A Cheshire law firm have come forward to talk about a new excellence programme and the importance of individualised ‘soft skills’ in the workplace.
Tom Parkinson is a Director and Head of Property at Rowlinsons Solicitors. He leads a team of over 35 people specialising in a wide range of commercial and residential property legal services and is an active member of the Conveyancing Association sitting on their board of Directors.
Rebecca Wray set up her own Coaching Consultancy in 2011. She is a leadership coach and facilitator working with a small team of professionals across the UK in businesses and schools. The service delivers one-to-one coaching, training and team development.
The pair have teamed up to spearhead the Rowlinson’s Excellence Programme which is a series of workshops designed to ‘further enhance client service excellence’.
What is the Rowlinsons Excellence Programme and what are you aiming to achieve with it?
Rebecca explained:
“The Excellence Programme is a series of workshops designed to further enhance client service excellence, increase alignment with the company values and inspire and motivate the team.
“Session one saw us explore the five core company values of Integrity, Passion, Knowledge, Togetherness and Forward Thinking, identifying how colleagues connected with the values and planned for ways in which they can practice living out the values consistently. We explored the concept of Client Service Excellence and began to shape the new ‘Rowlinsons Client Service Excellence Charter’.
“This month will see Fee Earners come together to explore the action centred leadership concept – ensuring we are being as effective as possible in a leadership role. We will explore different leadership styles and their place in our toolkit, including giving and receiving feedback to improve performance.
“The aim of the programme is to bring everyone together and to give the team a voice in deciding what Client Service Excellence should look like, culminating at our final session in April which will see the whole team come together to launch the new Charter and to think about how best the team can implement it into everyday practice.”
What has the response been like from your residential conveyancing team?
Tom said:
“Exceptional. Taking the whole team away from the office and putting them into a fresh environment in order to focus on their own personal development has been so very well received. I for one have learned so much and to hear what the staff have to say and to take on board their views and feedback has been invaluable. It will only help improve the great service that we already provide to our clients.”
How can developing soft skills help law firms deliver better client service?
Rebecca said:
“Soft skills are fundamental to success in any business. It’s no longer enough to rely on hard skills, it’s ‘how’ we do something that matters so much more in the rapidly changing landscape we’re working in.
“One of the top topics we’re asked to support firms with is ‘difficult conversations’. My first tip would be: reframe it! Don’t see the conversation as a difficult one or it will be! I prefer to think of these conversations as crucial ones – immediately, my emotions are more in check and I can approach the conversation more objectively.”
Tom explained:
“Soft skills are so often forgotten about within the legal industry, where focus can be fixed on the legal and practical knowledge side of things. Investing in employees’ soft skills helps them communicate more effectively, build better trust and rapport, manage client expectations more appropriately and improve teamwork and collaboration. Developing these skills undoubtedly enhances the overall client experience, improves client satisfaction and contributes to the reputation and success of law firms.”
Soft skills are an individual’s personal attributes. They directly relate to how well a person can work with and interact with others. These workshops are designed to help the team develop their own soft skills, which will differ from person to person.
