A case study

Client: International Law Firm

Two successful pan-European law firms amalgamated to improve their competitiveness. As part of the change process, the new business experienced a number of conflicts between different board directors as a result of cultural and personal differences. O" was asked to provide a structured strategy to prevent a serious breach of relations between the directors which could have proved costly and damaging to the business.

Our approach

Initially we had to understand the cultural differences between the two amalgamated companies as well as discover the personal issues fuelling the conflicts. We interviewed the individuals concerned and a range of employees to elicit the differences in cultures. O" then helped the directors understand how the conflict was happening and worked at an individual and board level to resolve the conflicts. An important by-product of our involvement was that the directors were able to clarify their thinking about the values, culture and objectives they wanted for the new company.

The results

• Successful resolution of potentially damaging conflicts
• Clarification of the new company's values, culture and direction
• Development of a culture of respect and mutuality
• Improved emotional intelligence