19 Questions to Discuss at Your Next Practice Group/Department/Office Retreat

Originally published by Cordell Parvin.

I’m in my third of four weeks of Spanish Immersion in San Miguel de Allende. I am just starting to feel like I am learning more vocabulary and I can actually carry on a conversation, albeit slowly. So, yesterday, when asked, I could actually describe what I did over the weekend…only it was in present tense.

I have found a website that is helpful. If you are learning a language, you may know it memorize.com.

During the week I am busy with class, so I’m rarely bored and lonely. The weekends are another story. I study, but after a while I get tired of it.

One thing that is fun is to watch the wedding at the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel. I’ve been told there are more than 600  weddings there annually. I believe it. If you are interested, you might enjoy the photos on this photographer’s website.

To say the weddings are a big deal, understates it. While we were eating dinner last night we saw a parade of horses outside the window of the restaurant. After eating we walked to near the Parrquuia and watched the wedding guests arrive. All of the men wore black tuxedos or black suits and all of the women wore full length dresses. I commented that they looked regal.

Well, let’s get to our topic today.

Have you ever been to a retreat you thought was a waste of time? Several I attended were a waste, other than getting to know other firm lawyers.

I remember the last one I attended. The theme was “One Firm,” meaning we were focusing on working together and teamwork. I wish I had saved my yellow tee shirt (the color designated the group of team builders I was in).

On Monday after we all went back to work, we retreated into our silos. So much for the “one firm.” I always wanted to be part of a firm which was constantly seeking to improve. Now that I’m coaching, the lawyers I enjoy the most are those constantly seeking to get better.

If you want to make your retreat valuable, consider discussing some or all of these questions and developing action plans. Most importantly, actually implement the plans when you go back to work:

1. Are you totally satisfied with the amount of business members of your practice group are generating? If not, Group A, decide what your practice group can do now that will produce business for you in the next year. Group B decide what your practice group can do now that will produce business from 1-3 years out. Group C decide what your practice group can do now that will produce business from 3 years out and beyond.
2. What is the industry or industries most of your clients are in?
3. Your clients are members of what industry associations?
4. What industry association executives do you know and how can they help you reach out to their members?
5. What problems, opportunities or changes are your client contacts facing?
6. What industry changes will take place in the next three years that will create opportunities for you to help and add value?
7. What have you learned about working with clients in this industry that others in your practice group may not know?
8. What are you doing to provide extraordinary service to your clients  and improve your clients’ satisfaction?
9. If resources were not an issue, what are three things each of you could do that would attract new business?
10. If resources were not an issue, what are three things each of you would do that would attract more business from existing clients?
11. What are the challenges you face developing new business and how can they be overcome?
12. What are the names of three potential clients you are most likely to get work from in the next 18 months?
13. What is it that you are uniquely able to offer this industry, that is of value, and that these potential clients can’t get from any other firm?
14. Who are your main competitors?
15. What are you competitors doing better than your group and what is your group doing better?
16. What benefits might you expect from working together as a team on client development and client satisfaction?
17. What are the benefits to your clients from your working as a team?
18. How can you use blogging, podcasts, webinars LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social media most effectively?
19. What is the one thing each of you is doing that is making our clients ecstatic about using our law firm?

The post 19 Questions to Discuss at Your Next Practice Group/Department/Office Retreat appeared first on Cordell Parvin Blog.

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