Your Firm Logo. In partnership with. Developer & Faculty Member Karen MacKay, MBA, CHIC

In partnership with

Developer & Faculty Member

Karen MacKay, MBA, CHIC

CONTENTS

Purpose ... 3 

Participants ... 3 

Modules/Timeline ... 3 

Methods ... 3 

Action Learning Component ... 4 

Peer Coaching Teams ... 4 

Individual Assessments, Debrief and Coaching ... 4 

Faculty ... 5 

Karen MacKay, MBA, CHIC ... 5 

John Plank, MA ... 5 

Andy Clark, LLB ... 5 

Sample Program Outline ... 6 

Cost ... 12 

Initiative or Investment? ... 12   

PURPOSE

1. Build leadership bench strength within the firm of skilled and knowledgeable candidates for succession to firm leadership roles.

2. Increase knowledge and business acumen within the law firm context. 3. Raise self-awareness, identify natural strengths and develop leadership style. 4. Develop skills for engaging and leading groups.

5. Hone skills and develop confidence through a variety of learning methods and coaching as participants apply learning in real-life situations.

PARTICIPANTS

This program has been designed to reflect the unique culture and strategic imperatives of

[your firm] and is aimed specifically at partners who are currently in a leadership role, or who are planning to someday take on a leadership role, such as practice group leader, department head or client team leader. Enrolment is limited and is determined by application.

MODULES/TIMELINE

Subject to the needs and culture of your firm and of course a budget, participants will engage in six modules and three individual coaching sessions between September 2015 and April 2016. There will be breaks in December and March.

METHODS

The methods used in this program are intended to increase participants’ retention, skills development and confidence. They include:

 Readings, video and group-directed learning conversations

 Individual strength-based assessments

 Facilitated group discussion — collaborative learning

ACTION LEARNING COMPONENT

A unique feature of this program is its combination of reading, workshops, group discussion and team action learning, a leading-edge methodology for promoting engagement and impact.

P

C

T

Working together throughout the program, each participant will have the opportunity to present a current challenge being faced (for example: time management, managing multiple priorities, managing challenging individuals, conflict or stress). The team will then be asked to provide insights and assistance on each challenge.

The faculty will outline a process for promoting a coaching culture through collaborative team problem-solving. As a resource for the team, the coach helps the group stay on track and looks for just-in-time learning opportunities on issues such as group dynamics, consensus-building, diversity and meeting management.

I

A

,

D

C

Lack of self-awareness is one of the primary reasons why leaders struggle or fail. Fundamental to this program are strength-based individual assessments that enable participants to understand their own natural strengths and preferences. From this foundation, participants will develop their personal vision for leadership and a plan to explore and hone their leadership style. They will also learn how to draw upon less familiar strengths, depending upon the situation at hand and the individuals involved.

Assessments include:

 Myers Briggs Type Indicator & Report

 MBTI Communication Style Report

 VIA Character Strengths

 Thomas Kilmann Conflict Mode Indicator

To meet the unique needs of each participant and support individual assessment and development, one-on-one coaching will be available with faculty experts.

FACULTY

Karen MacKay, MBA, CHIC

Karen MacKay will be the program leader and executive coach for the participants. Karen has more than 20 years of professional services experience combined with an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, and is licensed in several tools and assessments. Today, she has a number of loyal and longstanding clients who have come to count on her for her law firm knowledge and integrity, as well as for her sensitivity and flexibility in the face of their ever-changing business priorities. In 2009, Karen was elected to become a fellow in the College of Law Practice Management in recognition of her contribution to the law practice management profession.

With excellent communication, presentation, facilitation and coaching skills, Karen has a practice focused on professional service firms and the professional talent within them: leadership and strategy, governance and management, assessment and development through to succession planning and exit strategies. Karen is a globally recognized expert on the challenges, expectations and motivations of the generations at work in law firms today, the management challenges in motivation, and the reward and retention of associates and of partners nearing retirement.

Karen writes regularly for legal publications in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. She is a member of the Practice Management section of the American Bar Association and is the author of “Taking the Lead,” a regular column in Law Practice Magazine, an ABA publication. Karen designed and delivered “Leaders’ Boot Camp,” which is hosted biannually by the Canadian Bar Association.

