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CHALLENGE: A large law firm was experiencing high turnover among associates in a global practice group, and the risk of losing their key talent was high.

WHAT WE DID: Through interviews with practice group associates, senior lawyers, and a sample of attorneys who had recently left the firm, we uncovered specific factors contributing to turnover. The actions and practices of senior lawyers were key. Several facilitated meetings with associates and senior lawyers took place during which associate needs were clarified and solutions that addressed issues germane to communication, career development, client management, and creating a more respectful work environment were presented. Joint action plans with accountabilities were developed by the group, with new processes put in place to enable them to measure progress over time.

PAYOFF: Associates became active participants in the practice group, taking more responsibility for creating the work culture they wanted to experience. Senior lawyers, initially frustrated with what was perceived as unreasonable associate demands, developed better working relationships with these young attorneys. As a result, a more engaged and high performing practice group was created.

CHALLENGE: The Chief Operating Officer at a consulting firm was planning to retire. Although a successor was identified, this would be an extraordinary change that, if not managed well, had the potential to create dissension and chaos for the firm.

WHAT WE DID:  A transition plan was put in place to guide activities that supported passing the baton. A communication strategy was created and mobilized. We worked with the executive team to identify those behaviors needed to effectively manage the changes associated with this transition both within the executive team and with their respective business units. Finally, an offsite, led by the new COO and facilitated by Able Organizational consultants, was conducted to clarify expectations, outline the new vision, establish operational norms, and focus the team around critical objectives.

PAYOFF: The efforts taken to plan ahead and communicate with purpose minimized confusion, maintained ongoing dialogue with stakeholders essential to a smooth transition, and unified the team reporting to the new COO.

CHALLENGE: The senior team within a division of a Commercial Bank was not performing at the level expected by a new Divisional President. These executives were not in synch, their respective teams were competing rather than collaborating, and the quality of client service was potentially at risk.

WHAT WE DID: It became apparent that change in the banking organization as a whole and the arrival of a new Divisional President required this group to clarify the current vision for the business and create a strategic plan to support it. We helped the President craft his vision, delineating the milestones the senior team needed to accomplish in the next 18 months. After presenting this to the senior team, subgroups within this team created a strategy for each milestone and outlined actions needed to accomplish key objectives in a series of offsites facilitated by Able consultants.

PAYOFF: First, this effort enabled the new Divisional President to further establish his leadership and communicate his point of view. Secondly, the creation of the strategic plan was an exercise in teamwork for the senior team, provided them clear measures of success, and created a more unified context to focus and coordinate the work of their respective direct reports.