Vista Consulting Team
  • Who We Are
  • How We Help
  • Testimonials
  • FAQs
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Additional Services
    • CFO Services
    • MSA Solutions
    • Talent Acquisition
  • Menu Menu

What Comes Next: Supporting Succession in Law Firms

byDr. Heather Carroll

Firm leaders often think extensively about retention methods for their teams. The focus is generally more on retention than succession planning. While retention is important and should always be the goal for your top talent, we would be remiss if we didn’t also consider the succession plan for the key members of our teams, especially your leadership team. The ultimate goal is to always retain your best players but to be prepared and have a plan for their eventual departure. Unfortunately, attrition is a fact of life, and preparing for inevitabilities in business separates great leaders from good ones.

An effective coach always has a plan for who they will put in the game if one of the starting players needs to come out, right? Your team members may eventually retire, or they may legitimately need to move on elsewhere in order to follow their career goals. You may even find yourself needing to support their decision to move on from your firm. So as much as you may wish to and attempt to retain them, you also need to make sure you have a plan for their departure. In this week’s blog, we’ll examine the concept of succession planning as it applies to your team, especially your leadership positions.

What’s the problem?

So why aren’t firm leaders better at succession planning with their teams? It often boils down to the awkwardness of it. Questions that can make us squirm can come up like:

  • Whose job is it to initiate a plan for succession?

  • Do you, as a firm leader, bring it up?

  • When is the right time to implement a succession plan?

  • Are your team members expected to bring it up to you?

Team members may be hesitant to come to you and tell you about their potential to ever work elsewhere. That’s understandable. Certainly, they would not want to jeopardize their position and future opportunities with you and your firm. On the other hand, firm leaders may feel it is an awkward topic to broach because they don’t want team members to feel they lack confidence in their ability to succeed. So, the whole topic becomes the elephant in the corner of the room, ignored… until it’s possibly too late.

What is even more unfortunate is that there might be more growth opportunities for your firm’s leadership team than they realize. If you don’t take the time to plan out what your organization’s future looks like, and include your leadership team in that vision, they may be operating under the assumption that the best growth opportunities for them lay elsewhere.

How to fix it

You need to be proactive in discussing career plans with your team. Remove the stigma and the awkwardness, and try to be supportive. Being familiar with the career goals of your top leaders will give you the edge. You will have the opportunity to see if you can accommodate that path within your firm. If their career goals truly cannot be accommodated within your firm, you will need to reach a place of understanding, support, and compassion with that team member. That simple act of grace and generosity is often paid back to forward-thinking leaders exponentially in time. By working to get ahead of potential issues and problems, you create more time to build your 2nd string players up and equip them to take over eventually or recruit new leaders into your firm.

Switch the mindset- instead of thinking, “Is my 2nd string player ready to step up?”, you’ve got to proactively think, “What do we need to do to get this player ready?” If you have been supportive of their succession plans, then your incumbent team members are more likely to lend a helpful hand in preparing their successors for the role. You should always be thinking about the eventual successor for your key positions. Make a habit of continuous planning so that you are never caught off guard.

So how do you remove the stigma and make the topic of succession more comfortable to discuss openly with your team? It helps if you have created a culture of openness and trust amongst your team with a positive growth mindset. But it boils down to your ability to look at the process objectively. It’s easy for our personal feelings and our own goals to cloud our thinking process during these hard conversations. You will need to balance having empathy for your team members and their desires with being able to make clean, objective decisions for your firm.

The takeaway: There is a human component to this process that has to be balanced with strategic business decisions.

You will need to step back and look at the whole situation objectively. You will need to candidly and carefully answer two critical questions:

    1. What is in the best interest of your firm?
    2. What is in the best interest of the team member?

If the answers are two different things, then we have to be able to find a way to work together and allow all goals to be achieved. To decide if retaining this team member is truly in the best interest of your firm, you have to be able to evaluate whether or not the actions you will need to undertake in order to retain them are actions that are in the best interest of your firm. If not, what are the actions you can take that would be in the best interest of both the team member and your firm? The journey is about finding the space that honors both vital needs.

Planning ahead now pays dividends later

Aside from having a plan in place to keep key positions filled, what are the benefits of succession planning with your team? It will allow you to be more intentional in promotion and training investments. Too often, our operational decisions are guided by necessity. We make decisions based on what we need, not what we want. We offer promotions to fill a seat. We offer training to fill a gap. Planning your firm’s organizational structure out in advance, including future growth, will allow you to make proactive, strategic decisions on where to focus your recruiting and training budgets.