John Plank, MA

John Plank is one of the most highly qualified and respected executive presentation coaches in North America. He has been coaching for 25 years. He has a master’s degree in voice and speech and was a director of workshops and actor training at the Stratford Shakespearean Festival. He has taught at universities throughout Canada and the U.S. and is a popular keynote speaker at retreats and conferences.

In his relentless pursuit of perfection for his clients, John uses compassion, humour and ingenuity. John also coaches senior executives, lawyers, accountants, broadcasters and professional speakers in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. His Toronto training programs focus on key communication skills that every professional must master if they wish to elevate their career. He is the creator of the internationally acclaimed Commanding Presence™ training programs for executive presentation skills training, public speaking and speaking anxiety.

Andy Clark, LLB

Andy Clark is the founder and CEO of Wellness Lawyer Inc., an organization that helps busy lawyers build legal careers that enhance, rather than erode, their overall quality of life and that of their loved ones. Andy believes passionately that lawyers can be healthy, happy and have successful practices but only if they learn to create a balanced, wellness lifestyle. Before starting Wellness Lawyer in 2012, Andy practised law with Stewart McKelvey for 7 years. He also spent 4 years as vice-president, legal affairs at Canadian International Capital Inc. Andy was educated at Mount Allison University and the University of British Columbia. He is the author of the book, Lawyer Wellness is NOT an Oxymoron.

SAMPLE PROGRAM OUTLINE

September __, 2015 – Building the Foundation

Session Leader: Karen MacKay, MBA

The Business Case for Leadership — Discussion

 Trends, uncertainties and assumptions about leadership in professional service firms

 Skills and knowledge needed for future success Companion material:

 Who’s in Charge? Exploring Leadership Dynamics in Professional Services, Laura Empson, Cass Business School, June 2013

o

http://www.cass.city.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/181228/Empson-Exploring-Leadership-Dynamics-in-Professional-Service-Firms.pdf

 Taking the Lead, Building Leadership Capability, Karen MacKay

The Personal/Professional Case for Leadership

 Challenges and Imperatives

 Your assumptions about leadership

 Leadership vs. Management

 Balancing Polarities

 The Leadership Constellation (Empson) Companion materials:

 What Leaders Really Do, HBR, John P. Kotter

 Why Are You Leading, Adam Smith, Esq.

 Why Should Anyone Be Led by You, Robert Goffee and Garath Jones

 Developing the Leader Within You, John C. Maxwell, Success Book Summary

Finding Leadership Opportunities

October __ – Strengths, Style & Authenticity

Session Leader: Karen MacKay

The Diagnostics in Context

 MBTI — Your personality from a leadership perspective

 Character Strengths

Assessing and Developing Your Leadership Style

 Developing versatility Companion materials:

 Making Lawyers into Leaders, European Lawyer

 Seven Leadership Checkpoints for Lawyers, Maynard Brusman Leadership That Gets Results, HBR, Daniel Goleman

 The Versatile Leadership, MIT Sloan, Robert E. Kaplan and Robert B. Kaiser

 Stop Overdoing Your Strengths, HBR, Robert E. Kaplan and Robert B. Kaiser

 Reluctant Leaders and autonomous followers. Leadership Tactics in Professional Services, Laura Empson, Cass Business School, June 2014

http://www.cass.city.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/222723/Reluctant-Leaders EMPSON.pdf?bustCache=46494072

Earning Trust and Political Capital

 Facilitated discussion based on The Speed of Trust

Library Selection

November __- Managing Stress & Resilience and, Leader as Coach

Session Leaders: Andy Clark & Karen MacKay

Pre-Workshop

 Self-assessment questionnaire – wellness, stress and resilience

 Creating an individual Development Workplan

Managing Stress and Building Resilience 

       Guided group discussion exploring 

o   the relationship between wellness, stress, and effective leadership 

o   strategies for managing stress and energy and building resilience 

Peer Coaching Teams – Leader as Coach

Working in small groups, each participants will have the opportunity to present a current challenge being faced (for example: time management, managing multiple priorities, managing challenging individuals, conflict or stress). The team will then be asked to provide insights and assistance on each challenge.

