Partner Offsites for Professional Services Firms
Ross Dawson designs and facilitates partner offsites for professional services firms, giving the partnership a shared view of its future and a prioritized set of initiatives its partners own.
Partner offsites have their own considerations, distinct from a standard executive strategy session. Ross has worked with a wide range of professional services sectors and firms, and their partners, and is often asked to run partner offsites or sessions within them. A common thread across engagements is the future of the firm’s sector and the innovation initiatives it requires, alongside strategy, collaboration, and client relationships.
Ross’s first book, Developing Knowledge-Based Client Relationships, published in two editions, sets out the client relationship model that underpins much of this work.
Audience: managing partners and partner groups at law, accounting, and other professional services firms.
Key content
Content is tailored to the firm’s sector and the offsite’s objectives, drawn from a consistent set of themes.
- The future of the profession. AI, shifting client expectations, and pricing and value.
- Knowledge-based client relationships. Moving beyond black-box services toward relationships built on shared knowledge.
- Innovation initiatives and prioritization. Turning ideas into a short list the partnership will act on.
- Partner alignment and collaboration. Building the internal cooperation the strategy depends on.
- Leadership through change. What the offsite asks of the firm’s leaders once the session ends.
Outcomes
Partner groups leave an offsite with more than a discussion.
- A shared view of the firm’s future. Common ground across a partnership that does not always agree.
- Prioritized initiatives with owners. A short list of actions, each with a partner accountable for it.
- Partner alignment. Agreement carried by the whole room rather than by firm leadership alone.
- Renewed energy. A partnership that leaves engaged rather than depleted.
Examples of recent work
The member firms of a global accounting network gathered for a half day session on industry disruption. Ross facilitated the group through ideas and initiatives, ending in a prioritized list of actions the member firms agreed to undertake together.
A major Asia-based law firm held its annual all-partner offsite at a resort. Ross designed and facilitated a one day session on the vectors of change facing the industry, using structured group activities that produced an agenda for change across the firm.
An insurance law firm built its partner conference around “Creating the Future of Professional Services.” Ross’s session covered driving forces, the future of professional work, relationships beyond black-box services, knowledge-based relationships, opportunities, and leadership.
A national law firm’s government-sector partner group worked through “Creating a Positive Future of Government,” covering driving forces, the future of work, the future of government, bringing together skill sets and capabilities, and leadership.
Another national law firm asked for a partner session on client relationship excellence. Ross covered the foundations, going beyond black-box services, knowledge-based relationships, relationship milestones, and teams, and closed with the partners’ own actions.
Formats
Offsite involvement ranges from a single session to full design and delivery.
- Keynote plus facilitated session. A content input followed by a working session within the offsite.
- Half-day or full-day session. A dedicated block within a larger offsite agenda.
- Design and facilitation of the whole offsite. End to end involvement in the program.
- Pre-offsite partner interviews. One-on-one conversations with senior partners to shape a strategic framework before the offsite, refined with broad partner input on the day.
Part of Strategy facilitation and offsites.
About Ross Dawson
Ross Dawson is a futurist, strategy advisor, keynote speaker, entrepreneur, and author. He is the Founder of Advanced Human Technologies Group, whose ventures include the Humans + AI product suite and Fraxios, the AI-augmented strategy platform, and the bestselling author of Thriving on Overload and Living Networks. He has delivered keynotes and strategy sessions in 35 countries.