As with anything, it can be hard to take the time to focus on long-term planning when the short-term day-to-day tasks seem to consume our attention. But, planning for your firm’s future leadership needs instead of just being content in your current setup will give you the edge by keeping your team foundation strong through the years.

Learn More About The Author

Dr. Heather Carroll
https://vistact.com/who-we-are/heather-carroll/

Dr. Heather Carroll

Operations Consultant
Vista Consulting Team
HELP MY FIRM

Recent Posts

  • Set Your Mind Right: Hiring With Intention Tuesday, March 21, 2023 |
  • The Anti-Athlete: Lessons I Learned from Not Playing Sports Tuesday, March 14, 2023 |
  • What Comes Next: Supporting Succession in Law Firms Tuesday, March 7, 2023 |
  • Get Your Head in the Game: Parallels Between Leadership and Sports Tuesday, February 28, 2023 |
  • Stand by Me: The Beauty of Loyalty in the Workplace Tuesday, February 21, 2023 |

Archives

  • March 2023 (3)
  • February 2023 (4)
  • January 2023 (5)
  • December 2022 (4)
  • November 2022 (4)
  • October 2022 (5)
  • September 2022 (4)
  • August 2022 (5)
  • July 2022 (4)
  • June 2022 (4)
  • May 2022 (5)
  • April 2022 (4)
  • March 2022 (4)
  • July 2020 (3)
  • June 2020 (3)
  • May 2020 (1)
  • April 2020 (4)
  • March 2020 (2)
  • July 2018 (1)
  • February 2018 (1)
  • September 2017 (3)
  • August 2017 (5)
  • July 2017 (3)
  • June 2017 (1)
  • May 2017 (1)
  • January 2017 (2)
  • February 2014 (1)
  • January 2014 (4)
  • December 2013 (6)

STAY connected

225•383•2974

FAQS

CONTACT US

PRIVACY POLICY

REQUEST MORE INFO

© Copyright 2023 Vista Consulting Team. All Rights Reserved.

Get Your Head in the Game: Parallels Between Leadership and Sports The Anti-Athlete: Lessons I Learned from Not Playing Sports
Scroll to top

This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site, you are agreeing to our use of cookies.

Accept settingsHide notification onlySettings

Cookie and Privacy Settings



How we use cookies

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

Essential Website Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refuseing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.

We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.

We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.

Other external services

We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.

Google Webfont Settings:

Google Map Settings:

Google reCaptcha Settings:

Vimeo and Youtube video embeds:

Privacy Policy

You can read about our cookies and privacy settings in detail on our Privacy Policy Page.

Privacy Policy
Accept settingsHide notification only
Ciera Parks

Ciera Parks is a Human Resources Executive with 15 years of experience working in higher education, manufacturing, nonprofits, cannabis, e-commerce, and technology. Ciera advises and partners with businesses on their HR needs to develop strategies that improve workplace culture through customized alignment and training. She has a proven track record of success in developing people strategies that drive performance, improve efficiency, and increase profitability. On top of this, Ciera is well-versed in building effective organizational structures and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) topics.

Ciera’s professional accomplishments in the human resources field include a Master’s Degree in Human Resources Development and a Certification from the Society for Human Resources Management. Ciera has also been elected as The Community Involvement Director and Professional Development Chair for two of Amazon’s employee resource groups (ERGs), been selected as the Director for Diversity & Inclusion by CHRA, and is the President of neXco’s National Cannabis Chapter. These honors are a result of her commitment to leadership and skill development for all workforce populations.

Merrill Hodge

Ever since Merril Hoge was eight-years-old, he dreamed of being a professional football player. Growing up in a small town in Idaho, the goal seemed unrealistic. But Merril didn’t just dream about this goal. From that young age, he used the words “Find A Way” to take action to overcome any obstacle and to attain any goal. In 1987, Merril made his childhood dream a reality when he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he played until 1993 and led the team in rushing and receiving in four of his first five years, setting a record in his third year for receptions by a running back. He is one of only two Steelers players to rush for more than 100 yards in back-to-back playoff games. He was the Steelers Iron Man of the Year two years in a row (1989 and 1990) and was named to the All-Madden team in 1989. Merril joined ESPN in 1995 as a football analyst and sideline reporter. He has since served as a host and analyst for a wide variety of ESPN programs.

In 2003, the habits and mindset that Merril formulated throughout his childhood and carried into adulthood, helped him Find A Way to overcome the ultimate challenge – cancer. Merril took on chemotherapy with the same tenacity that got him to the NFL and beat it. Through the difficult moments, Merril found inspiration, and on July 2, 2003, Merril was cancer-free. Merril loved playing in the NFL and loves working at ESPN but what he cherishes most is being a dad. He has used his Find a Way philosophy to become a better parent and to challenge his kids to take ownership for their lives.

