Making Your Firm Retreat a
Success
By Ellen Freedman, CLM
There
are a lot of lawyers who just don’t believe in firm retreats. I hear the
feedback all the time. They’re seen as a big waste of time. One reason is
because people get all hyped up at a retreat and come up with great creative
ideas and make all sorts of commitments, and then … nothing. The post-retreat
letdown can be devastating to morale. Another frequently stated reason for
dislike of retreats is that they fail to get the real issues on the table or to
resolve them if they do come up.
It’s
unfortunate that so many retreats are failures. They happen to be enormously
powerful tools to build teamwork, resolve issues, improve morale and forge
strategic plans. But as with any powerful tool, one needs to know how to use it
properly.
Most
powerful tools come with instruction manuals; with care and practice, one
becomes adept at using the tool. Retreats are no different. There are myriad
excellent articles written about how to conduct successful retreats. Start your
research with “Planning the Successful Retreat,” “Retreats Let Firms Face
Themselves,” “Planning a Retreat to Tackle a Problem” and “Planning and
Conduct-ing Retreats,” from Joel A. Rose & Associates (www.joelarose.com).
Follow up with “Planning a Successful Law Firm Retreat,” “Rethinking the Law
Firm Retreat” and “Retreat But Don’t Surrender” from Altman Weil, Inc.
(www.altmanweil.com).
If
your firm has particularly difficult issues to tackle, consider using an outside facilitator. The facilitator is usually viewed as neutral,
with no hidden agenda. Facilitators are experienced in the retreat process and
help the firm bring difficult issues to the table in a safe environment. They
ensure that all voices are heard and the stronger personalities don’t dominate.
They help the firm resolve issues, not rehash them.
I
am still frequently surprised at how hard some lawyers work to avoid any
conflict or confrontation at their firms. Is it possible to be too diplomatic? Yes! When there is no perceived
outlet to air issues, firms often become dysfunctional. I liken it to an
emotional constipation; left unchecked, it builds into incredible pressure that
will ultimately cause pain and disability. This sometimes means that the
facilitator must raise issues and say (diplomatically, one hopes) what key
partners are thinking but are reluctant to say themselves. At some firms, the
vision and experience of the lawyers are limited by their lack of knowledge
about how other firms operate. Often the facilitator must interject a dose of
reality at key points, based on experience garnered by working with many firms
on a variety of assignments.
One
last advantage of using a facilitator is that it serves to remove the managing
partner and executive committee members from the spotlight. They can become
participants along with the other lawyers. This gives them more opportunity to
hear what is really being said, express themselves more candidly and think more
creatively.
I
am not a big fan of retreats that devote large amounts of time to fun and
socialization. I think that firms should create opportunities for the lawyers
to socialize, particularly the partners. But a retreat is not the place.
Planned
events throughout the year, like dinners and lunches hosted at different
partners’ homes, offer a wonderful relaxed atmosphere in which to get to know
each other on a more personal level. Planned outings to attend events and even
to engage in mild sports are also wonderful opportunities to socialize — as
long as, in the latter case, less athletic members can participate without
ridicule for lack of talent. At one firm I know, regular wine tastings are a
popular social event — they are held right at the office at the end of the
week. But the retreat, in my humble opinion, is about airing and resolving
issues, improving communication and strategic planning. The social time
provided should be an opportunity for participants to exchange feedback on what
has transpired and to formulate creative ideas to help achieve their vision of
what needs to be done.
OK,
some of you are reading this and thinking, “Blah blah blah, been there, done it
and it accomplished nothing. Tell me how we might be more successful at it next
time.” Not to oversimplify or be overly obvious, but a successful retreat
depends on three things being handled properly: 1) preparation, 2) facilitation
and 3) follow-up. I find that if a firm works diligently, it can do a decent
job on points 1 and 2 but usually blows it on follow-up. And that’s what causes
the post-retreat letdown: Better not to stir up the creative juices at all than
to do so and then just let them dry out.
