I was recently asked how a law firm management philosophy relates to the strategic planning process. It was a great question, because how we manage a firm (or plan to manage a firm) must either be aligned with firm culture, or set out to consciously adjust firm culture. So how we plan sets the tone [...]
(This article first appeared in SLAW). Most law firms intuitively understand the value of mentoring. Unfortunately, that rarely translates into a successful mentoring program. Here’s what’s wrong with them, and how to fix them. There are so many skills a young lawyer needs to develop in their formational years, and so little time in which [...]
In my last post I provided a few tips to help firms prepare for the pandemic. Well, it’s here now, and while we figure out how to live through it we’re all getting bombarded by Covid 19 email messages ad nauseum. Most of the emails I’ve received have told me absolutely nothing except that the [...]
Ideally, a law firm’s marketing plan and budget would have been set last quarter. Got those who are late in starting this process, or who don’t know how to do it, here’s a guide. In a perfect world, you would start assessing your current year’s productivity against the year’s plan in August or September of [...]
I’m ending my posts of the year with a difficult subject…individuals within a Partnership who consistently seem to be in opposition with the rest of the Partnership. It's one of those areas of challenge that Partnerships are very good at ignoring, but ultimately to their peril. That vast majority of Partnerships function quite well. This [...]
I’m fighting cancer. I’ll be fine; I just have to go through hell to get there. I’ve kept this information quiet until now, but as my hair fell out the other day, the cat’s out of the bag anyway. And the executive coach in me has realized that there is an important lesson here that [...]
Lawyers know when something isn’t working; and they can usually find a way to get business back on track. But everyone has weaknesses or blind spots. When things aren’t going the way you feel they should – despite your best efforts at improvement – it might be time to hire a coach. When I ask [...]
Many firms include a marketing section in their plan and budget. But what they really mean is marketing and business development (or sales). They are two different functions, and if you don’t understand the difference, you might not be getting the results you would like from your marketing initiatives. So before you determine your marketing [...]
Law firm marketers have been fundamental to the establishment and management of many law firm practice groups and client teams in North American law firms. Critical to the success of these efforts has been the ability to help train team members in their respective roles. Toward the end of my time in-house, I conducted research [...]
If you were to go on a holiday, would you just jump in your car and start driving? Of course you wouldn’t. You’d determine your destination. You’d figure out the best time to go. You’d book accommodations and make travel arrangements. You’d consider the costs involved, and you’d pack according to the weather and your [...]