PRISM for Lawyers Laywers are paid to think, not to do.

In a sector facing structural overcapacity, competition for client business will continue to intensify. Given these two truths a hypothesis emerges: law firms will be successful primarily on the basis of their ability to create conditions for their lawyers to think better than others. Some firms press global reach as their competitive advantage, others press expertise in certain specialisations. Some firms work on alliance structures, some are local leaders and others attempt to integrate globally. What they all have in common is the primacy of human relationships as a key driver of success. Cyclical and structural influences have adversely affected stand-alone profitability so that a new mandate to management must be presented: to repair cultures, improve behaviours and get people resonating properly if you are to eke out that extra 10% in performance that may determine your collective futures. Much conventional management is still based on Henry Ford style processes; a focus on command and control, permitting relationships based on legacy rather than fit and the double edged sword of reward/sanction to keep people working ever harder. Such cultures have been notoriously unreliable at aligning performance with goals on a consistent basis, and new ideas on how to motivate your staff to find a new gear can seem elusive. Behaviours on the ground People who work as lawyers are bright, ambitious and motivated. Yet lawyers often think in terms of dichotomy (black and white) rather than dimension (shades of grey). Furthermore, if we manage our people on the assumption that they are purely rational beings, we overlook the primary emotional basis of all human behavior at our peril. Take the Associate someone with a highly evaluative brain who potentially prefers to be right before he needs to be liked. You can see where the relationship difficulties can occur, either with client or colleague. I have coached enough associates to see how these non- or pre -conscious behaviours can damage the dynamics of relationship. Meetings can become competitive, even defensive if disagreement is not managed well, offence can be caused or rapport simply feels hard to come by. Part of the culture? Twas ever thus! Take the Partner operating externally effectively turned from a subject matter expert into a professional business developer, relationship builder, manager and filter of the firms knowledge capital to clients. But different Partner roles require different behaviours. Client account management needs more co-ordinating and supporting behaviours than a specialist, who can be wheeled in to give advice on someone elses case. In this context they need to balance a fine line between having the capacity to dig into the detail, yet retain a contextualized view of the client and be nurturing someone elses relationship yet without any control over it. Technical specialists who can also sell remain rare as it requires behaviours that often seem contradictory. Revenue generators also need to be highly pragmatic and driven to win, which might not be natural preferences for many.

Take the Partner operating internally working variously as a project manager (overseeing cases), mentor and advice giver to associates, line manager and strategist. Someone can express a readiness for some of this people work as they know it matters to their firm and their standing within it. But some Partners who are very good lawyers make calamitous mistakes as managers. Conventional wisdom would be to send them for training. Im just not sure that really works, unless we can identify what primary emotional blocks might prevent them embracing such work. Using PRISM and coaching to help build good relationships So whats with all the coloured words above? PRISM is firmly established as the worlds leading behavioural profiling instrument and based on the neuroscientific principle that our brains are hardwired to behave habitually without much conscious thought. The colours used indicate some of the behavioural preferences PRISM measures on a wheel and as such help individuals raise awareness of self and others such that they can start to interact with each other more effectively. A sample shown here:

When PRISM is combined effectively with one-to-one coaching, people can be given space to consider their own behaviours and perceptions sufficiently such that they can understand what blocks and bridges exist than affect their performance at work. Understanding of the brain clearly shows that just thinking things into reality doesnt work, as millions of pounds spent on wasted training programmes will testify to. In order to really effect change, the persons brain has to be physically rewired, which in turn requires a look at the emotional system that drives their pre-conscious behaviours. There can really be no other way.

So in an environment where we are paid to think, not to do, it is vital to a knowledge business like law that your people freely adopt the highest standards of interaction, not simply learn them. Because if relationships are working well, information flows naturally, engagement and motivation improve, energy and commitment levels are better and as a result, performance can be dramatically raised. Its also cheaper, less messy and more sustainable than a culture based on reward/sanction. About the author James Parsons is an executive and careers coach, leadership development specialist and mentor. He has a background in strategy consulting and investment banking and as such, has sat where many of his clients sit now. His brand is one of tough love, able to be compassionate yet constructively challenge his clients thinking on a range of issues at work. Understanding that trust-based, fair organisations are built from the top down, he is especially keen to get leaders to examine possibilities for creating positive cultures at their firms in fearless, imaginative ways. He has extensive experience coaching people in leadership roles in professional services firms, banks and law practices, as well as offering workshops in areas such as networking, career management, team behaviours and using social media effectively. e: james@untappedtalentcareers.com m: 07966 691848 s: parsons.birchgrove