"Managing Partners' Forum:" Now Launching in the US

I'm pleased to announce that I'm now the US director of the Strategy Panel of the UK-based Managing Partners' Forum.  My co-directors are Andrew Hedley of Hedley Consulting (London) and Rob Millard of Edge International (Bahamas). 

What does this mean?

"MPF" was founded in London in 1995 and is currently chaired by Nigel Knowles of DLA Piper.  MPF is widely recognized as the leading association in the UK for professional firm leaders and their management teams.   (MPF membership is open not only to law firms, but to accounting and other professional services firms as well.)  Its mission is to promote excellence in management through, among other things, awards and other recognition for internal management expertise.  If you're US-based and not familiar with the MPF, you may be forgiven; it is just launching its US presence, so I am particularly pleased to be in on the ground floor of its efforts here.

A primary activity of the  MPF is to conduct regular—typically six times a year—surveys on topics of interest to its members.  From the invitation to participate in the study:  "Our recently formed Strategy Panel consists of managing partners and CEOs at professional firms interested in strategy. The inaugural survey focuses on the process by which strategic decisions are taken at professional firms worldwide. It can be completed by anyone on the management team in any firm and should take no more than 10 to 15 minutes. Anonymity is guaranteed."

Here is the outline of the first, and current, strategy panel survey:

"Our July 2007 survey on the strategy setting process at professional service firms covers:

• Attitudes towards strategic planning
• Responsibility for formulating strategy
• Sources of data used when formulating strategy
• Tools used in formulating strategy
• Assessment of opportunities and threats facing firms
• Frequency, duration and time horizons when formulating strategy
• Overall satisfaction with the outcome"

After the survey results are compiled, a breakfast meeting is held to present the findings and have a roundtable discussion. Participating in the surveys, and attending the meetings, is free; the MPF collects its revenue from membership fees but not from charging for admission to events.

The meeting to present the results of our first survey is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, October 11th, here in New York.   If you'd like more info about the MPF and what would be entailed for your firm to join, check out their basic information page, or else just let me know of your interest..  It would be delightful if we could meet on October 11.