Land the Strategic Plan: A Strategic Planning Framework for General Counsel, Part 2
In my last post, I shared a practical strategic planning framework to diagnose gaps, benchmark performance, and determine which projects maximize impact. In this post we focus on presenting findings and executing a data-driven strategic plan that demonstrates business partnership and secures legal’s seat at the C-Suite table.
Present Findings: Once your team has identified a project portfolio, some may be inclined to treat the results as a smorgasbord. To ensure team workload is sustainable and focused on the highest value work, the GC drives the discipline by recommending no more than 3 key opportunities each year.
Start with the legal department mission, then recommended 3 top initiatives, specifying alignment with the company’s mission and goals. A slide or two can summarize your data gathering process but avoid a deep dive in initial presentation. Stay focused on the top line recommendation. In conversation draw upon the analysis to respond to feedback.
Consider including place within a maturity model, providing peer context. Couch your recommendations to the C-Suite as preliminary, leaving space for conversation and feedback. You may secure approval in the initial presentation, or you may want or need two sessions. This gives your team a chance to fine-tune based on feedback and leadership time to reflect.
Once the plan is approved, present to the full department and post it for easy reference. After your initial presentation, create a robust communication plan with quarterly updates and a transparent working list of future projects, so no one feels their ideas are being overlooked or forgotten.
Execute Against the Plan: Once the plan is approved, it is time to get the key projects in flight. Adopt a common framework for consistency. Agile, Lean Six Sigma, PMP and Prosci are popular options.
For each project, assign a project manager to work with a subject matter expert lawyer and small team. The project manager can be drawn from an internal operations function, a process-oriented paralegal, or the company’s Project Management Office.
Planning should map current processes, pain points and gaps, rather than start from “tabula rasa” (a blank slate). A blank slate invites over-engineering, while drawing from the best in current practices invites buy-in.
Mapping should uncover “untapped capacity,” low-value activities by role, and their time/cost to company. Ask the following: 1, Does this activity add value? 2. If so, is legal or the business the right owner? 3. If legal, what it is the lowest cost resource (internal or external) that could take this on?
Aim for an initial Minimum Viable Product (or business process), then iterate to expand over time. Stakeholder feedback tends to sharpen once they are using the new process. Keep a communication plan to apprise stakeholders of progress, setbacks, and future plans.
While focused on the top 3 initiatives, retain flexibility. Some projects will gain traction while others face setbacks. To maximize forward progress, be opportunistic, capitalizing on buy-in and energy where you find it. Circle back to good ideas that stall, waiting for a better opening.
Celebrate accomplishments and lessons learned at project conclusion, and make a special effort to do so again at year-end. Collect feedback from the team on priorities for year 2, repeating previous steps as needed.
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Note: Ops in a Box, Legal Edition is a magical toolkit built for in-house legal ops professionals with templates designed to help you get the job done and won quickly. The kit includes a strategic plan checklist, presentation templates and guidance. Explore the toolkit → | Work with us →
