1. Fueling Performance & Potential
Debra Baker, Managing Director
March 26, 2019

2. Today’s Discussion
Overview of talent analytics and our shared experiences
How talent analytics are being used to innovate around business development
Myths and truths of business development and what data tells us
BONUS: Uncovering your own strengths to lead and sell change

3. Discussion How would you describe business development in your firm?
1 - Passive
2 - Reactive
3 - Active – Opportunistic
4 - Proactive – Measurable
5 - High Performing – Consistent and sustainable revenue
What are the strategies, activities, development opportunities where you are seeing the most success?
What is your experience, if any, with talent analytics or assessments?
Type assessment?
Purpose?
Outcome?

4. What we mean by talent analytics
Context
One piece of the puzzle
Can be combined with other data points for full picture :
Measures
Style v. Competency
Capacity vs. Performance
Predictive vs. Descriptive x
Data to Inform Talent
Selection
Development
Right people in right roles:
Business Development
Leadership
Culture
Talent analytics uses data to build stronger work forces for one or more of the following:
Hiring
Development
Implementation of people-driven initiatives
There are numerous talent assessments – DISC, Strengths Finder, Myers Brigg (MBTI), the GrowthPlay Chally Assessment. Different assessments provide different insights, e.g.:
Style v. Competencies
Descriptive v. Predictive
Capacity v. Performance
Law firms have been using primarily personality and social style assessments for a number of years. For the last 3 years, GrowthPlay has been using the Chally Assessment with law firms to focus on uncovering natural sales, management and leadership potential.

5. Law Firm Trends Business Development Coaching
Broaden the lens of what successful business development looks like
Teaming & Collaboration
Team profiles to identify predictive strengths around specific competencies and behaviors affiliated with collaboration
Lawyer (Client/ Practice/ Industry)
Professional staff teams (marketing, KM, C-Suite)
Hybrid (Innovation; BD)
Growth Culture
“23 and Me” type DNA test to understand an organization’s shared strengths around BD, management and motivational styles
D&I
Uncover strengths in people who have not had the same opportunity to perform: Shining a light on unique attributes as super powers.
Innovation & Change Making
Identify essential elements of innovation and business development role profiles to lead and “sell” change.

6. Analytics Talent Benefits
Using data and analysis to inform decisions and shed light on questions about people
Benefits
Self Awareness – Everyone has sales strengths
Strengths-based – Coaching to strengths accelerates results
Informs growth culture – Creates a shared language
Considerations
Statistically validated (EEOC compliant for selection)
95% percent report accuracy
Motivation trumps natural skills

7. Business Development Myth: Rainmakers (Sellers) are Born
Truth:
There are multiple paths to business development success. The best path is the one that allows you to leverage your strengths.
Lead Generator
Super Power:
“Finder” or “Hunter”
Mission:
Expand relationships/ Grow Pipeline
Account Manager
Cultivates relationships with existing clients
Optimize client experience to deepen relationships
Architect
Combines services to tailor a solution
Expands work on behalf of one client to others
Educator
Deep expertise in a niche/ complex/ unique area
Build credibility around established solution
Inventor
Monitors and anticipates change
Provide insights and creative solutions

8. Myth: Business development is about personality and luck
Truth:
98% of lawyers match at least one of the five role profiles
Business Development is a combination of strengths, style, and skill motivation
140 skills/behaviors that have been statistically validated to contribute to successful business development
Personality maters but motivations provide even greater insights into behaviors.

9. Inventor l Architect l Educator
Myth: The “coalition of the willing” is the only way to make BD initiatives work
Truth:
Relying on the usual suspects can unintentionally create unconscious bias. A better approach is to focus on predictive strengths that may uncover potential in people who have not yet had the opportunity to perform.
Get
Grow
Guard
Lead Generator
Inventor l Architect l Educator
Account Manager
New Service/New Market
Increase size of pipeline
Events/Activities
Industry Team/Practice Group
Client Team
Thought Leadership
Client Service Standards
Client Teams
Succession Planning

10. BONUS: Selling Change for Legal Professionals
Create FOMO
Dream Out Loud
Expectation Management
Anticipate Objections
Future Cast
Use headlines
“High-performing firms are doing xx. “
Express Gratitude
State your desire
Ask for advice/input
Yes and v. No, but
Best Case, Likely Case, Worst Case
Acknowledge
Ask
Advance Alternatives
Use Design Thinking
“How might we…”
“What would need to be true?

11. Questions to take back to your firm
As you look at your key initiatives for 2019, what are the skills/behaviors that will be needed to be successful?
Do those roles fall into one of the pre-defined business development role profiles or are a different set of capacities?
What is our confidence level around implementation?
What’s holding us back?
What would need to be true to provide our team with the skills and behaviors identified?

12. Thank you. For more information, visit www. growthplay
Thank you! For more information, visit or contact me below.
Debra Baker, Managing Director