Navigating law firm culture and politics in your first 100 days as managing partner

This article follows on from my previous column on how to create a tailored approach to your first 100 days as managing partner. The facts and circumstances of the change, the culture of the firm and partner expectations shape the new leader's 100-day agenda. Those factors also limit or enhance what he can accomplish. Last month's article dealt with the facts and circumstances of the change. This month we will focus on the impact of firm culture and partner expectations.

Regardless of the cause of the leadership change, the new leader must meet early and often with the firm's partners. Early communication and one-on-one meetings often make the difference between success and failure
for a managing partner.

Seeking and utilising constituent input should be the foremost goal of your first 100 days in office. That can only be accomplished by meeting with partners and, more importantly, listening to what they say. But, before starting these meetings, you must understand the
'rule of threes' in law firm dynamics.

Three power camps

The rule of threes is as follows. A third
of the lawyers will greet a regime change (or any change for that matter) with a sigh of relief. They will look to you, their new leader, as a messiah who will resurrect
or enhance their practice. A second
third, aligned with the outgoing leader,
will look at the change as a potentially catastrophic event that may hurt their practice. The final third just want to be
left alone. The percentages may be imprecise, but the partner numbers
fall closely into those camps.

Before meeting with your partners,
you will need to understand where each partner stands. The partners who look on you as their new hope cannot be told anything to change that opinion. Their message is one of support that creates
a roadmap to success. You should ask them for a business plan and discuss ways in which the firm can support that plan.

Conversely, the group that worries most about the regime change needs to
be reassured. Generally, words of support and encouragement go a long way to quell their anxiety. They must also be encouraged to talk about their concerns
so that you can address those fears.

The final group should be assured that they will, in fact, be left alone. Generally, they want to practice law without the burden of firm politics. You can agree to that request, while at the same time assuring them of their value to the firm. Interestingly, the support, or better put,
lack of opposition, of this group often becomes important to any new firm direction or strategy. Make sure you
don't alienate them: they can be left
alone, but not ignored.

You should also spend time at the altar of the big rainmakers and veteran lawyers. Your message to the rainmakers is simple: they are important to the firm, you respect their accomplishments and need their support. Assuring them of their value and importance to the firm must be a priority. Never forget: if made uneasy, they can
vote with their feet.

The older lawyers should also be reassured of their value to the firm. A message of respect, gratitude and commitment goes a long way to win
their support. These lawyers may be in the prime or at the twilight of their careers but, in either event, their contribution must be acknowledged and their future role in the firm assured.

Culture and politics

Facts and circumstances and the
'rule of threes' aside, law firm culture trumps all else. Depending on the whims
of the partners, firms use 'culture' either
as an excuse to avoid or as an agent
to drive change. The firm's culture
and accompanying comfort level for
change dictates how your plan should
be introduced.

A firm with a history of slow change and low-keyed managing partners will resist instant change. A high-profile rollout, a 100-day plan and a long list of changes will be greeted with a cool response and little action. Given that culture, the managing partner should signal change but assure everyone that it will be gradual, not an instantaneous, new way of life. No matter how good your plan, trying to push a ‘slow and steady’ firm into quick and radical change can doom your future as managing partner.

The steady-as-you-go culture does not preclude change. It just means adopting a plan that signals things will be different and then introducing change slowly. Involving new, younger people in leadership sends a powerful message about a commitment to change. Most importantly, as the new leader, you can talk about the future and where the firm is headed. You can set goals and talk about them from day one. That focuses people on tomorrow, not yesterday. Your firm won’t change direction in your first 100 days as managing partner, but you can set a blueprint for that change. 

Julious P. Smith Jr is chair emeritus
at US law firm Williams Mullen
(www.williamsmullen.com)