Julie and her staff guided our 501C3 nonprofit through a comprehensive, three-year Strategic plan virtually. Julie and Katie worked collaboratively with my team of twelve staff members over a three-month period while also doing outreach and engagement with our key stakeholders. They were beyond thorough, met all my organization’s pre-defined expectations, and took us through many different useful activities including PEST-L and SWAT analysis, before presenting the final product to my Board of Directors. One of my Board members, a doctor, and leading advocate in Indiana for the aging, stated that this was the most thorough and comprehensive plan she has ever been presented, and was beyond impressed. I would highly recommend Lancaster Consulting for your strategic plan needs for your organization. They were exemplary on all fronts.

We recommend Lancaster Leadership to all mid-size law firms. In the past, our team had an overwhelming list of non-billable priorities and no time to focus on them. We knew that strategy was needed for exceptional results, but we didn’t know how to get there on our own. Lancaster Leadership came to our rescue. We enlisted their support with stakeholder focus groups, coaching, values creation, and training, which culminated with strategic planning.

As a result of this process:
• We have identified our priorities and have clear direction
• We can see what’s working and what’s not, and we create strategy for the gap
• We attract and retain attorneys and staff who align with our mission

From creating a 3-year strategic plan, we are proud to say that we now have these wins:
• Growth in the size of the firm, including new roles and more diversity
• New opportunities to maximize our staff expertise for our clients (that increases our profitability)
• A mentorship program for associates
• Succession planning and a flexible professional growth roadmap for staff and attorneys
• Innovative products that help us reach more of our community
• Clear expectations and SOPs that support our efficiency

We know that law firms can be resistant to doing this kind of work as it may seem “fluffy” or challenges the “we are making money, so we are fine” mindset. Strategic planning with Lancaster Leadership is a must for any firm that cares about being successful today and for many years to come.

I first met Julie several years ago when she was hired to facilitate strategic planning with our AZ Chiefs Probation Officer Association meeting. Julie assisted us with Chiefs from around the state to clarify our goals and what we wanted to be about moving forward. Because of her demonstrated skills in communication and ability to deliver great results for our Chiefs, I hired her to come to Yavapai County Adult Probation to work with our management team to assist us in strategic planning and team building. I was inspired by her example to also hire Julie for my personal development and followed by offering her services to several of my staff. Julie is an excellent facilitator and exemplifies the meaning of leadership integrity by walking her talk resulting in bringing out the best in individuals and teams. Call Julie and her team if you want the best for yourself and your staff!

Julie has mastered the ability to absorb a phenomenal amount of information and distill it into useable, succinct and effective strategies for enhancing one’s leadership skills. She both assists and challenges participants in her leadership courses to stretch themselves and their leadership abilities in practical ways. She brings engagement, participation, homework and accountability; the perfect formula to elevate a leader out of the ordinary and towards the exceptional.

Julie Lancaster has this rare and wonderful ability to cross cultural, political, and individual boundaries to help people get to the heart of a matter. What matters to her is people using their hearts and minds in balance to make their work and personal lives better. How does she do this? She is not intimidating. She is also curious, genuine, funny, smart, and always listening for ways to help all involved. She is the consummate professional who gets to clarity quickly. Julie Lancaster is a gem.

Julie did a fantastic job helping the Economic Development Program to look to the future. She assisted with developing a planning process to receive stakeholder feedback, and then worked with us to turn that into a document we can own and really use. Her facilitation throughout the process led to great insights about our communication, about our strengths as a team, and about where we want to go to fulfill our role for the community.

Working with Julie is well worth your time and energy! She is so thoughtful about what you need to know and is not afraid to give you feedback on areas that need change. The most amazing thing is that she is able to point out the things you are already doing well, which can sometimes be hard to see. I appreciate her perspective and innovative ways to establish processes and priorities. At the same time, she shows her authentic self and it makes having those tough conversations easier.