Openside has worked with this ‘Big Four’ strategy consulting firm since 2012. Initially delivering Consulting Skills programmes for Senior Partners through to junior consultants, Partner strategy workshops, and Keynote Speaking at Partner conferences. Openside also provides ongoing coaching and mentoring to the leadership team. 

Challenge:
A new corporate strategy was implemented by our client for culture, purpose and values. However, to fully embed change in the firm, our client acknowledged that they needed further alignment from Partners. In 2022, the CEO asked Openside to diagnose, design, deliver, and coach their entire leadership team — a population of over 400 Partners.

Our Solution:
As part of the ‘Openside Approach’ to understand the context for the initiative, we identified critical skills requirements and core behaviours that aligned with the CEO’s strategic ambitions, incorporating Openside’s three pillars of Exemplifying the Brand, Embodying the Culture and Ensuring the Legacy. We interviewed Partners, creating a bespoke partner development programme with an agreed-upon set of competencies, including topics such as business development, stress, resilience and succession. Hogan Development profiling and individual one-to-one feedback sessions were conducted with Partners and senior leadership team members.

Outcome:

Since January 2023, our leadership development programme has achieved outstanding results. We have supported 19 cohorts, totalling 355 Partners who have participated in this programme. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with 97% of partners stating they would recommend it to their colleagues.

The effectiveness of the programme is further reflected in the high ratings it has received:

• Relevance to role and facilitator effectiveness: 4.8 out of 5
• Group collaboration and discussion: 4.6 out of 5

We are committed to completing the rollout of this programme, with the remaining cohorts of newly promoted Partners scheduled to finish by the end of October 2025.

Why work with Openside?

Our client’s CSO explains our relationship:

“As a firm we need to continue to develop our talent and our methodologies. We need to continue to work efficiently and with a long-term perspective. I believe that Openside are the perfect partner to help us achieve these long-term objectives.

I believe that Openside has had a profound impact on the way we think.

Openside are very good at challenging our Partners. They make us think differently and they provide very, very good advice. We employ very demanding people and yet we continue to use them regularly.

From a P&L point of view, we definitely see Openside as a long-term investment and not as a short-term cost. We see they are crucial to building our team and shaping our culture for the long term.

Based on our experience, I would have no hesitation in recommending Openside to other professional services firms.”

What Partners said about this programme:

“I tend to be sceptical of this sort of thing, but it well exceeded my expectations.”

“Very valuable experience. Outstanding reflections that will help me to improve and be a better leader.”

“It is an essential course for Partners.”

“Very valuable investment of time.”

“Thought-provoking, challenging and exciting.”

“Beneficial, in terms of challenging how we approach business development and other interactions within working environment.”

“Time to reflect on our priorities as partners and the way we behave to act as ‘trusted leaders & advisors’.”

“Excellent programme that is an essential part of changing our culture.”

“Awareness of my strong points and my weaknesses and where I have to focus.”

“Good time to reflect on our strategy and the behaviours that we should foster as a Partner.”

“A transformational view on my new role as a partner.”