“We recently completed a strategy project with Philip. He’s more persistent than most, and he facilitates really well. That’s the key. He understood what we needed to do and helped us get there.” – Stephen Moulton, Chairman & Director, Danaher Moulton
Opportunity
The firm has a clear ambition: Be the go-to firm for private clients, scale significantly and give good lawyers an alternative to the grind of the top tier.
The partners knew the challenges and discussed them regularly – but the same conversations kept coming back around.
Strategy
They didn’t need another strategy document. So we didn’t build one.
I interviewed the equity partners, CEO and key team members individually.
What people say one-on-one is different from what gets said at the partner table.
That became a single brief of what was actually going on: where value was created, where it quietly leaked, and which decisions had been sitting unresolved.
Then the workshops, with one rule on the wall. We are not building a plan. We are defining non-negotiables, choosing what we tolerate, and making a small number of decisions.
Action
The sessions were built to force choices, not conversations.
What is actually non-negotiable? If everything is non-negotiable, nothing is.
Every firm carries friction. Is ours by design or by default?
For each source of leakage: accept or eliminate?
And the question that cuts through politeness in any partnership: if nothing changed in 12 months, are you comfortable with that?
From there, a monthly Sounding Board agenda to open with actions completed, so progress is visible and the same ground doesn’t get re-litigated.
Outcome
The partners went from circling to committed.
Non-negotiables written down and kept to a handful – a list of seven is a wish list.
Standards for clients and capacity with timeframes attached.
Key relationships to spread across the firm rather than resting on one person.
Six months later
Sharing breakfast with one of the partners, he gave me a quick update that they had more focus and structure, less friction, more money, and in short, were getting it done.
Big tick ✅
Q: What are your non-negotiables? And if nothing changed in 12 months, are you comfortable with that?
P.S. Whenever you’re ready to sharpen your own focus, here are 3 things that will help;
- Compare your situation to 3 ways other businesses tackled strategy, capital and legacy.
- Consider the questions that protect the wealth of private business owners.
- Reply to this or call +61 402 017 700, and we can discuss what you’re aiming for and how to make it happen.
