We have come to the end of our series on how a critical friend can help professionals and organisations maintain a continuous cycle of improvement. In this final post, Martin offers readers advice on how to set up the relationship with your chosen critical friend in just the right way.
Previous posts covered: What is a critical friend? Who might use a critical friend? Can critical friends support teams as well as individuals? How might I find a critical friend? How do I get a critical friend arrangement in place? ​If you'd like to read these posts in order, start here. But if you are ready to get started, read on MacDuff...
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"Not investing in people is a huge risk" Sir Dave Brailsford MBE CBE
This is a bit like asking - who needs a friend? Answer: everyone.
As we said in the second part of this series, a critical friend comes closest to what may be termed "true friendship" - a successful marrying of unconditional support and unconditional critique. Someone who is on the side of the person they are working with, who encourages and supports them and also provides truthful and constructive feedback. Feedback that might be difficult to hear but is designed to help you maintain continuous improvement towards your goals. In a business setting this sort of feedback and support can be invaluable, especially for the obvious group of typical law firm managers we talked about in the first part of the series: namely, senior managers such as managing partners, chief operating officers, department or team heads. In truth, anyone in a senior role in a legal business could easily justify the business benefits of having a critical friend. ​There are some particular areas where having a critical friend can be invaluable: 
"We all need people who will give us feedback. That's how we improve." Bill Gates
The term Critical Friend is not well known in law firm circles. It's something we have been advocating for nearly a year now, as one possible answer to the question: what help is available for teams and leaders in firms who want to make change happen? So, what is a critical friend? Typically, a critical friend is a person who understands, and is sympathetic to, the aims and objectives of the business they are working with, but who is outside the business. A critical friend is committed to helping their client to improve and succeed, whether that client is an individual or a group, by providing challenge, encouragement and candid feedback.  What a busy few months we have had! Martin and I gave a lot of thought earlier in the year as to where and how we can best serve our clients and the plans are starting to bear fruit. We've rebranded, created a post Brexit planning day, opened two new offices and expanded our client base into health and the built environment. Our new website will be launched in the New Year. Busy busy. Why am I telling you this? Well, mainly because some people have questioned whether now is the right time to be doing it. I'd say, if not now, when? All we know for sure about Brexit is that we don't know. So now is exactly the right time to be putting our business into the best possible shape for the future. If you need help doing the same, give either Martin or me a call to fix an appointment. If you want to book a meeting click here. Im trialling the Calendly app at the moment - it's pretty amazing. Meanwhile, if you find yourself consumed by the small stuff, you may need a critical friend. A Critical Friend may be critical to your business
Someone who has your best interests at heart, who understands what you want to achieve and (unlike your best friend) understands the environment and challenges you face as well as you do. Even better, who will tell you straight. Here is what Martin told Modern Law Magazine. We hope you enjoy. |
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