Scott Miller

Capping a twenty-five-year career in which he served as chief marketing officer and executive vice president, Scott Miller currently serves as FranklinCovey’s special advisor on thought leadership, leading the strategy, development, and publication of the firm’s bestselling books and thought leadership. Miller hosts the FranklinCovey-sponsored On Leadership with Scott Miller, the world’s largest and fastest-growing weekly leadership podcast, reaching more than six million people. Miller also authors a leadership column for Inc.com, hosted the weekly iHeartRadio show Great Life, Great Career with Scott Miller, and hosts and moderates FranklinCovey’s Bookclub.com series with world-renowned authors.

Miller is the author of the multivolume Mess to Success series, including Management Mess to Leadership Success: 30 Challenges to Become the Leader You Would Follow, Marketing Mess to Brand Success: 30 Challenges to Transform Your Organization’s Brand (and Your Own). He is the coauthor of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Everyone Deserves a Great Manager: The 6 Critical Practices for Leading a Team and the author of the Amazon #1 Bestseller Master Mentors: 30 Transformative Insights from Our Greatest Business Minds, which features insights from his interviews with the leading thinkers of our time, including Seth Godin, Susan Cain, General Stanley McChrystal, and many others.

Connie Podesta

Connie Podesta is a game-changing, revenue-building, sales-generating ball of fire whose rare blend of laugh-out-loud comedy, killer take-away strategies, and interactive, no-power-point delivery style have made her one of the most unique and memorable speakers on the stage today. 25 years. Two million people. 1,000 organizations. Hall of Fame speaker. Award-winning author. Seven books. Former Radio/TV personality. Therapist. Expert on the psychology of sales, leadership, change, accountability, and engagement. Amazing ROI. Plus (what we all could probably use in today’s crazy world )… a Comedienne.

Kendall Abbott

Kendall joined the Vista Team in 2022 as an Operations Consultant. With a keen eye for operations optimization, she specializes in areas such as intake, client touch points, and departmental organization/structure.

Kendall has worked in the personal injury realm for the last seven years, serving as the Firm Administrator and later the Director of Office Operations for a prestigious plaintiff firm in North Carolina. There her leadership mission was to implement solid systems and processes that created an optimal client experience, encouraged firm growth, and expanded the firm’s reach.  Prior to becoming the Firm Administrator, Kendall created, developed, and managed the firm’s intake department.  Her deep expertise in all aspects of a successful personal injury law firm will help her guide Vista clients toward new levels of growth.

Bill Biggs

Bill joined the Vista Team in 2022 as a Culture Architect | Leadership Strategist. Bill is also serving as the CEO of Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers and is considered one of the nation’s most innovative thinkers in law firm leadership. His unique perspective on culture and ability to inspire and multiply leaders has created a movement reshaping firms across the country. He is the founder of the Law Firm Leadership Summit, host of the Transforming The Culture of Law Podcast, limited engagement consultant to select firms, and is relentlessly committed to spreading his message of Love Your People & Demand High Performance as a platform for organizational success. He is also the President of Biggs & Associates serving high value sports professionals and franchises as a brand and messaging strategist. His distinguished client list includes Heisman Trophy winners, NFL HOFers, NBA champions, Olympians, and many of the top teams in college and professional sports. Bill is a Phi Kappa Phi graduate of Texas A&M University and completed his executive training through the CORe program at Harvard Business School.

He lives in College Station, Texas, with his beautiful wife, two sons, and a herd of dogs.

Tim Mckey

Tim co-founded Vista Consulting in 2009, along with his partner Chad Dudley. Vista’s aim was to help plaintiff law firms reach their full potential. In December 2017, Tim acquired Chad’s interest in Vista. Tim and Chad remain very close friends to this day! Tim has decades of CPA experience with local, regional, and national CPA firms. However, it is through Tim’s prior consulting practice that he found his passion. He has worked with many business owners, assisting them with defining and attaining success in their business and personal lives. Developing a management philosophy with business owners along with the associated systems and processes that assist in delivering outstanding management to Vista’s client teams is Tim’s forté.

Dr. Heather Carroll

Dr. Heather Carroll holds a Doctor of Business Administration in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. She specializes in areas such as job satisfaction, motivation, burnout, and organizational commitment, particularly as these workplace factors apply to the legal industry.

