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Effective people and productivity management. Peter Scott Peter Scott Consulting. Effective people and productivity management. Measuring the financial value of human capital Making best use of your people to increase profitability Partners and profitability.
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Effective people and productivity management Peter Scott Peter Scott Consulting
Effective people and productivity management • Measuring the financial value of human capital • Making best use of your people to increase profitability • Partners and profitability
Leaking like a sieve? because you do not have the right…..
….leadership and influencing skills to get the best out of your people?
….mechanisms to prevent the attrition of high quality performers?
TALENT € This will happen to your talent unless…
“Heavyweight gorilla” “You can’t manage me.I’m a big biller!”
Operational People Reputational Regulatory Asset IT Financial Economic, political, fiscal Competition /business Law Firm Risks Management
Examples of People Risks • Advice/client care/client matters • Client relationships • Loss of teams/partners • Real cost of staff turnover/recruitment • Regulatory regimes • Equal opportunities • Age and Sex discrimination & harassment • Disability • Racial equality • Dismissals • Maternity • Working time regulations • Pensions Management
Building a performance culture Values Skills & Behaviours Performance Metrics – Qual/Quant Performance Review Closing the Performance Gap Learning & Development Strategy
The real cost of replacing people • Disruption • Recruitment fees • Training of new recruits • Effect on morale of people leaving • Loss of relationships / clients
How to retain and get the best out of your people? Help them maximise their full potential – This requires investment in your people
Investment in your people? For example Who has a ‘New Partner Programme’ designed • to bring people through to partnership? • and which continues throughout partnership?
Investment in your people requires? • Leadership and vision • Values - Training - Mentoring • Coaching • Empowering • Supporting
Are you investing sufficient in your people to realise their financial value to your business?
Building profitability through people management • Stop leaking money like a sieve! • Building people performance • Make best use of your people resource
To do this you will need a strategy “Strategy is a realistic plan or course of action to gain competitive advantage which has clear and achievable objectives and uses available resources”
Your greatest resource? Your people
Building people performance Values Skills & Behaviours Performance Metrics – Qual/Quant Performance Review Closing the Performance Gap Learning & Development Strategy
What does it take to succeed at your firm? • What do you value? • Do you invest in what you value? • Do you reward what you value?
An integrated strategy to best use your people resources delegation leverage
Delegation is key to profitability • Be a better boss by doing less work! • Match the level of work to the appropriate level of expertise / cost • Sell at the right price! = improved margin
Leverage - you need to be aiming for this Equity partners Other fee earners
Not this Equity partners Other fee earners
Leverage will differ from firm to firm Will depend on: • A firm’s work type / client type mix • How a firm ‘adds value’ to its clients
You will add value if… • You provide clients with what they want – and more • At prices theyperceive to be value for money; and • You do this better than the competition
High Value – Added Services High value- added services – strategic impact on client – generally wisdom/experience driven • Focus on specific client types/work types • Seek leadership in a few, cohesive segments • Nurture wisdom/experience within the firm
Low Value – Added Services • Value enhanced by • Driving down cost – ensure lowest cost • Investing in standardising processes • Facilitating implementation of solutions Low value –added firms will compete on processes and price – technology driven services with minimum professional input
Low Value – Added Services • To be successful firms need to • constantly squeeze out more value for same cost • Ensure financial strength to stay the course • Avoid creating the perception of reduced “quality”
But greater leverage requires more risk management • Supervision • Training • Case management systems • ‘Knowledge’ on part of management
And leverage and delegation involve teamworking Why are teams important? Together Each Achieves More
Teams provide… Support Ability to delegate Continuity of service delivery Sense of purpose Accountability / peer pressure Esprit de corps
How not to be a team player? ‘we have no room for those who put their personal agenda ahead of the interests of the clients or the office’ David Maister’s ‘Predictive package’
“Do own thing” “That’s a great idea… …for the rest of you”
But people resources are scarce • Cannot be all things to all men • Need to build focus into your business • Focus on - work types - client types in order to gain competitive advantage
How many equity partners should you have to maximise profit? Every firm is different – but factors to be considered may include: • Your work type / client type mix • How a firm best adds value • Ability to supervise and manage • Culture of firm / financial ambitions
Your partners? • Are you getting the best out of your partners? • Who does NOT have an underperforming partner?
How much is partner underperformance costing you? • Direct financial loss? • Loss of good partners and staff? • Loss of morale? • Loss of relationships / clients?
What are you now going to do to stop your firm leaking money like a sieve?