Preparation
is one step most firms can do well on their own once they know what it entails.
Most firms diligently put together information on the firm’s profitability, but
the sophistication of the information can vary widely. Sometimes the
information presented is the same as what one might discuss in a routine
partners’ meeting — cash flow, past due receivables, poor billing habits, associate
turnover. Those firms don’t get what the retreat should be about. At more
sophisticated firms, the financial information presented shows a projection of
best- and worst-case scenarios for future profits based on a variety of factors
the lawyers can discuss and control. Information about growth in practice areas
and the gain and loss of the firm’s top-ranking clients over several years can
be reviewed. Firms thinking strategically will also examine the next 10 years
with a projection of how many lawyers will retire and what that means today in
terms of planning on filling those gaps in practice areas and in management.
What
is often missed in preparing for a retreat is determining what hidden issues
are festering below the surface that need to be brought into the light. Many
managing partners assume they know what their partners are thinking. But often
critical issues are not openly discussed. For that reason, a confidential
survey can be used to help people be more candid about what is on their minds.
The survey results will help build the agenda for the retreat.
As
mentioned previously, a facilitator can be a strong addition to the process.
That doesn’t mean that the firm needs one each year. But there will be years
when serious interpersonal issues surface that require a disinterested party to
navigate. What is most important is that the facility be conveniently located
and comfortable, afford absolute privacy during meeting times and provide
suitable facilities for socializing with a fair amount of privacy as well.
The
agenda should be followed as closely as possible. That means that adequate time
should be built in for each topic. Sometimes, no matter how long the time
allotted, it is not possible to reach a conclusion or resolution. In those instances,
the person conducting the retreat should help establish the protocol to
continue making progress. For example, a task force can be created and members
can be assigned a clear list of marching orders, a deadline for reporting back
and the format in which they will report (e.g., a partners’ meeting or written
report to the executive committee). Even though the matter may not yet be
wholly resolved, by taking these actions, a satisfactory conclusion will be
reached during the retreat that enables everyone to move on to the next agenda
item.
As many people as possible should
contribute ideas and become involved as part of the implementation strategy.
The goal is not to fill the plate of the managing partner with an overwhelming
number of things to do and oversee. Rather, the goal is to share the workload
by engaging as many people as possible in actively participating in the care
and feeding of the firm.
One
thing that is going to make or break the success of the retreat is post-retreat
follow-up. The greatest ideas in the room are nothing but folly if they are
never brought to fruition. Action is key. So it is important to make sure that
all ideas are examined for practicality. That is not to say they should be shot
down. Rather, probing questions should be asked:
·
What
actions need to be completed to make this happen?
·
Who
will do what and by when?
·
Can
those assigned to tasks realistically complete them given their workloads and
other commitments? If not, what’s more realistic? Will it accomplish the same thing?
·
What
resources are needed from the firm? Is everyone willing to commit the resources
to give this a try?
·
What
results should be expected? Are they realistic? Does everyone agree it is
sufficient to consider this a worthwhile use of time and/or other resources?
·
Does
the firm need outside help to accomplish this? If so, who will hire and work
with that person and report back?
·
It’s important to make sure
that all ideas and related commitments are recorded and memorialized. It’s also
vitally important that accountability be built into the follow-up.
Accountability means having
to face one’s partners regularly and explain why commitments made have not been
kept. It also means that all accomplished commitments — no matter how small —
should be applauded by the partners. After all, progress is rarely (if ever)
about making giant leaps forward. It is about making a continual number of
small steps in the right direction.
Ellen managed inside law firms for twenty years. Most of
that time was spent in a mid-size (thirty+ attorney) firm environment. Ellen
has achieved the designation of Certified Legal Manager through the Association
of Legal Administrators. She holds a Certification in Computer Programming from
Maxwell Institute, a Certification in Web Site Design from
Ellen has been a frequent author and speaker on law firm
management issues on a national, regional and local level.