This doesn’t have to be the pattern. When firm leadership treats the retreat as the start of an execution cycle rather than an isolated event, the resulting goals can be achieved with a series of short, specific moves with real owners and a concrete 90-day plan.
Start by Limiting the Number of Goals in the Room
Many retreats fail to gain traction before they end because leaders want to tackle too many topics and keep discussion at a very high level. A list of 14 “strategic priorities” is not strategy; it’s a wish list that needs to be pared down.
As the operational voice in the room, legal administrators can push for discipline:
- Limit firmwide goals to three to five.
- Tie each to one measurable outcome.
- Require leadership to name one accountable partner per goal — not a committee.
At a 120-lawyer regional firm, the administrator brought a one-page “goal funnel” into the retreat. The group started with 11 initiatives; by mid-afternoon, they had forced that list down to four, with a named accountable partner and an operations co-lead for each. That one page became the backbone of their post-retreat plan.
Translate Goals Into a 90-Day Plan
A goal without a timeline, tasks and a capacity plan is just a statement. Before adjournment, insist that each agreed goal is broken down into a basic 90-day sprint.
For each goal, capture on a single page:
- What must be true in 90 days for this goal to be “on track.”
- Three to five key milestones between now and then.
- The specific people who are responsible for each milestone.
- The hours and out-of-pocket budget to be allocated. This critical point is one of the most missed details!
A midsize firm that wanted to “fix lateral integration” turned that into three 90-day moves: standardizing the first-week experience, defining a 60-day business development plan for each lateral and creating a simple report for the executive committee on whether those steps happened. None of that required a new system — just clear tasks, dates and ownership.
Adjust for Firm Size, Without Changing the Mechanics
The structure is the same no matter how big the firm is, but what goes into it will differ to address the unique characteristics that typically vary based on size.
- Small firms (under 75 lawyers): You’re often dealing with founder-centric decisions and thin infrastructure. Focus your 90-day plan on one to three tactical issues such as standardizing intake, bringing pricing discipline into matters or broadening the professional operations team in order to serve strategic growth. The biggest needs are to force choices and get them documented on paper.
- Midsize firms (75–300 lawyers): Coordination is the main problem with midsized firms. Use the retreat to highlight items that can be tightened up, like cross-office and cross-department processes: consistent intake and conflicts, common templates for client teams and clearer guidelines for laterals. Your 90-day plans should emphasize handoffs, communication and accountability across offices.
- Larger firms (300+ lawyers): Complexity is the real challenge here. Retreat goals often touch key clients, multi-office practices and succession issues. The good news is that there are often more resources to support change. Your 90-day plans should prioritize clear ways to track progress, make decisions and a commitment to regular check-ins so those complex initiatives don’t drift.
End With a Checklist, Not Just Closing Remarks
As the retreat wraps up, review the goals, answer questions and address concerns before anyone leaves. Ask directly:
- Do we have three to five firmwide goals?
- Does every goal have a clearly named accountable partner?
- Have we agreed on a basic 90-day plan and budget for each?
- Do we have monthly check-in dates on calendars now?
- Have we written down what we are not doing this year so that we can address it in the future?
A managing partner’s closing speech will motivate and bring unity around firm goals, while a short, specific list of commitments, owners and dates will help drive the desired changes. Leaders are in a strong position to turn partner-level ambition into firm-level results by narrowing the list and building an execution rhythm that survives the return back to the office.
