Lawyers.
A prominent international law firm – recognized for its effective practice management and outstanding pro bono programs – received low marks for mid-level associate satisfaction. Leadership was concerned. This information would impact their ability to hire top talent and may put them at risk of losing some of their most important assets.
They called on Centauric to identify the issues and to recommend ways of improving the situation.
Centauric discouraged them from another anonymous survey, and instead suggested one-on-one interviews with a representative sample of associates and partners. These mettings would better identify a range of perspectives and ideas and enable us to evaluate the emotional state of the associate group.
Using our Data Driven Achievement approach, we met with the sponsoring leaders as soon as patterns started to emerge in our findings. The early discussions were aimed at engaging leaders in interpreting the data and shaping the direction of subsequent interviews. As the study progressed, more leaders were brought into the discussion until a clear set of actions was agreed upon and approved by the Chairman of the firm.
While a number of people used the occasion to vent their grievances, we also heard how much associates valued their relationships with mentors and practice groups. The two most important suggestions that emerged were to improve communication with these associates and provide them with guidance to help them manage their careers.
Early indicators are that improved communications and a well-conceived development program are having the desired impact.
