It’s my ball and you can’t play with it!” is both the mantra of the incorrigible infant and the modus operandi of the petulant professional. Behind the phrase lies an implicit understanding, “we can play together, perhaps even playing the game that you want to play, but only if […]Read More
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