The benefits of a class act are easy to see in one firm, finds Joan Grady.

IT WAS a matter for serious study when Hirst Landscape Architects, decided to commit to IIP. It was after an employee decided to use the company as the subject for his MBA thesis - ''A Strategy for Growth''.

Feeling his firm's vulnerability in a changing marketplace, and looking for ideas and suggestions on how to stay competitive, principal Simon Hirst encouraged participation in the project. He set up workshops and brainstorming sessions in a local hotel, and was surprised at the enthusiasm from his staff.

''Until that point I had been sole principal of the company,'' he said. ''I had been managing the business for 15 years largely in isolation. Suddenly people felt empowered -- they had an influence on the firm and on their own careers.

''They were coming up with all sorts of ideas on how we could improve the business. Most of the proposals being propounded were untested, and although they sounded laudable I was wary. I invited an external consultant to validate the ideas and identify which were worth pursuing.''

A comprehensive review of the organisation's operations gave a clearer picture of its strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This was used as a basis for a three-year business plan which concentrated on improved quality and standards of service delivered through the acquisition of skills and knowledge.

Office culture was to be broadened out, to allow the eight members of staff more say in the running of the business. Canvassing of clients had formed a picture of how they perceived the business. Far from being viewed as an association of equally talented individuals, the firm was largely seen as a one-man band. Clients appeared to feel short-changed when dealing with anyone other than the principal.

''It was not a true reflection of where we were,'' said Hirst. ''The firm's growth had not been recognised - it was still seen as a small organisation, not regarded as a self-discerning entity at all. We wanted to change the emphasis, to evolve an office culture around individual personalities and skills instead of simply around me.

''Basically we wanted to create a learning culture. The marketing consultant came up with various ways we could achieve that. One of them was to commit to IIP.''

The firm adopted IIP as its new training programme. It seemed to fit most closely with the new ideas and open arena which had been created for the purposes of the thesis and it offered a nationally-recognised award in line with national standards of best practice - a tangible reward for the effort demanded.

Having already set the ball rolling, the transition to an IIP culture was not difficult. In fact, the difficulty was in not becoming too heavily involved. ''By the time we started the process it already seemed like standard practice,'' said Hirst.

''We were so interested we could have gone through it quickly, but there was still work to be done. We could have given all our time to it and finished the process a lot faster - but the business would have gone bust as a result.

''It was important to retain a sense of balance and never lose sight of the fact the IIP was a means to an end and not an end in itself. We also had to resist the temptation to create written evidence for the sake of the assessment when the necessary proof was already embedded in our established procedures, there for all to see.''

Preparation for IIP was, for Hirst Landscape Architects, writing a vision for the company and finding ways to achieve it. The company saw accreditation as an earning of kudos, as a sign to others that, though small, this firm was operating to national standards and was at the top of its league.

No other landscape architect was undertaking the process - this was an added incentive. ''We want to set ourselves apart,'' said Hirst. ''We are looking for opportunities to make our own mark, to grow, to be an internationally-recognised organisation. Everything stems from there.

''The principal benefits of IIP are cultural rather than financial. The team is reassured about its value and has a more focused view of our trading position. Employees are better able to assume a pro-active role in the firm's development.

''I would strongly advocate this approach to others - but it has to be a philosophical posture - it cannot be imposed by an external agency. It is an ethos which can only flourish with grass-roots support and an enlightened management willing to adopt new mental models.''