During her nearly 20 years of legal experience, she has held many roles from Case Manager, to Litigation Paralegal, to HR Manager, to Firm Operations Administrator. The majority of Dr. Carroll’s legal experience has been in the area of personal injury. However, she began her legal career at a labor union by assisting in the negotiations of a new collective bargaining agreement between a major US airline and their pilot group. It was through that experience that her interest in team and operational matters, within a legal setting, took root. Many years, and a doctorate, later helping legal teams thrive through increased operational efficiency is her passion.

Dr. Carroll resides outside the Seattle/ Tacoma area of Washington currently. She is a military spouse and a mom of three.

Ryan LaRoque

Ryan joined the Vista team in 2014 as a Programmer. He has more than fifteen years of experience working in various finance and accounting roles with a strong background in IT and management information systems. Ryan codes in Visual Basic and is an expert with all Microsoft products. He works closely with Vista’s Operations Consultants to build out custom dashboards for our clients. These dashboards become integral in our clients’ success. Ryan is skilled at assessing and understanding our clients’ requirements and translating those into clear and concise reporting tools that allow our clients to improve firm operations.

Mary Ellen Murrah

Mary Ellen Murrah joined the Vista Team in 2019. Prior to joining Vista, Mary Ellen spent more than 16 years managing and marketing a national, legal case management software company. That position introduced her to thousands of personal injury law firms across the country. She was a familiar face at annual legal events and a frequent voice on topics ranging from legal marketing to data integrity. Over the years, she’s forged meaningful relationships with legal vendors, which has provided keen insight on almost every corner of the legal industry. She is skilled in identifying law firm business improvement opportunities and brings her extensive operations, team management, and industry knowledge to the Vista team. Mary Ellen has a true passion for tackling projects with common sense management. Her eye for detail, human resources experience, and deep operations skills are an asset to help law firms grow their businesses and help attorneys foster and maintain efficient, profitable practices.

Pam Travis

Pam joined the Vista Team in 2020 as an Operations Consultant. She began her career more than twenty years ago at a personal injury law firm where she served as Law Firm Administrator for close to a decade. In that role, she became intimately familiar with the nuances of personal injury firms and developed a keen eye for improvement and success. She then took her passion for data management and effective processes to a national, legal case management software company. There, she worked with hundreds of law firms across the country to help them implement a new system that allowed them to collect and analyze their data and institute seamless workflows. She then transitioned to the role of Training Director for a large personal injury firm where she served as project manager for a massive data conversion and software platform shift. Ultimately, she yearned to get back to her roots, traveling the country, meeting thousands of attorneys and team members, and helping them transform their business.

Stephanie Demont Mastroni

Stephanie joined the Vista Team in 2009 as an Operations Consultant. She brings her knowledge and experience in management and operational excellence to our team. Prior to joining Vista, Stephanie spent twelve years working for insurance claims departments and five years as a Chief Operations Officer of a multi-office, northeast, personal injury firm. She is admitted to practice law in Connecticut, New York, and Tennessee. Stephanie utilizes her experience to assist Vista clients in implementing tried and true solutions in law firm operations. She is an innovative thinker who can apply solutions to clients’ specific circumstances. Stephanie has a knack for assisting COO’s and Office Managers in challenging situations. She has polished coaching techniques and is skilled at helping her clients work through the decision-making process. She is extremely thorough, exhibits strong communication skills, and partners with key client personnel in delivering systems and accountability that drives results.

Terri Houchin

Terri joined the Vista Team in 2018 as an Operations Consultant. After joining a large, multistate law firm in 2004 as a front desk receptionist, Terri quickly realized that her passion for serving others was best utilized in the personal injury firm setting. She developed a love for the legal field. Terri’s passion and desire to understand all aspects of a personal injury case resulted in several promotions to Senior Legal Assistant. In 2015, Terri was selected to join a brand new personal injury firm as Senior Legal Assistant and Office Manager. In this new role, Terri was able to utilize her dedication to the profession and years of experience to help this firm quickly become one of the premier small firms in her hometown. Terri looks forward to helping personal injury firms meet their growth goals.

Amanda Hankins

Amanda Hankins joined Vista Consulting Team in 2017, bringing more than two decades of intimate experience working in personal injury law firms. Amanda’s career at a large, multistate law firm took her from Receptionist to Legal Assistant to Intake Supervisor to Medical Treatment Coordinator. This experience in working in every department of a personal injury firm serves her clients exceptionally well. She’s been there, she knows the struggles, and she knows how to drive progress. She also has experience working with one of the largest medical funding companies as a Business Development Manager. She has a true passion for customer service and loves working with law firms to teach them all avenues of keeping client satisfaction as a top priority.