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Organisation Health and Performance
Tackling ill-health and jump-starting organisational & development performance
Organisations, and departments within them, will often come to the view that something is holding them back and preventing them from achieving their full potential. Despite every best effort, and spending many hours thinking through and debating the issues, they find that it is not easy to identify what this is. Similarly, professional firms find it a challenge to work out what it is that will jump-start the organisation.
Usually it will be a combination of factors based around a smaller number of fundamental issues. To provide the necessary insight, this is where an experienced, independent review can pay dividends.
The real challenges do however follow. What to do about the issues that must be addressed? Practical experience-based ideas and options are critical at this point. What is even more pertinent is galvanizing an organisation into action and implementation, and providing the framework whereby this is virtually guaranteed to happen.
The issues that clients traditionally address in this area include:
- An independent review & report-back including a traditional S.W.O.T analysis
- Insuring that all owners are consulted
- How to implement what flows from the review & in particular how to organise for this to happen
- How to communicate to staff about what is happening
- How to ensure follow-through and follow-up/review.
"Once the key issues and opportunities have been highlighted through the review process, options should be considered and a decision taken as to a way forward. What I have always found to be very important for organisations going through this process is to create some early momentum and to achieve some early results. Invariably this is quite feasible.
It is also important to provide a framework whereby the organisation can, in a structured way and without dithering, get things done. The Task Force system we have evolved works very well in these circumstances. It is tried and tested, and is very flexible. In fact, it worked so well on one project I was involved with, that the consulting division of a national accounting firm adopted it as a process it will implement in future!"
Sean Larkan Chairman Authentikos
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"After 20+ years as a firm we felt it was time to get someone with hands on experience managing and leading successful legal firms in various international jurisdictions to undertake a thorough review. He came highly recommended, and lived up to the recommendation.
While he felt we had achieved a great deal, he quickly pinpointed the areas needing most attention, which covered a number of strategic areas including firm leadership and management, governance, partner performance & support, culture and values, profitability and financial management and reporting on this, inter-office & inter-partner communication, as well as various other internal issues. Some of these we were able to implement immediately, with impact.
He made concrete recommendations on the important issues and gave us options. Most important of all he gave us a way to tackle the difficult issue of implementation, and continues to monitor this with our leadership team. While we have accepted all the recommendations , realistically it will take some time for us to implement them.
What is gratifying is that what has flowed from this is completely in tune with our agreed Firm of Choice vision, and what we feel is our culture. As a firm, we are scoring runs.
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Andrew Coates, founding partner, McKAYS Law Centre, Queensland, Australia |
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"Sean Larkan’s extensive experience leading and managing professional service organisations gives him the skill and insight to quickly and effectively identify issues, develop realistic options and advise a firm on strategies and implementation tailored to achieving his clients’ goals.
He has a thorough knowledge of the key drivers which achieve organisational success. He combines this with his expertise in change management to achieve a winning outcome for a firm.
His approach, and many years as a leader and senior manager, makes him a natural confidante and adviser for a leadership wishing to develop their professional services organisation.
He is an enthusiastic advocate for excellence within an organisation he works with, is a clear communicator and has strong technical leadership and management skills."
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Damien Gare, Assistant Treasurer Insurance, Woodside, former Partner Minter Ellison, Australia |
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