Thought leader

By Beverly Landais, director of marketing and business development, Baker and McKenzie LLP.

THE HOLY grail for most law firm marketers is to be considered as someone who can contribute to the wider strategic thinking and business management of their firm. But where do you start? There is no simple answer to this, however, I’ve set out a few thoughts based on my own experience which I hope are useful. First find out how the strategic process works in your firm. Is there a planning cycle? Are there away days for strategic discussion? Are there working parties set up on certain topics. Who is involved? Ask for information in the context of doing your job better – then be prepared to be engaged and put yourself out. Demonstrate understanding of the strategy: its formation and implementation is an ongoing, never-ending, integrated process requiring continuous reassessment and reformation. As such the canny marketer relates his or her activities to the chosen strategy. Stay alive to the strategic direction of your firm; read wider than marketing reports. If there is a strategic plan, read it, ask questions about it and suggest action that might help achieve it.
Immerse yourself! Become a strategy activist. Strategy is both planned and emergent. It is dynamic and interactive. Whatever your organisation it is likely to be in a constant state of refinement and evolution as the reality is that the marketplace never stands still. Therefore there are always opportunities to get involved in the strategic process of an organisation.
Can you join a working party? Are you able to take on a research role for a particular project? Can you align yourself with a strategic practice group or industry sector initiative? Are you able to get a short-term secondment to a particular department? Find common strategic ground with other functions. Find out from HR about the people/talent management goals of the firm. Find out the financial goals from finance. Think hard about the marketing function and how it can help the firm achieve these goals through business development and internal communication. Make suggestions and speak up with your ideas. Build a reputation for thinking and acting strategic. Show that you are capable of thinking and acting strategic. This isn’t about writing five-year plans, it is about demonstrating that you can act strategically in your everyday role. For example, listen up for external feedback on your firm via third-party surveys or client satisfaction reports – then use the information to inform and enhance your proposals for marketing relating what you find to the strategic goals.
Work on your management skills and ask for feedback. Once you get feedback, be prepared to act! Be efficient and effective: good strategic management will blend both efficiency and effectiveness in order to achieve a stated goal.
Efficiency is about doing things the right way. It involves eliminating waste and optimising processes. Effectiveness is about doing the right things. There is no point in acting efficiently if what you are doing will not have the desired effect in driving forward an agreed strategy.
Most of all demonstrate your commitment: act like a business partner and you are likely to be treated as one.