Better Place Strategic Retreat
Are you leaving your firm a better place than you found it?
If you’ve ever taken any of our training classes or attended any of our seminars, one of our top themes has always been to “leave your firm a better place.” While this simple phrase is easy to understand on a surface level, it has layers of benefits that may not be so apparent. While we are often asked to expand on the topic – which we gladly do during our tailored two-day retreats, here are a few words that just might pique your interest.
“Leaving the firm a better place” is an all-encompassing mantra. It is a mindset. It is a program for development. It is a way to gage what you do and what you spend your time on in relation to the good of your firm, now and in the future. It may be a subtle goal at first. It may be over-simplified or under-simplified. And it may be simply misunderstood and misinterpreted. But over time, as its essence becomes ingrained in everybody and everything, it can have some very powerful consequences.
All of a sudden, everyone at the firm has a piece in the success and growth of your firm. Everyone understands their roles at their levels. The class structure remains while the barriers – them and us – are removed and replaced with an all-encompassing goal.
While space constraints won’t permit us to expand upon the many steps and practices involved, correct implementation of the “leaving your firm a better place than you found it” program will lead to:
- more people at more levels joining in on the development of your firm
- less confusion about what needs to be done
- abundant transparency
- more involvement in revenue growth activities
- a higher level of collaboration
- an increase in opportunity sightings
- a growth in team efforts and a decrease in lone-wolf straying
- increased participation in business development
- better understanding and human relations
- increased customer service marks
- greater understanding of the power of personal branding
The wonderful aspect of the program is that it works equally as well for solos and smaller firms as it does for larger departments and organizations.
In a simple way, asking yourself “am I leaving the firm a better place than I found it?” has a profound effect on your thought process. You may find yourself starting to see the ramifications of every thing you do. Or don’t do. That’s when it gets really interesting. Actually paying attention to what potentially happens to your brand when you don’t meet a deadline, deliver on a promise, or properly service a client is not only instructive, it can be very motivating. It may give you that extra push you need, when you’ve burnt both your candle ends, to go that extra mile.
During new employee orientations, the “Leaving the firm a better place” is so much more inspiring than “We strive to provide our clients the best service in the world.”
As far as the specifics go, you are simply framing everything you think and do on behalf of your practice and firm in terms of ”Are you leaving your firm a better place than you found it?” While it may seem unusual at first, quickly it becomes a habit, providing guidance and a nimble ability to more quickly decide where to devote your efforts.
When participating in the ”Are you leaving your firm a better place than you found it?” program, you will learn to
- be able to quickly say “yes” or “no” to requests for your time
- refer and give out referrals far more effectively
- make the most out of networking events
- create deeper inroads with contacts
- capitalize on organization memberships
- build and grow trust amongst your contacts and especially your clients
- bill far more efficiently and effectively
- make better use of your philanthropic dollars
- manage the work of others with a lot less pain
- shift the emphasis from small and limited goals to the big picture
- hold everyone accountable starting with yourself
And that’s just on Day One.
On Day Two of this comprehensive program, you will learn to put everything together for yourself, at your firm, for your department, or wherever you want to implement growth and development. You’ll also learn the secrets to shedding the many anchors that will invariably try to stagnate your efforts, or even drag you down. These anchors often include environments, resources, and people – and each element is fully addressed.
WARNING: This is NOT a “fix everything in a day” program. There are plenty of consultants running around hawking those kinds of wild claims. And if you (yes – you) don’t intend to actively participate, walk the walk, talk the talk, et cetera, then this program is probably NOT for you. It is not suitable for groups or firms where the Managing Partner hires us to implement the program but then won’t support it, or will only support it in words but not deeds. Save your money. This is an ALL-IN program with plenty of follow-up and commitment. Period. We know this may come off as somewhat harsh, but believe us when we say that without support and follow-up at all levels, especially the very top, any program is doomed. These days, nobody has time to waste. However, since you’ve read this far, you are most likely exactly the kind of professional who will best understand what we are saying. You’ll even value the fact that we try hard to separate the “casual wishers” from those that are ready and committed to making profound and lasting changes to their organization. And you will excel at living the message.
The secret is FOLLOW-UP
The secret to success with any program is very simple, but it’s often the hardest part to accomplish – pure and simple it is “follow-up.” And lots of it.
Think back at all of the great concepts and ideas that you have come across in your career. How many did you follow-up on? How many times did you attend seminars and retreats, got all excited and motivated, and as you settled back into your daily routines, your drive and your resolve to “change the world” started to fade until it was less than a whisper? Frankly, it happens to most of us, most of the time. By the way, that’s why so many consultants run around selling an endless line of training – few, if any attendees, actually follow through. Just look at all the binders and handouts you’ve collected over the years. Most people rarely ever refer back.
So, baked right into our program is mandatory professionally facilitated follow-up over the course of one year – extendable for additional time-frames, as necessary.
Let’s agree that it takes about a month or so to change a habit. Using this metric, our program has incorporated a follow-up program that is designed to frontload the creation of new habits and then to spread out those new understandings across an entire year. Now that’s empowering.
If you are interested in more details, please contact Walter Timoshenko at walter.timoshenko@TotalBrandMarketing.com
In the meanwhile, ask yourself, “What did I do today to leave my firm a better place?” The answer will be very telling.