Wrong Person in a Critical Seat
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A large plaintiff law firm engaged Point NorthEast™ to provide advice, consultation and facilitation on how best to accelerate the growth and profitability of the firm. The firm had exceptional results over the years, but with the advent of COVID-19 and a need for employees to work remotely, there were a myriad of new and emerging challenges. Initially, the firm's small shareholder group outlined some of the most pressing issues and challenges. One of the most significant issues revolved around a growing number of disagreements and outright conflicts between the firm's primary shareholder and a senior member of the firm responsible for firm-wide operations.
These differences escalated over months, if not years, and the conflict spilled over into the entire firm with groups of employees siding with one faction or the other. The situation was growing worse by the day and a major distraction to most employees within the firm. It was apparent that a serious intervention was necessary to resolve the outstanding issues and get the firm "back on track" and moving in a positive and constructive direction.
PNE's lead strategist led the effort to conduct a thorough Organizational Assessment and review of both objective and subjective data. This included a series of in-depth one-on-one confidential interviews of many key staff members, outside advisors and external resources as well as a comprehensive review of firm organizational structure, finances, systems and processes.
The end result was facilitating the departure of a long-standing and senior manager who was at the center of the controversy and identifying a very capable internal replacement manager to assume the lead operations role. This was accomplished without creating a range of ongoing employment or legal complications and establishing a positive foundation for moving forward. The new leadership team has embarked on defining and implementing a revamped strategic plan for achieving their potential.
PNE built the trust of the team, gained a vast array of firm knowledge and then skillfully employed mediation tactics to rectify a conflicted situation. The outcome: all aspects of this firm continue to point Up and to the right™.