The faculty will outline a process for promoting a coaching culture through collaborative team problem-solving. As a resource for the team, the coach helps the group stay on track and looks for just-in-time learning opportunities on issues such as group dynamics, consensus-building, diversity and meeting management.

Companion materials:

 TED Talk, Power of Vulnerability, Brene Brown

 TED Talk, All it takes is 10 mindful minutes, Andy Puddicombe

 Great Coaching in Action, David Maister

 Leading with Questions, Frumi Group book summary

 Scenario Planning Reconsidered, HBR

Library Selection

 The Power of Full Engagement, Managing Energy, not Time, is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal, by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz

 Mindset, The New Psychology of Success, by Carol Dweck

 Mindfulness: and Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World, by Mark Williams & Danny Penman

November XX — Individual Development Plan & Coaching Session

Creating a Personal Development Plan

With the benefit of the learning in the first three modules, you will reflect on your own strengths, personality and style and create a personal unique plan for your development. You will complete a development plan, anticipate interfering factors that impede your success and your impact as a leader in the firm. You will identify strategies that will work for you to manage stress and build reserves for resilience. You will be invited to get feedback from your LEAD colleagues and then, to set you up for success beyond the LEAD experience, you will have the benefit of a focused one-on-one coaching session with a faculty expert relative to your plan.

January

__ and __, 

2016 — Commanding Presence™

Groups of no more 8 – 2 day program

Guest Faculty: John Plank commandingpresence.com

This intensive, personal coaching workshop will provide you with a chance to substantially improve your day-to-day business discussions and meetings, whether in person or by telephone, as well as your supervising and presentation skills.

Learning objectives:

You will learn how to improve every aspect of your communication skill set — from strategy and text preparation to voice quality, body language, establishing rapport and overcoming speaking anxiety.

 “Think on your feet”: respond quickly and eloquently to questions and inquiries in meetings, on the telephone and in presentations

 Establish rapport with different personality types

 Develop individual and natural speaking style

 Manage personal stress and communicate effectively under pressure

Library Selection

 Executive Presence: The Missing Link Between Merit and Success, Sylvia Ann Hewlett

February __. 2016

– Leading Diverse and High-Performing Teams

Session Leader: Karen MacKay

Group Leadership

 Practical facilitation skills and methods

 Leading inclusive meetings

 Gender science and communications Companion materials:

 Why Should Anyone Be Led By You?, HBR, Robert Goffee and Gareth Jones

Dealing with Difficult Situations

Assessment

 Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) revisited Companion materials:

 Change the Way You Persuade, HBR, Gary A. Williams and Robert B. Miller

 We Have to Talk: Difficult Conversations Checklist, Judy Ringer

 A CEO’s Six Steps to Effective Feedback, HBR, Christina Bielaszka-DuVernay

 Zero Tolerance for Jerks, Workforce.com, John Hollon

Building Consensus

 Group leadership and facilitation tools

 Appreciative Inquiry ®

 Collaborative problem solving ®

 Six Thinking Hats ® Companion materials:

 Collaborative Problem Solving Resources

 Best Management Tool Ever, Anthony Sturgess and Phil Higson

Library Selections

 Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni

 The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business, Patrick Lencioni

 Leadership and the Sexes: Using Gender Science to Create Success in Business, Michael Gurian and Barbara Annis

April

__, 2016 

— Closing Group Session and Celebration

Closing Session Unique to the Group

 Applying the concepts, knowledge and experience to real situations in the Firm

 Presentation and discussion with members of the Management Committee

April/May __, 2016

– Setting You up for Success

Individual coaching session

 Revisit your personal leadership development plan

 What have you learned? How have you applied it?

 How have you grown?

 How has this experience impacted you?

 How has this experience impacted your group or the firm?

 Next steps on the individual path to success Companion materials:

COST

The cost of the program described attracts fees of between $8,500 and $10,000 per partner participant depending on the size of the group, plus disbursements. The minimum size of the group is 8 and the maximum is 16.

Customization and design specific to your firm, working with you to set up and manage a shared workspace and branding materials attracts and one-time cost of $10,000. Disbursements include licensing of materials, assessments, travel, accommodation, venue rentals and food where necessary.

INITIATIVE OR INVESTMENT?

We have designed this program so that you can brand it internally for your firm and that it may be sustained in the future though faculty may change over time.