Our work with top firms is described in detail in our two most recent books, Investment Leadership (Wiley, 2003) and High Performing Investment Teams (Wiley, 2006). Our approach to cultural change gains immediate traction because it creates an environment of shared accountability. With the ongoing support of the senior leadership team and the direct involvement – and ownership – of each team member, cultural change is accelerated. Our techniques include an integrated program of individual and team assessments, offsite team workshops, executive coaching, comprehensive communications, and ongoing measurement, to ensure that a culture of performance is achieved – and maintained over the long-term.

Key elements of this approach include:

• Baseline measurement of the current culture, using a combination of online surveys and confidential interviews
• Alignment of senior leadership team around vision for the future
• Agreement on core values and identification of key behaviors needed to support those values
• Development and implementation of specific action plans to engage the entire team and behavioralize the values across the organization
• Succession planning and leadership development
• Team instruction on the seven key behaviors of top-performing teams
• One on one executive coaching
• Time management training
• Investment training for business services staff and other non-investment team members
• Compensation consulting and hiring for fit
• Ongoing measurement of progress
• Comprehensive staff communications to ensure clarity of process at each step
  

This approach has been used successfully with investment management firms of all sizes, and with particularly rapid results for firms whose leadership teams are highly committed to change and are closely involved in the process from the beginning. Northern Trust Global Investments, Ariel, ProFund Advisors, Analytic Investors, American Beacon and Thompson, Siegel and Walmsley are examples of organizations that have recently followed this process to achieve cultural change. In addition, Lehman Brothers, Brandes, William Blair & Company, Ameriprise, American Century, and UBS have used key elements of this approach to fine-tune their cultures and raise their performance levels.