Today we are joined by Catherine Alman MacDonagh, a lawyer, entrepreneur, and CEO and founder of the Legal Lean Sigma Institute. Catherine started her legal career as director of corporate marketing for Counsel Connect, a first-of-its-kind social network platform for attorneys. After several roles in marketing and business development at law firms, she founded the Legal Sales and Service Organization, where she developed the Legal Lean Sigma Institute. The Institute was formed out of Catherine’s interest in “harnessing the power of teams.” She believes that change management can help address matters such as DEI, the war for talent, and improving employee and client experiences. Catherine has also founded the Coalition of Professional Services Providers and co-founded Legal Sustainability and Social Impact. Additionally, she is the chief enthusiasm officer and co-founder of The Legal Mocktail, a program that teaches legal professionals the skills of networking through fun simulation exercises.
In our discussion, Catherine tells us about how she was introduced to Lean and Six Sigma, how she confronts attorney skepticism toward change management, and what being a chief enthusiasm officer means to her.