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STANDOUT LEADERSHIP, from page 9
WHERE CHANGE BEGAN – AND CONTINUES TO EVOLVE. It was during Neumann Monson’s first firmwide retreat in 2012, where overall staff dissatisfaction reared its ugly head. Their critical concern was that the firm was not capable of change. This was Schroeder’s call to action. The other principals, fearful of a mass exodus, acknowledged the staff’s trust in Schroeder and tapped into him to guide the organizational change effort as the firm’s first head of operations. He recognized the importance of shifting retention efforts away from convincing dissatisfied staff to stay and toward building a culture where they wanted to grow and thrive. Building a culture of shared trust was a radical shift – one that decentralized power from the top and embraced grassroots, staff-led initiatives that had real meaning and impact on the practice. Schroeder forged into the unknown and built processes that engaged staff at every opportunity, instilling curiosity, and openness in the next generation. Drawing inspiration and direction from John Kotter’s Leading Change, he formed coalitions throughout the firm, articulated an aligning vision based on staff input, empowered others to act on the vision, and orchestrated short-term wins. Not only did staff begin to develop key initiatives and help tackle challenges, they became more engaged – demonstrating a clear sense of ownership over the firm’s success. The key was to reset the operational model and performance expectations for the firm (at the time 35+ years old) while transitioning beyond the leadership of Neumann Monson’s founders. As the firm’s first head of operations, he was tasked with aligning the siloed culture. Through organizational change, research, and staff interviews, he developed and executed a series of interdependent initiatives that dramatically changed the firm’s trajectory, standardized processes, and empowered a new generation of leaders. The first wave of initiatives emphasized teamwork, shared accountability, and high expectations for quality. He incrementally implemented internal feedback loops and traded top-down reviews for bottom-up reviews where each employee anonymously critiqued firm principals. This proved enlightening for the principals and cathartic for the team. He introduced transparent 360 reviews where all team members, including leadership, are critiqued by a cross-section of staff. By introducing this process, he changed the culture of feedback and critique within the firm, but did so incrementally, allowing everyone involved to move at the speed of trust. The process continues to evolve toward real-time feedback loops. “Until I heard familiar voices playing in the video, I had no idea what was coming. It was an emotional moment to see and hear my colleagues sharing their thoughts on video – I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for being part of this journey with them.”
Schroeder also engaged a voice-of-the-customer program – Client Feedback Tool – and project managers began sending short surveys to clients at project milestone. As initial feedback uncovered shortfalls in client relationships, he moderated monthly all-staff meetings where feedback was reviewed and improvement strategies discussed. As he coached staff to react without defense and build understanding, results steadily improved, as did client trust and loyalty. Schroeder’s leadership realigned the staff’s perceptions to empathize with the client and favor successful partnerships over autonomy to such an extent that Neumann Monson has become a national leader in client experience among professional service firms. When asked what changes he’s proud of most, Schroeder says, “the team.” “We’ve embraced a culture of openness and experimentation, where all voices could be heard, and took steps to decentralize decision-making, empowering leadership across all levels of the firm. This approach has made us more agile, aligned with our values, and effective in creating meaningful design outcomes,” he shares. He’s also incredibly proud of the succession plan, not just for its success, but for how it came together as a cocreated vision. “As leaders, we put our trust in the next generation and collectively built frameworks that emphasized trust, staff empowerment, and engagement. These principles have guided our evolution, ensuring both continuity and innovation. The key to our success has been a commitment to question the status quo – even if that means challenging our own past innovations,” he says.
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THE ZWEIG LETTER FEBRUARY 10, 2025, ISSUE 1572
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