A legal and compliance team with 8 years of stability was about to lose their manager for 12 months. They had no idea an entire executive restructure was coming next.

The challenge:

​The University of Canberra's Office of the General Counsel had operated under the same leader for over eight years. This 10-person legal and compliance team had built something special.

They were known across the university as the team that always delivered, collaborated brilliantly across departments, and maintained the kind of culture that made people actually want to work with lawyers.

But their manager was leaving, and the replacement process was anticipated to take 6-12 months to be resolved.

For a team whose work touches every corner of the organisation—from policy drafting to compliance, risk management to legal privilege—losing their advocate at the executive table was terrifying. Without their leader's voice in senior forums, would other departments understand their value? Would they lose their seat at critical decision-making meetings? Would the legal and risk functions be split up, destroying the collaboration that made them so effective?

The team decided to get ahead of the uncertainty.

Our approach: Building advocacy from within

In July 2024, we facilitated an appreciative inquiry session designed to help the team identify their strengths and develop strategies for self-advocacy during the leadership transition.

Rather than focusing on what might go wrong, we guided them through a structured process to articulate what made them successful and how to protect those elements. The session helped them move from anxiety about change to strategic thinking about opportunity.

Working in small groups and then as a whole team, they mapped out their core value proposition, identified their key strengths, and developed concrete action plans.

What they discovered about themselves:

The team's self-assessment revealed why they were so highly regarded:

Their Unique Value: The combination of legal and risk expertise in one team created powerful synergies—from legal privilege protections to seamless policy development. They'd become trusted advisors who could navigate complex regulatory landscapes while maintaining strong relationships across the university.

Their Cultural Strengths:

• Collaboration that broke down silos between departments
• High capability with autonomous working styles
• A genuine love for challenging work and winning outcomes
• Strong internal recognition and celebration practices
• Physical workspace design that encouraged open communication

Their External Impact: Other business units actively sought their expertise, external partners valued their collaborative approach, and university council recognised their contributions.

The strategic response: Concrete actions for uncertain times

The team didn't just identify strengths—they committed to specific actions, such as:

·       Technology and Systems Improvements

·       Increased Advocacy and Communication:

·       Team Resilience practices for the long-term

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The unexpected test:

Six months later, the university made a decision that validated the team's preparation instincts: further restructuring occurred and more leaders left the organisation.

What had started as preparation for a 12-month leadership gap became preparation for organisational upheaval none of them could have predicted,

The Lesson:  Preparation Beats Prediction 

While we can't measure the specific outcomes of their strategies (the broader restructure overtook their original timeline), this case demonstrates something more valuable: the power of proactive preparation when facing uncertainty.

The team that took time to articulate their value, align on their strengths, and develop concrete systems for advocacy was the same team that approached change strategically rather than reactively. 

They built a foundation of self-knowledge and mutual support that would serve them regardless of what changes came next.