Round partner pegs in round partner holes
No 1 in a series titled ‘Herding Cats’, in support of senior partners everywhere.
How can you maximise your partners’ business development contributions and play them to their personality strengths? A bit more understanding of your team’s profiles could lead to more effective deployment of business development projects.
Margery Minutiae (tax partner) resident in her gloomy office, blinds closed, lights dimmed, sleeves rolled up, working late into the night. An uncut fringe of hair flops forward as she hunches her shoulders into the desk. Squeezed between canyons of files and mountains of books, the blueish light of five screens glimmer on her bifocals. Her fingers scuttle scratchily across a faded keyboard as she peers Gollum-like into her work. What spell will she cast across the client’s problems making them vanish like so many forgotten nightmares?
Is she the hero of your firm?
Brian Fastbender (deal specialist) – all 6ft 3in of him – pinstriped, buttoned up, braced and beaming, strides purposefully across the office leaving young Bob winded from an unexpected slap on the back. “Morning TEEEEAAAMM – what a great day!’ he roars, his grin so broad it almost separates his head from his neck. Brian is still revelling from landing his latest ‘BIG’ client, or was it from getting a date with the new receptionist? Either way, Brian brings in more business than pretty much anyone else…anywhere…in the world…ever (apparently)!
Is he the hero of your firm?
Of course, they are both heroes and there is evidence that the best professional service partner teams are comprised of a range of personality types. There are plenty of psychometric tests out there that reveal ‘style preferences’ and the most common theory in this area was developed in the 1960s and focuses on the ‘Big 5’ personality traits. The two styles illustrated above are caricatures of the Neuroticism and Extrovert types – I wonder if you can guess which is which!? Know anyone like these? Any of your colleagues?
‘Big 5’ Personality Traits
The characters are exaggerated to make a point, but you will recognise them. The less well-known traits are: Conscientiousness, Agreeableness and Openness. All have recognisable strengths, weaknesses, and foibles. As a marketeer who has spent years navigating the egos, politics and ‘characters’ that coalesce in professional service firms, I have begun to wonder if these ‘traits’ can be leveraged more effectively from a business development perspective?
Believe it or not we are now living in the era of the Neuroticist (or ‘Guru’ as I prefer to label them). The internet, social media and clients’ insatiable appetite for information has played beautifully into their hands. Gurus are marketing ‘gold’ for accountants and lawyers. Online ‘client engagement’ and ‘content marketing’ are the watch words of digital marketing and your Gurus are the source of both. Who else is better positioned to create useful content and thought leadership? And the beauty is they can do it from the comfort of their own cupboard. They don’t even have to come out!
Conscientiousness – in my world these are called ‘Practice Builders’. Agreeableness – I prefer ‘Client Servants’. Openness – definitely ‘All Rounders’. In-fact there are marketing tools and tactics that play to the strengths of all partner types. Through some simple exercises you can reveal your partners’ primary traits and then begin to align them with business development tools that leverage their preferred behavioural characteristics. It really is no good putting a round peg in a square hole – so why not play to their strengths?
Shining a light on this as a team can bring significant benefits. For example, Practice Builders (Conscientiousness) are most effective if they are pointed towards the development of the firm’s CRM systems – getting this right so others can benefit. Clients Servants (Agreeableness) are going to be at home pioneering your key account management program, setting service standards and quality controlling delivery.
As part of establishing a BD strategy and delivery plan, understanding your team’s types provides a platform for more effective task delegation. It’s possible to reveal the Big 5 personality types in a carefully managed team exercise that can take as little as a couple of hours. Obviously, it needs management and control but the results can not only deliver more and better BD contributions, but your partners might be happier in their roles as well.
No 1 in a series titled ‘Herding Cats’ – Round partner pegs in round partner holes
No 3 in the series ‘Herding Cats’ – Four habits of fast growth
No 5 in the series ‘Herding Cats’ – Social media: A critical BD tool or a busted flush?
Professional Services Specialist
35 years-experience of advising and working at senior levels within professional service environments. From Global BD Director with Turner & Townsend to Communications Director for Grant Thornton, from international BD roles within PwC Consulting, as well as a range of interim and consultancy roles. Please contact me for a no obligation perspective on alternative ways to herd your cats.