Welcome to Gro:Gossip, our regular email capturing our thoughts, opinions and experiences, sharing stories and commenting on what we are seeing, hearing and working on in the world of Professional Services.

The purpose is simply to inform, challenge thinking where we can and spark conversations and debate around relevant themes.

theGrogroup are a consultancy led by experts who have all held client facing and senior positions in practice and now support Accounting and Law firms in two ways:

• Strategic support – helping senior teams to create a clear picture of where they want to go, and more importantly how to get there and how to bring people on board to drive the plan
• Enabling people to build great careers through developing their Leadership, Management, Commercial, Client Relationship and Business Development capability

Ok so, the Gossip!

The practice ‘model’

The question around the right-fit organisational structure has always been a topical one, but appears to be being debated more than ever. Resourcing and retention challenges, the accelerating AI and technology evolution, developing a real leadership focus, client needs and a growing understanding of the importance in measuring business performance at a multi-dimensional level has led to senior teams wanting to consider changes to the traditional pyramid structure.

We hosted a very impactful debate on this during a recent Managing Partner roundtable. Historically the ideas that we put forward have always been of interest, but the focus this time was on real actions – how to begin the process of changing structures to better align with the strategic goals of the firms.

We include the ways that leaders need to adapt to the new way of working in our global Leadership programmes and we were recently invited to Warsaw to chair a panel discussion where partners in a global network discussed how they are adapting to the changing trends in the marketplace.

Traditional model

Future model?

Food for thought for sure and a subject that will become increasingly prominent!

The hard skills

We hear the label ‘soft skills’ so often to describe the non-technical capabilities that professionals are expected to develop.

There are a few problems with this:

• The perception is that they aren’t that important (they are soft)
• The perception is that they are warm and fluffy
• The focus is on those essential, technical skills

The thing is, with firms and professionals being in the client service game, with firms being ‘people businesses’, with processes and delivery models being increasingly led by technology, the essential human skills are so important. They are paramount. When AI can do a better job of the audit, tax compliance, tax planning and accuracy – all we have left is our interpersonal expertise. It needs to be built.

You can build the technical knowledge and understand EBITDA, Depreciation and Tax law. If you don’t know then you can easily Google or ChatGPT them!

But the human skills? The really difficult BEHAVIOURAL skills covering the emotional approach to relationships and influencing others… you won’t get that in a book. This is the hard stuff!

Time for a rebrand? Power skills anyone?

We are very excited to be launching Gro:AcDmy, a suite of ‘open’ development programmes for professionals working in Professional Services firms (and beyond!) looking for high quality, effective and relevant learning and collaborative experiences

Gro: has always been (and will remain so) a ‘B2B’ business. Our focus has been on working with firms to create solutions absolutely for them – based on a deep understanding of their (and their people’s) needs, their required outcomes, their culture and their ethos. We have been successfully delivering Leadership, Management, Commercial and Business Development solutions for a wide range of firms and networks across the world

A wealth of experience, a bank of ‘stories’ and a strong understanding of the key challenges facing people at all levels of firms and facing professionals in wider roles means we know how to create positive and energetic environments that inspire people to feel confident to share, collaborate and push to take action. This is what we do best!

If you….

• Are a partner wanting to invest in team development but ‘buying in’ a programme / provider just doesn’t make sense
• Are (or know) someone with management responsibility in a Professional Service firm (and beyond) looking for support, know-how, confidence and some great tools to be more effective in role and build more engaged and effective teams
• Have seen some of the glamorous global programmes that we successfully run and think ‘oh yes, I want some of that’ 🎉
• Have never heard of us (what..how? 😀 ) but are looking for a relevant and high-quality learning (CPD) experience delivered by sector experts
• Are looking to get a real buzz, share experiences, learn, collaborate and build a network focused on growth and solving challenges with people in similar roles

Then Gro:AcDmy really is worth a look

On top of the usual, what’s going on with the team?

Kate has survived a couple of months of both GCSEs and A Levels for her girls, and has set herself another fitness challenge – walking a marathon this time, all in aid of a breast cancer charity

Paul has been completing a leadership programme for a national firm and speaking in Warsaw and is now developing our AI offer in conjunction with Dimitris Dimitriadis of TheFutureCats

Alex has been busy dealing with the usual summer influx of mice brought in by his cat Pickle and enjoying music festival season

Gro:Quote of the month

“It is always better to be interested than interesting” 

Jane Fonda

Gro:Moan of the month

A very simple one this month. Mobland has finished!  Absolutely brilliant start to finish. But now a painful wait for series 2 (assuming there is one!)