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Strategic Planning Solutions
The vision you have for your Firm can be realized through the creation and use of Strategic Planning Solutions. We’ll help you create plans, identify the core values that will drive your success, and manage departmental and firm-wide changes.
> Strategic Planning
How You Benefit: Will clarify goals and align the resources necessary to achieve them. Provides a method for agreeing on priorities.
Services: Planning, creation and implementation of your Strategic Plan. We help you identify the key participants, engage them in the strategic planning process and outline the steps necessary to carry out the plan. We also show you how to maintain the plan and track and assess progress toward achieving your goals.
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> Identification of Values/Culture
How You Benefit: Identifies values – the core beliefs that you, your partners and your associates operate from every day. When values are shared, the Firm’s goals are reached more easily and efficiently. It increases a sense of community and teamwork. Helps the Firm maintain a defined culture, and it ensures that client services, financial decisions, communication, and the dissemination of information are handled consistently throughout the Firm.
Services: We help you identify the values of key stakeholders. We report on the consistency of those values across the Firm, and make suggestions for how to bring values into alignment and prioritize them. Once shared values are established, recommendations will guide you in how to lead and manage effectively with values at the core.
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> Managing Change
How You Benefit: Many change processes fail. Why? Because of inadequate planning, underestimating of the impact of the change on others, and a failure to convert plans into action. We help your Firm identify and remove obstacles so that you can enact your plans successfully, avoiding wasted time, effort and money.
Services: Clarifying expected outcomes of the change process. Mapping the process to achieve desired outcomes and identifying key participants. Advising on communication strategies. Assessing progress at important milestones.
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Associate Solutions
Selecting, retaining and promoting the most valuable associates is more challenging now than ever. Why? Because as the competition for associates increases, smart Firms are using more sophisticated ways of attracting associates. In addition, lateral moves are becoming more common, and competitive Firms see the need to assess, select and develop associates who are more advanced in their careers, and more selective about their options.
> Hiring Outstanding Associates
How You Benefit: You employ state-of-the-art assessment methods and expert evaluators. You save resources, and leave less up to chance, unconscious “biases” or inconsistent interview methods that can result in poor hiring decisions. Reduces turnover rates and related expenses. Reduces conflict among partners by engaging outside consultants to facilitate the process.
Services: In consultation with Firm management and other key stakeholders, we create a custom, confidential process to identify associates who are likely to best fit your Firm for the long term, based on key characteristics of the Firm and the prospective associate.
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> Associate Retention
How You Benefit: You get a plan and method for identifying high-potential leaders early and preparing them to stay with the Firm long term. Professional development and mentoring programs also increase the sense of attachment that Associates feel towards the Firm. This reduces turnover and related costs. It also ensures that only qualified and motivated associates are promoted. Clear career pathing is an essential tool for strengthening and growing your Firm.
Services: We create a program to assess Associates for retention and partner potential. Assessments include recommendations for resources (e.g., seminars, self-paced learning programs, coaching) that will help maximize strengths and address areas in need of development. We also make sure that development opportunities are aligned well with Firm Culture, Values and Strategic Plans.
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> Transitioning to Partner
How You Benefit: Ensures that Associates who are promoted to Partner are well-prepared for their new responsibilities. Identifies areas that may require development prior to or during the first year of Partnership. Ensures that Associates being promoted to Partner make contributions in that role as quickly and effectively as possible.
Services: We help your Firm identify the key objective criteria for promotion to partnership. We develop assessment tools to identify those Associates who are strong Partner candidates. We design a program to prepare selected Associates for promotion to Partner, and work with them through the first year of Partnership to ensure their success.
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Partner Solutions
Strong, consistent management is the keystone of healthy and successful Firms. Strong partnerships also allow partners, associates and staff to focus on what’s important: Achieving favorable outcomes for clients and satisfying the Firm’s goals. You avoid working at cross-purposes, and share leadership tasks more effectively.
> Clarifying Leadership Roles
How You Benefit: You create a structure in which each partner has clear roles and responsibilities. This improves the efficiency of the partnership by permitting partners to focus entirely on their own responsibilities, knowing that the other partners are doing the same. It has additional benefits throughout the Firm, as associates and staff know who has authority and influence over the Firm’s processes.
Services: We use questionnaires and focused interviews to assess the clarity of leadership roles and responsibilities. We then engage the leadership team and other key stakeholders in a process of clarifying roles and responsibilities, and communicating those changes effectively throughout the Firm.
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> Developing a Management Team
How You Benefit: Your most important resources are your senior talent. At most Firms, those senior leaders (partners and associates alike) are trying to manage without sacrificing production. Our services in this area help the attorneys who are leading the Firm by providing them with the most current resources available on how to manage the Firm’s projects, associates and staff most effectively.
Services: We assess your management team (i.e., those partners who play an active role in financial, HR, administrative and other operational functions) and identify where additional development might improve the functioning of the person and the entire management team. We create individual development plans when appropriate, and supply the resources needed to give your leading partners all of the leadership skills they need to succeed.
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> Resolving Partnership Conflicts
How You Benefit: Conflict among partners is one of the most common, disruptive and expensive difficulties that a Firm can face. Disputes over finances, expenses, salaries, bonuses, acknowledgment and responsibilities are common. Conflict at the top wastes the most expensive resources a Firm possesses. We are expert at identifying the cause of conflicts, and recommending and implementing effective solutions.
Services: We interview the parties involved in and affected by the conflict. We also review and analyze any documents underlying the conflict, including Firm communications and agreements, among others. Our recommendations are based upon extensive knowledge and experience regarding law firm conflict, holding as paramount the continued success of the Firm.
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About Weiman Consulting
Weiman Consulting is a management consulting firm. We help law firms identify and develop high quality associates, partners and staff. We are also experts at finding practical solutions to management problems and conflicts. Dr. Weiman combines consulting expertise with 20 years of experience as an executive. Call (610) 642-3040 for a confidential consultation.
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