Dechert's Innovative Strategic Business Planning and Development Programme Develops Senior Associate Leadership Skills
LONDON, Nov. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dechert LLP has launched the Strategic Business Planning and Development Programme - a new, more flexible way to assist senior associates in the rapidly changing business environment. Dechert launched the two-year journey to ensure that each senior associate in the partnership pipeline develops the critical strategic and business skills to move to the next level in their career.
Five core touchpoints across two years provide consistent, ongoing support and increase opportunities for senior associates to connect regularly with peers.
Dechert's innovative six-part, virtual Strategic Business Planning and Development Programme is the first touchpoint. Piloted from March - June 2021, this gives our most senior associates a better understanding of the strategic and cultural environment they operate in, the business development process, and effective business planning.
Designed by Dechert and consultant Murray Mathieson of Positively Legal, the Programme comprised a launch call, pre-programme tasks, and interactive virtual classrooms. Dechert included quality facilitation and group coaching, discrete tasks in breakout groups, panel discussions, insights from firm leadership, clients and our client development team, and small group conversations with recently promoted and more senior partners.
Between each module, senior associates were tasked with activities and encouraged to formulate achievable career goals to share with peers, decide on a format for their business plan, and think about their contribution to the firm in terms of their practice and citizenship.
Dechert's Rosie Warren-Cafferty, Global Director, Learning & Development, explained, "We focused on expanding and leveraging internal networks, making them broader and deeper to enable senior associates to get a clearer understanding of the type of work their peers from across the practice areas perform day-to-day. We couldn't be in person, so we looked to replicate the interactions associates would experience if they were all together."
Dechert matched each senior associate with a "Business Plan Adviser," who helped prepare a focused business plan. In spring 2022, the senior associates have a virtual update to reconnect with peers and explore how they are implementing the skills and strategies learned at the Programme.
Two additional touchpoints are targeted support for partnership interviews and ongoing support from the firm's internal executive coach to work 1-1 on their leadership development skills throughout the development journey.
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